Re: [Callers] Contra / MWSD parallels?

David Millstone quoted Don Coffee as writing: Modern contra dancing has become a mass "movement" with the energy of a Oh dear! Here we go again. The square enthusiasts are putting forth another tome—complete with graphs and historical references— about how contra dancers are “limited”, “short-sighted”, “narrow-minded” or just plain ignorant in their views about the dance tradition that they have loved for so many decades. This annual tradition of denigration would be humorous if it were not so insidious and insulting to people who have dedicated so much to building a new tradition that has made called dancing available to so many people who would not have otherwise ever tried it. Instead of repeating the old saws about how bad contra dancers are, our square dance calling friends might consider educating themselves about this new tradition that they seem to know so little about. For those of us dedicated to holding open, public, contra dances for our communities this movement is much more than merely a “component of a larger, very wonderful tradition.” It is, in fact, an evolution of even older traditions and, perhaps, an alternative to the square dance tradition that has become so moribund and unavailable to the general public. For many of us, introduced to contras as our first social dance experience, one of the defining factors that drew us to contra dancing was the fact that it was NOT square dancing and it did NOT require that we attend separate classes to learn it. The fact is that contras are attended by a wildly eclectic crowd of people with varied dance experience and interests. Yes, about half of those in the hall frequent contras almost exclusively (43% attend contras only), but almost 40% of those in the hall are enthusiasts of some other dance form and attend other dance forms at least six times a year. About 20% of those in the hall are not enthusiasts of any dance form. (Note that only 3% of those in the hall attend square dances regularly.) Square dance calling enthusiasts should consider that the contra dance tradition might be something different from what you are familiar with, or from what you *assume* it is. These open, public social events attract a different mix of people, have a different purpose, and require a different set of calling skills than many other forms of dance. When callers—unfamiliar with the contra tradition—insist on presenting square formations while presuming to tell the dancers what they *ought* to enjoy, it is not surprising that many folks will decide to sit out. It would be better to first educate yourselves about who is in the hall before calling one of these events. Here is one place to start: http://santacruzdance.org/drupal/node/114 I look forward to an ongoing discussion about the evolution of social dance and the great contributions it can make to our world. That discussion will be most productive, however, if we start with a clear understanding of what it is that we do NOT know. Regards, Greg McKenzie