We know that English country dancing has changed from the time of John Playford 1651 English Dancing Master. Similarly, today's contra dancer enjoys a different experience from that of the early 1800s. But we don't have to look so far in the past to see significant differences in contras, squares, and ECD.

In this presentation, David Millstone will explore the dramatic changes that have taken place in different forms of country dancing in the years since World War II, with a special focus on contras. He'll augment his talk with photos, audio files, and video clips  to highlight key developments and to help us all appreciate how today's dances evolved.

Speaker Bio

David Millstone, Lebanon, NH, discovered contra dances in the early 1970s; he has been a caller for more than 40 years—contras, squares, English country dance, and family-friendly events. He has appeared at venues across North America and in eight European countries. He is past President of the Country Dance and Song Society, and co-ordinates the Square Dance History Project. David is co-author of Cracking Chestnuts, a book about classic American contra dances; he wrote the contra dance history chapter of Dance a While; he created video documentaries about Bob McQuillen, Dudley Laufman, and Ralph Sweet; and he has presented numerous talks on dance history at weekends and dance camps.