The Discreet Charm of the Contredanse
Can you believe that two weeks ago I had never heard of Contra Dance? It’s true. Evidently, my education has been sadly lacking in some very important particulars. Well, now my readers and I have an opportunity to remedy our unforgivable ignorance.
The most important thing to know is that “Contra Dance = Fun.” Once you’ve got that down, the rest is a breeze. I had the exciting opportunity to go Contra Dancing for the first time last night with a group of friends, and there was a great deal of fun to be had. Contra Dance has several things in common with square dancing—the caller, the dos-à-dos step, the live band that plays jigs and reels, the sense of high-energy community enjoyment—but it is also more sedate. Most steps are performed walking instead of skipping, and the entire pattern is usually rehearsed a few times without music before the actual dancing begins.
Contra Dance is present throughout North America and in many parts of Europe, so there is literally no reason why you should not participate, and every reason why you should! So stop making excuses already, and get out there and dance.
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