[Callers] What is a contra?

[Colin Hume]

I'm in Germany, and I'm speaking for the next few days at a Conference run by the European Callers and Teachers Association.  
Several of my sessions are about Contras, and speaking to the Contra Coordinator as we drove to the hotel I realised we had very 
different ideas about what a contra is.  I say it is an American (or American-style) dance, longways duple or triple.  He classes 
three-couple dances (such as Ted's Triplets), four-couple dances and circles as contras.  He even classes my dance "Sting in the 
Tail" as a contra.  This is for two three-couple sets side-by-side and involves siding into line, set and turn single.  I would 
regard this quite definitely as "Playford"-style, and I think Americans would categorise it as English.  But what is a contra?  I 
know the hot-shots would say that it's longways duple improper or Becket with a partner swing and preferably a neighbor swing, but 
is that your definition?  What about an early American dance such as "The Young Widow" - is that a contra?  Can a dance in waltz 
time be a contra?  I think of a contra as mainly danced to reels or jigs, though I know there are a few to slip-jigs.  Within 
reels I would include marches and American hornpipes, which are smooth, but not English hornpipes which I would dance to a 
step-hop.  And not Strathspeys.  I would say contras are done to a walking step, apart from the swing which is often a buzz step.  
But do you agree with me?

Answers fairly quickly please!

Colin Hume

Email colin at colinhume.com      Web site http://colinhume.com