Hi Emily,
You say, “Can get away with in in longways dances but contras are a bit tighter”.   Hmm… contras ARE longways dances!  How much space you need depends on the dance, not the genre.  A dance like Bases Loaded is a contra, but definitely needs a bit more space up and down the room.
            Happy dancing,
                   John                       
                                    
John Sweeney, Dancer, England   john@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent