[Callers] What is a contra?

Folk Dance ceilidh.caller.bob at gmail.com
Wed Jun 27 13:14:17 PDT 2018


I'd differentiate between a singular contra dance - longways sets, duple
minor (some triple minor chestnuts in special cases e.g. The Young Widow),
jigs/reels typically (except exceptions as discussed).  I would
characterise them choreographically as ideally linked figure to figure in a
continuous progression. I think (even though the etymology is spurious) I
would want to have the feeling of a contrary person as well as my partner.

A contra dance evening might well feature the other styles particularly if
it's a one-off party etc. but I would not say they are contra dances
themselves.  Similarly square dances are not contra but might make an
appearance in this context.   I'd be more inclined to include the
non-contras in an "American" night at a festival rather than at a "contra"
night.

Ted Sanella and Larry Jennings quite clearly included these styles in their
books but in seperate sections to the contras.

So yes, I think I agree with you Colin.

On Wed, Jun 27, 2018 at 8:47 PM Colin Hume via Callers <
callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> 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
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