Contra Dance
Introduction to Contra Dancing - 4 February, 7:30pm.
Contra Dancing has dancers in facing lines. Instruction is provided before each dance.
Wear comfortable shoes. Singles and couples welcome. $6/person.
Info: 757-3884 bobruoho@eastlink.ca
About Contra Dancing
In this form of dancing, dancers are organized in facing lines.
They are walked through before they are danced and typically
consist of a 64- step figure that repeats. The music and
choreography are melded closely together with clear emphasis
on the 8-beat phrasing. Although modern music is sometimes
used, many of the classic dances were choreographed for
traditional jigs and reels.
The origins of Contra dance were in England where the Longways Dance became popular during the 17th and 18th centuries. Facing lines danced to tunes in phrases of eight measures with a change in the movements for each new phrase. By the late 18th century this crossed the channel to France where the common folk were delighted to find a dance that was easy to learn because they could watch the head couple as they danced the figure down to the foot of the set. The French gentled it down, polished it up and gave it the name Contredanse. The Scots contributed the Reel with their unique music and thus we have the roots of Contra Dancing.