Contra dancing... on ICE! - Contra Callers

15 Apr 2019

I'd like to share this because I think it's really fun.

Several months ago, I was approached by the coaches of a Theater on Ice
team about helping put together a program for their 2018-19 Choreographic
Challenge, which was to showcase cultural dance. Burlington's team, "On
Thin Ice" wanted to do a contra dance on ice.

There were various restrictions; style and historic elements that they
wanted included, coverage of the ring, movement on the ice, etc. What they
generated is not a contra dance, but does showcase several elements of a
contra dance, and they do it on ice.

You can check out their performance at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EzYx4XtxSs&lc

It was a learning experience for me, and a fun exercise in deconstructing
and putting things back together with different constraints. For instance,
they needed percussive elements in the choreography; I'd originally tried
to sell them on petronellas; but they all balked at the turning over
"outside edges" on skates (a harder feat).

It's the first time I've every had folks dance to recorded calls, but they
wanted them to add to the feeling of a contra (and I won't be travelling
with them to nationals in Alabama this June).

As a side not, for historical reasons relating to how their program would
be judged, I used the term gypsy instead of my preference of an
alternative. I still think they do a wonderful job of bringing contra dance
to a different corner of the world.

When I went to my first contra dance, I'd never have guessed where it would
take me. Here's to more fun memories and interesting experiences in this
community and others.

-- 
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com &lt;Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com&gt;