11 Nov
2023
11 Nov
'23
2:56 a.m.
That's a great question! I expect a lot of us will have interesting stories
to share.
(One thing to keep in mind in reading all of these is that they are going
through a filter of which of us got enough into contra that at some point
we decided to subscribe to an organizers mailing list, presumably because
we were organizing a dance, so less than fully representative of dancers as
a whole.)
I started dancing at NEFFA when I was quite little: my parents had met
dancing, and while they mostly didn't dance anymore, they still went to the
festival every year. I was initially very shy about partnering with
strangers, even through early high school, and only danced with family and
friends. Asking stranger to dance was a terrifying prospect, totally out of
the question. Being asked by a stranger was also pretty worrying, lots of
saying no. Sometime about halfway through high school I got more
comfortable with dancing with strangers, but was still pretty wary of adult
partners and not that into dancing overall. I tended to get too hot while
dancing, and would usually sit every other dance out. I gradually got more
comfortable, and then got very into dancing my second year of college after
breaking up with my high school girlfriend when my younger sister started
dragging me to lots and lots of dances.
Jeff
On Fri, Nov 10, 2023, 9:24 PM Jerome Grisanti via Organizers <
organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
My first time, I attended at the invitation of a
friend and coworker. She
basically invited the entire staff at our workplace during our weekly
meeting. This was in Louisville.
I was recently separated, and I knew I needed some positive socialization,
so I showed up. I didn't see my friend, but I was swept into the dance, one
woman after another asking me for the next dance. It definitely made me
feel not only welcome, but actually wanted. I decided that night to attend
as often as possible (luckily, it was weekly).
Jerome Grisanti
On Fri, Nov 10, 2023, 7:52 PM Robert Matson via Organizers <
organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
You all, I'm curious to hear YOUR first
experiences at a contra, whether
when young or not.
As I think back, it took me three attempts over about 15 years, from
young to less young, to get over the threshold and really start enjoying
myself (not counting those grade school square dance classes). My first
experiences stunk. Once I got into contra, I was always concerned when I
brought friends who were new to contra whether they'd have fun. The most
perilous moments were 1) when they (or I) needed to find a partner and,
then, 2) absorbing the disapproval of hot shot dancers when one messed up.
Now, as an organizer, I'd like to stay aware of the confusion and concerns
of first-, second- and third-... timers.
Would anyone mind sharing?
Rob
Dancing in Arkansas
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