Contra Dancing
Last Saturday, LRand cajoled me into going out to eat and then contra dancing immediately thereafter. My goodness it was great! (I have just been told that LRand beat me to the punch and has already posted a write-up here. Oh well.)I love dancing. Contra dancing is particularly fun, because you don't have to know anything but how to follow a lead in order to get in the dance steps... and because there's room for improvisation. The basic steps are outlined at the beginning of each dance, but there's generally time for an extra twirl here, a sneaky double-time step there. It's LOTS of fun. I'd never been contra dancing before, but I really enjoyed myself. (It couldn't have hurt that the music was excellent folk, played by a fine live band on a stage at the front of the room.)
The other great thing about contra dancing (at least at this particular venue), a thing which just isn't true at balls or proms or homecoming dances, or at Salsa night at the Ithaca club Common Ground, or even in most dance classes, is that you really, truly don't need to bring a partner. Everybody is expected to switch partners for every dance. Of course you might favor somebody with two dances in a night (gasp! but there is a closing waltz for just that purpose, it seems), but you'd never stay with a single partner all night long (even if you're married to that partner!). The culture of the dance is one of great inclusivity. It is a group project, and a really fun one.
No highfalutin observations here. Merely, I'm not sure I've ever had such fun dancing (though a particular swing dance does come to mind as close competition). I will definitely be going back!
posted by Skay @ 7:20 PM
2 Comments:
Contra dancing sounds like fun. Glad to hear you ahd a good time.
Hey, waitaminute, looky here!
Sneaky one, aren't you? :-)
Let me know when you're up for another Saturday night of Indonesian food and contra, okay?
Post a Comment
<< Home