Contra dance 5412 225837998 2008-07-15T17:08:51Z Tparkes 5425222 /* History */ {{Refimprove|date=September 2007}} [[Image:Peterborough contra dance November 2007 90739.jpg|thumb|right|Contra dancers in Peterborough, New Hampshire]] {{redirect6|Contredanse|the Belarusian folk music band|Contredanse (band)|the early and middle Western Classical music form|Classical period (music)}} '''Contra dance''' (also '''contradance''', '''contra-dance''' and other variant spellings) refers to several [[folk dance]] styles in which couples dance in two facing lines of indefinite length. Contra dances can be found around the world, though they are especially popular in the [[United States]]. Contra dance is also referred to as [[tradition]]al [[New England]] folk dance. There are regularly scheduled contra dances in many [[North America]]n cities, as well as in [[Belgium]], [[Denmark]], [[England]], [[Czech Republic]] and [[Australia]]. <br clear=all> {{contra dance}} ==History== At the end of the 17th century, [[English country dance]]s were taken up by French dancers; hybrid choreographies exist from this period using the steps from [[Baroque dance|French court dance]] in [[England|English]] dances. The French called these dances ''contra-dance'' or ''contredanse''. As time progressed, English country dances were spread and reinterpreted throughout the Western world, and eventually the French form of the name came to be associated with the American folk dances, especially in New England (this Frenchified name change may have followed a contemporary misbelief that the form was originally French).<ref> {{cite encyclopedia | url = http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/contra%20dance | title = Contra dance | encyclopedia = Merriam-Webster OnLine | publisher = Merriam-Webster, Incorporated | date= 2006 | accessdate = 2006-11-01 }} </ref><ref> {{cite encyclopedia | url = http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50048899?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=contra+dance&first=1&max_to_show=10 | title = Contre-dance, -danse, contra-dance | encyclopedia = Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed | publisher = Oxford University Press | date= 1989 | accessdate = 2006-11-01 }} : ''(as access to the OED online is not free, the relevant excerpt is provided)'' "Littré's theory, that there was already in 17th c. a French ''contre-danse'' with which the English word was confused and ran together, is not tenable; no trace of the name has been found in French before its appearance as an adaptation of the English. But new dances of this type were subsequently brought out in France, and introduced into England with the Frenchified form of the name, which led some Englishmen to the erroneous notion that the French was the original and correct form, and the English a corruption of it." </ref> Contra dances were fashionable in the United States until the early to mid-19th century, when they were supplanted in popularity by [[square dance]]s (such as the [[quadrille]] and [[lancers]]) and couple dances (such as the [[waltz]] and [[polka]]). When square dances were revived (around 1925 to 1940, depending on the region), contra dances were generally not included. In the 1930s and 1940s, contra dances appear to have been done only in small towns in widely scattered parts of northeastern North America, such as [[Ohio]], the [[Maritime provinces]] of Canada, and particularly northern New England. [[Ralph Page]] almost single-handedly maintained the New England tradition until it was revitalized in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly by [[Ted Sannella]] and [[Dudley Laufman]]. By then, early dance camps, retreats, and weekends had emerged, such as Pinewoods Camp, in [[Plymouth, Massachusetts]], which became primarily a music and dance camp in 1933,<ref>[http://www.pinewoods.org/pciHistory.shtml Pinewoods Camp History]</ref> and NEFFA, the [[New England Folk Festival]], also in Massachusetts, which began in 1944.<ref>[http://www.neffa.org/history.html NEFFA History]</ref> These and others continue to be popular and some offer dancing and activities besides contra dancing. In the 1970s, Sannella added [[contra dance choreography|heys and gypsies]] to the contra dances.<ref>[http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/~winston/ecd/gmurrow.htmlx how figures like heys and gypsies got into modern contradancing]</ref> New dances, such as ''Shadrack's Delight'' by [[Tony Parkes (caller)|Tony Parkes]], featured symmetrical dancing by all couples. (Previously, the actives and inactives —see ''Progression'' below— had significantly different roles). Double progression dances, popularized by Herbie Gaudreau,<ref>Gaudreau, Herbie ''Modern Contra Dancing'' Sandusky, OH: Square Dance Magazine, 1971</ref> added to the aerobic nature of the dances, and one caller, [[Gene Hubert]], wrote a quadruple progression dance, ''Contra Madness''. Becket formation was introduced, with partners next to each other in the line instead of opposite. The [[Brattleboro, Vermont|Brattleboro]] Dawn Dance started in 1976, and continues to run semiannually.<ref> {{cite web |url= http://www.dawndance.org/history.html |title= A look at late-night dancing in the Brattleboro, VT area from the 1920s to the 1960s |accessdate= 2007-01-15 |author= Michael McKernan |year= 1995 |work= Brattleboro Dawn Dances History }} </ref><ref>[http://www.dawndance.org/ Brattleboro Dawn Dances] </ref> In the 1980s, [[Tod Whittemore]] started the first Saturday dance in the [[Peterborough, New Hampshire|Peterborough]] Town House, which remains one of the more popular regional dances.<ref> [http://www.monadnockfolk.org/?page_id=30 Peterborough Contra Dance] </ref> Whittemore also started the popular Thursday night Boston area dance. As callers moved to other locations, they founded contra dances in Michigan, Washington, California, Texas, and elsewhere. ==Contra dance events== [[Image:ContraDanceCambridgeVFW.agr.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A Thursday night contra dance at the Fresh Pond Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]].]] Most contra dances are open to all, regardless of experience. They are [[family-friendly]], and [[alcohol]] consumption is not part of the culture. Many events offer beginner-level instructions for up to half an hour before the dance. A typical evening of contra dance is three hours long, including an intermission. The event consists of a number of individual ''contra dances'', divided by a scattering of other partner dances, perhaps one or more [[waltz]]es, [[schottische]]s, [[polka]]s, or Swedish [[hambo]]s. In some places, [[square dance]]s are thrown into the mix. Music for the evening is typically performed by a live band, playing [[jig]]s and [[reel (dance)|reels]] from [[Ireland]], [[Scotland]], [[Canada]], or the [[United States|USA]]. Often the tunes are traditional and more than a century old, and sometimes a few tunes are more recent compositions that follow the traditional form, perhaps composed by the musicians on stage. (See "Music", below.) Generally, a leader, known as a [[caller (dance)|caller]], will teach each individual dance just before the music for that dance begins. During this introductory "walk-through" period, participants learn the dance by walking through the steps and formations, following the caller's instructions. The caller gives the instructions orally, and sometimes augments them with demonstrations of steps by experienced dancers in the group. The walk-through usually proceeds in the order of the moves as they will be done with the music; in some dances, the caller may vary the order of moves during the dance, a fact that is usually explained as part of the caller's instructions. After the walk-through, the music begins and the dancers repeat that sequence some number of times before that dance ends, often 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the length of the contra lines. Calls are normally given at least the first few times through, and often for the last. At the end of each dance, the dancers thank their partners. The contra dance tradition in North America is to change partners for every dance, while in the United Kingdom typically people dance with the same partner the entire evening. One who attends an evening of contra dances in North America does not need to bring his or her own partner. In the short break between individual dances, women and men invite each other to dance. Booking ahead (lining up a partner or partners ahead of time for each individual dance), while common at some venues, is often discouraged.{{POV-statement|date=December 2007}}<ref> [http://www.bobarcher.org/dance/uk_us_comparison.html English / American dancing - a comparison] </ref><ref> [http://members.aol.com/foothilldancers/booking_ahead.pdf 10 reasons not to book ahead] </ref><ref> [http://www.musaique.com/contradance/articles/kevra-letter.html Susan Kevra's Letter to the Greenfield Contra Dancers] </ref><ref> [http://www.gainesnet.com/booking.htm Dance Community Hospitality] </ref><ref> [http://ravitz.us/dance/call.php Notes on Calling Contra Dances] </ref> At most dances, no special outfits are worn, but "peasant skirts" or other full, lightweight skirts are popular, as these have a very pretty effect when swinging or twirling and some people find them more comfortable to dance in than pants. This includes some men as well; contra dancers can be quite liberal in the way they dress. Low, broken-in, soft-soled, non-marking shoes, such as dance shoes, sneakers, or sandals, are recommended and, in some places, required. However, dancing barefoot is also common. Perfumes, colognes, or other scented products are not commonly worn. As in any social dance, cooperation is vital to contra dancing. Since over the course of any single dance, individuals interact with not just their partners but everyone else in the set, contra dancing might be considered a group activity. As will necessarily be the case when beginners are welcomed in by more practiced dancers, mistakes are made; mistakes will be overlooked, in most circles, as long as they do not upset the experience for the rest of the group. ==Form of a contra dance== {{see main|Contra dance form}} ===Formations=== [[Image:Contra dance sets.gif|thumb|300px|right|Contra dance sets, seen from the balcony of the town house of [[Peterborough, New Hampshire]].<ref>Although most people think a municipal hall is always called "town hall," there is a long tradition of calling the building with town offices the "town house" as Peterborough calls their municipal building. [http://www.townofpeterborough.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B492C637A-0E03-496F-A4D5-FF976BE0148B%7D Peterborough NH: Town House Rentals, Park Rentals & Tent Rentals] </ref>]] Contra dances are arranged in long paired lines of couples. A pair of lines is called a ''set''. Sets are generally arranged so they run the length of the hall, with the ''top'' or ''head'' of the set being the end closest to the band and caller. Correspondingly, the ''bottom'' or ''foot'' of the set is the end farthest from the caller. Couples consist of two people, traditionally but not necessarily one male and one female, referred to as the gent, gentleman or man, and lady or woman. Couples interact primarily with an adjacent couple for each round of the dance. Each sub-group of two interacting couples is known to choreographers as a ''minor set'' and to dancers as a ''foursome''. Couples in the same minor set are ''neighbors''. Minor sets originate at the head of the set, starting with the topmost dancers as the 1's (the ''active couple'' or ''actives''); the other couple are ''2's'' (or ''inactives''). The 1's are said to be ''above'' their neighboring 2's; 2's are ''below''. If there is an uneven number of couples dancing, the bottom-most couple will ''wait out'' the first time through the dance. There are three common ways of arranging dancers in the minor sets: ''proper'' formation, ''improper'' formation, and ''Becket'' formation. There are many additional forms a contra dance may take. Five of them are: ''triple minor'', ''triplet'', ''indecent'', ''four-face-four'', and ''whole-set''. (For diagrams and full descriptions, see [[Contra dance form|Contra Dance Form]] main article.) ===Progression=== A fundamental aspect of contra dancing is that the same dance, one time through which lasts roughly 30 [[second]]s, is repeated over and over - but each time you dance with new neighbors. This change is effected by ''progressing'' the 1's ''down'' the set and progressing the 2's ''up'' (also ''up the hall'' and ''down the hall''; see Contra Dance Form main article for full characterizations of the progression in the eight dance forms mentioned above). A single dance runs around ten minutes, long enough to progress 15-20 times. If the sets are short to medium length the caller will often try to run the dance until each couple has danced with every other couple both as a 1 and a 2 and returned to where they started. With longer sets (more than ~40 people) this would require long enough sets that the caller will usually only run the dance all the way around on (rare) non equal-turn dances. ==Choreography==<!-- This section is linked from [[English Country Dance]] --> {{see main|Contra dance choreography}} Contra dance [[choreography]] specifies the dance formation, the ''figures'', and the sequence of those figures in a dance. Notably, contra dance figures (with a few exceptions) do not have defined footwork; within the limits of the music and the comfort of their fellow dancers, individuals move according to their own taste. Most contra dances consist of a sequence of about six to twelve individual figures, prompted by the [[Caller (dance)|caller]] in time to the [[music]] as the figures are danced. As the sequence repeats, the caller may cut down his or her prompting, and eventually drop out, leaving the dancers to each other and the music. A '''figure''' is a pattern of movement that typically takes eight ''counts'', although figures with four or sixteen counts are also common. Each dance is a collection of figures assembled to allow the dancers to progress along the set (see "Progression," above). A '''count''' (as used above) is one half of a [[bar (music)|musical measure]], such as one quarter note in 2/4 time or three eighth notes in 6/8 time. A count may also be called a ''step'', as contra dance is a walking form, and each count of a dance typically matches a single physical step in a figure. Typical contra dance choreography comprises four '''parts''', each 16 counts (8 measures) long. The parts are called A1, A2, B1 and B2. This nomenclature stems from the music: Most contra dance tunes (as written) have two parts (A and B), each 8 measures long, and each fitting one part of the dance. The A and B parts are each played twice in a row, hence, A1, A2, B1, B2. While the same music is generally played in, for example, parts A1 and A2, distinct choreography is followed in those parts. Thus, a contra dance is typically 64 ''counts'', and goes with a 32 ''measure'' tune. Tunes of this form are called "square"; tunes that deviate from this form are called "crooked". Crooked tunes are more commonly used in [[square dance|square dancing]], where the phrasing of the dance does not have to align as closely with the phrasing of the music. Sample contra dances:<ref>[http://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/index/by_title.html Michael Dyck's Country Dance Index]</ref> * Traditional - the actives do most of the dancing :''Chorus Jig'' (Proper duple minor) ::A1 (16) Actives down the outside and back ::A2 (16) Actives down the center, turn individually, come back, and cast off ::B1 (16) Actives turn contra corners, turning inactives by the left ::B2 (16) Actives meet in the middle for a balance and swing, end swing facing up ::Occasionally inactives will swing in the middle (14 beats) while actives are going down the outside * Modern - the dance is symmetrical for actives and inactives :''Hay in the Barn'' by Chart Guthrie (Improper duple minor) ::A1 (16) Neighbors balance and swing ::A2 (8) Ladies chain across, (8) Half hey, ladies pass right shoulders to start ::B1 (16) Partners balance and swing ::B2 (8) Ladies chain across, (8) Half hey, ladies pass right shoulders to start ==Music== The most common contra dance repertoire is rooted in the Anglo-Celtic tradition as it developed in North America. [[Folk music of Ireland|Irish]], [[Scottish music|Scottish]], [[French-Canadian music|French Canadian]], and [[Old-time music|Old-time]] tunes are common, and [[Klezmer]] tunes have also been used. The old-time repertoire includes very few of the jigs common in the others. Tunes used for a contra dance are nearly always "square" 64-beat tunes, in which one time through the tune is each of two 16-beat parts played twice (this is notated AABB). However, any 64-beat tune will do; for instance, three 8-beat parts could be played AABB AACC, or two 8-beat parts and one 16-beat part could be played AABB CC. Tunes not 64 beats long are called "crooked" and are almost never used for contra dancing, although a few crooked dances have been written as novelties. Until the 1970s it was traditional to play a single tune for the duration of a contra dance (about 5 to 10 minutes). Since then, contra dance musicians have typically played tunes in sets of two or three related (and sometimes contrasting) tunes, though single-tune dances are again becoming popular with some northeastern bands. In the Celtic repertoires it is common to change keys with each tune. A set might start with a tune in G, switch to a tune in D, and end with a tune in Em. Here, D is related to G as its dominant (5th), while D and Em (dorian) share a key signature of two sharps. In the southern old-time tradition the musicians will either play the same tune for the whole dance, or switch to tunes in the same key. This is because the tunings of the banjo are key-specific. An old-time band might play a set of tunes in D, then use the time between dances to retune for a set of tunes in A. (Fiddlers also may take this opportunity to retune; tune- or key-specific fiddle tunings are uncommon in American Anglo-Celtic traditions other than old-time.) In the Celtic repertoires it is most common for bands to play sets of reels and sets of jigs. However, since the underlying beat structure of jigs and reels is the same (two "counts" per bar) it is not uncommon to mix jigs and reels in a set. ==See also== {{Commons}} * [[Bob Dalsemer]] * [[Quadrille]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== <!-- form of cite book template (copy, paste & remove unused parameters): *{{cite book | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = | publisher = | date = | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = }} --> {{refbegin}} *{{cite book | last = Daniels | first = Bruce Colin | title = Puritans at Play: Leisure and Recreation in Colonial New England | publisher = Palgrave Macmillan | date= 1995 | location = New York | isbn = 978-1403972125 }} See chapter VI, "Frolics for Fun: Dances, Weddings and Dinner Parties, pages 109 - 124. *{{cite book | last = Dart | first = Mary McNab | title = Contra Dance Choreography: A Reflection of Social Change | publisher = Garland Publishing | date = 1995 | location = New York & London | url = http://www.westendweb.com/marydart/index.htm |accessdate= 2008-06-12 | isbn = 0815319843 }} * {{cite book | last = Holden | first = Rickey | coauthors = Frank Kaltman and Olga Kulbitsky| title = The Contra Dance Book | publisher = [http://www.aads.be Anglo-American Dance Service] | date= 1997 | location = Lovendegem, Belgium | isbn = 9080208736 }} (Reprint: first published in 1956 by American Squares as a part of the ''American Squares Dance Series'') * {{cite book | last = Jennings | first = Larry | title = Zesty Contras: A Selection of 500 New England Syle Dances with a Provocative Explanatory Text | publisher = [[New England Folk Festival Association]] | date= 1983, revised with corrections 1988 | location = Cambridge Massachusetts }} * {{cite book | last = Jennings | first = Larry | title = Give-and-Take: A sequel to Zesty Contras, featuring 628 dances in the New England style, provocative remarks, exhortative essays and arcane analysis| publisher = New England Folk Festival Association | date= 2004 | location = Cambridge, Massachusetts }} *{{cite book | last = Jennings | first = Larry | coauthors = Dan Pearl and Ted Sannella | title = The Contra Connection & Basically for Callers: Reprints from the Country Dance and Song Society NEWS (2nd Edition) | publisher = Country Dance and Song Society | date= 2004 | location = Northampton, Massachusetts | isbn = 0917024141 }} *{{cite book | last = Keller| first = Kate Van Winkle| title = Dance and Its Music in America, 1528-1789| publisher = Pendragon Press| date= 2007| location = Hillsdale, NY | isbn = 978-1576471272}} *{{cite book | last = Linscott | first = Eloise Hubbard | title = Folk Songs of Old New England | publisher = Dover Publications | date= 1993, a reprint of the 1963 2nd edition | isbn = 0486278271 }} See chapter entitled "Country Dancing," Pages 57 - 120. (The first edition was published in 1939.) * {{cite book | last = Nevell | first = Richard | title = A Time To Dance: American Country Dancing from Hornpipes to Hot Hash | publisher = St. Martin's Press | date= 1977 | location =New York | isbn = 978-0312805227 }} *{{cite book | last = Parkes | first = Tony | title = Contra Dance Calling, A Basic Text | publisher = Hands Four Productions | date= 1992 | location = Bedford, Massachusetts | isbn = 978-0963288011}} * {{cite book | last = Sannella | first = Ted | authorlink = Ted Sannella | title = Balance and Swing: A collection of fifty-five squares, contras and triplets in the New England tradition with music for each dance | publisher = Country Dance and Song Society | date= 1982 | location = Northampton, Massachusetts | isbn = 0917024052 }} *{{cite book | last = Sannella | first = Ted | title = Swing the Next: A second collection of squares, contras, triplets and circles in the New England tradition, with music for each dance. | publisher = Country Dance and Song Society | date= 1996 | location = Northampton, Massachusetts | isbn = 0917024052 }} *{{cite book | last = Sannella | first = Ted | title = Calling Traditional New England Squares | publisher = Country Dance and Song Society | date= 2005 | location = Northampton, Massachusetts | isbn = 0917024168 }} {{refend}} ==External links== ;Descriptions & definitions :*Gary Shapiro's [http://www.sbcds.org/contradance/whatis/ What Is Contra Dance?] :*Hamilton Country Dancers' [http://www.freenet.hamilton.on.ca/link/jig/a_contra_dancers_primer.htm A Contra Dance Primer] :*Sharon Barrett Kennedy's [http://www.art-rageous.net/Contradancing.html "Now, What in the World is Contra Dancing?"] ;Different traditions and cultures in contra dance :*Colin Hume's [http://www.colinhume.com/american.htm Advice to Americans in England] :*Mary Dart's book [http://www.westendweb.com/marydart/index.htm Contra Dance Choreography, A Reflection of Social Change] ;Research resources :*University of New Hampshire Special Collections: [http://www.izaak.unh.edu/nhltmd/ New Hampshire Library of Traditional Music and Dance] ;Contra dance associations :*[http://www.cdss.org/ Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS)] works to preserve and sustain a variety of Anglo-American folk traditions in North America, including folk music, folk song, English country dance, contra dance and morris dance, through its hundreds of affiliated associations. :*[http://www.aads.be/ Anglo-American Dance Service] Based in Belgium, promoting contra dance and English dance in Western Europe. ;Photography and Video :*Doug Plummer's [http://www.dougplummer.com/archives/contra/contra.html Northwest contra dance photos] :*Doug Plummer's [http://www.dougplummer.com/archives/newengland/contras.html New England contra dance photos] :*A video of the [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8642400794835819168 Brattleboro Dawn Dance] in [[Vermont]], Susan Kevra calling (19 min) - note the differences in dance and music styles between this northeastern dance and the southeastern one linked below :*A [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9L0dz3qmsc fun video] (1 min) of the [http://www.contracopia.net/sites/montpelier/ Montpelier Vermont Contradance], Will Mentor calling for Beeswax Sheepskin :*A video of the [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8687611973381201961 Lake Eden Arts Festival 2006] (LEAF) in [[North Carolina]] (2 min) :* Two American country dance [http://countrycorners.blogspot.com/ films on DVD]: "Country Corners" (1976), and "Full of Life A-Dancin'" (1978). ;Finding contra dances in North America :*[http://www.contracorners.net/contra/links/dancemap.html Contra Corners] (map of US dances) :*[http://www.contradancelinks.com/ Contra Dance Links] (U.S. contra dance calendars and further contra dance links) :*[http://www.thedancegypsy.com/ The Dance Gypsy] (locate contra dances and many other types of dance around the world) :*[http://www.neffa.org/Top/ NEFFA LinkFest] (links to dances) :*[http://www.tedcrane.com/DanceDB/ Ted Crane's Dance Database] (locate dances -primarily contra- in North America) [[Category:Contra dance| ]] [[Category:American folk dances]] [[Category:Social dance]] [[Category:Dance styles]] [[de:Contra Dance]] [[es:Contradanza (Danza)]] [[fr:Contredanse]] [[it:Contraddanza]] [[pt:Contradança]] [[sv:Kontradans]]