Contra Dances
Please send contra information
and/or links to promn8@newnorth.net
Updated July 1, 2013
Special Week and Weekend Dances:
Shaw/Folk Reunion – Friday July 12th & Saturday,
July 13th
at the Outpost, 10101 E Colorado Ave, Denver, CO. Friday
dancing starts at 7:30pm. Saturday starts at 10:00 for the daytime workshop
sessions and 7:30pm for the evening dance.
If you are planning on attending please contact us. If you plan to attend all
day & evening Saturday we need your registration so we have an accurate
count for the Western BBQ dinner before July 7th.
Contact Bob Riggs at Bob@sde-co.com
Cumberland Dance Week – July 14 – 20, 2013
Lake
Cumberland Educational Center, Nancy, KY
http://www.cumberlanddanceweek.org/
Ongoing Dances:
Kettering - CityFolk holds dances on the 1st Friday of the month from September to May (except December) with waltzing at 6:30pm, instruction at 7:30pm, and contra dancing at 8:00pm. The dances are held at the Michael Solomon Pavilion, 2917 Berkley Avenue (behind the Community Golf Course off Dorothy Lane). Admission is at the Door: $7 adults, children 12 and under free. No experience is necessary, all ages are welcome and you don't need to bring a partner. The caller teaches all dances before they start. Web site: http://www.cityfolk.org/socialDance.htm.
Antigo - North Country Contra, (4th Friday); 6:30 -
9:00 p.m.; Casual dress; Antigo United Methodist Church, 2034 W. 5th Ave.,
Antigo, WI; Pat Kelm - caller - 715-623-4523 or promn8@newnorth.net
Friday, July 5,
2013? Please call or email by July 3 if
interested, otherwise dance will not be scheduled.
(Always
looking for available local musicians.)
Links:
http://www.contradancelinks.com/festivals.html
Contralab (International Association of Contra
Callers) http://www.contralab.net/
Contra Program at the 51st National Square Dance Convention, June 27, 28, 29, 2002 included a seminar led by Art Harvey called "How Contras Fit in Square Dances". To read the text of his seminar, click on the title.
Below are several easy traditional contras:
Dumbarton
Drums - Traditional
Formation: Lines of four
facing lines of four, in columns. with the line
nearest the caller (head of hall) having their backs to the caller. An even
number of lines is not required as the lines progress toward the next facing
them each time the dance is repeated. Partners are not required as each line
may be composed of any grouping of dancers, however, where the dancers attend
as couples the line should be two couples in line - facing two couples in line.
Music: Shaw 172
(This dance appears in The
Caller/Teacher Manual for Contras by Don Armstrong)
1-8 WITH THE MUSIC FORWARD AND BACK (lines
move toward each other and back in 8 counts)
9-16 RIGHT COUPLE IN FRONT SASHAY OVER (each
half of the line exchanges places with the other half with sliding sideways
steps with right hand half passing in front of left hand half)
17-24 WITH THE MUSIC FORWARD AND BACK (as
above)
25-32 RIGHT COUPLES IN FRONT SASHAY BACK (as
above, with "new" right hand half passing in front)
33-40 WITH THE OPPOSITES RIGHT HAND STAR (each
half of the line makes a four-handed right hand star with facing couple around
to place)
41-48 SAME FOUR LEFT HAND STAR
49-56 BACK TO LINES THEN FORWARD AND BACK
57-64 ARCH TO THE HEAD, DIVE TO THE FOOT (each
half of the line facing the head of the hall where the caller is will make an
arch with their joined hands moving it over the couple facing the foot. That
couple ducks under the arch moving towards a new line)
Virginia
Reel - Traditional (one of several versions)
Formation: Two rows
of dancers - one of ladies, the other of gents - each facing their partner. Rows are from the head of the hall - close to caller/music - and
extends towards the foot of the hall. Ladies are on the caller's left
side. Dance works best with no more than six couples in each set.
Music: Mac Gregor 7345 "Haste to the Wedding"
1-8 EVERYBODY DOSADO PARTNER
9-16 EVERYBODY TURN PARTNER BY THE RIGHT ARM
17-24 EVERYBODY TURN PARTNER BY THE LEFT ARM
25-32 EVERYBODY TURN PARTNER WITH BOTH HANDS
33-40 FIRST COUPLE SASHAY DOWN (couple
closest to the caller joins both hands and slips sideways down between the two
lines)
41-48 FIRST COUPLE SASHAY BACK (same
couple comes back in the same way to top)
49-64 FIRST COUPLE REEL THE SET (same
couple turn partner by the right arm once and a half to extend left arm to next
person down the line of the opposite gender, turning that person by the left,
then coming back to turn partner by the right, going back to turn the next
person by the left - gradually working their way down the lines towards the
foot) Note: this may take more than the indicated amount of
music.
65-72 FIRST
COUPLE SASHAY BACK TO TOP
73-80 FIRST COUPLE CAST TO THE FOOT (they
roll out and head down behind their respective lines leading all the others in
their lines towards the foot)
81-88 MAKE AN ARCH, COME UP TO TOP (first
couple makes a two-handed arch at the foot, as they others come around they
take their partner's hand and duck under the arch and move all the way up to
the top leaving the original first couple at the foot)
Dance
begins again with a new first couple.
Thady You Gander - English
Folk Dance
Formation: Row of four
ladies facing a row of four gents - each facing their partner. First couple is
the couple closest to the caller/music.
Music: Folkraft #1167 B
1-4 FIRST COUPLE DOWN THE MIDDLE (first
gent lead partner down the middle of the set.
5-8 FIRST COUPLE CROSS OVER AT FOOT - OTHER WAY BACK (first couple crosses over changing
places and comes back up the outside to finish in partner's place)
9-16 FIRST LADY LEAD LINE OF GENTS (first
lady holds hands with the line of gents leading them forward and around behind
the opposite line and all the way back to place)
17-24 FIRST GENT LEAD LINE OF LADIES (first
gents holds hands with the line of ladies leading them forward and around
behind the opposite line and all the way back to place)
25-40 FIRST COUPLE REEL THE SET (first
couple turns partner by the right half-way, then reaches for the next one -
opposite gender- in the line to turn by the left arm, coming back to turn
partner again by the right - continuing down the set until they turn their partner
right half-way and back up to stand in their same gender lines at the foot) Each
couple does the same in turn. Fourth couple finishes as the music finishes.
For more
information e-mail: 
promn8@newnorth.net
Back to Northland Notes or to Camp Sweat or Bob's Corner perhaps Pat's Place or we also suggest Square Dances and then there's always Mixed Pics