What is Contra?

The quick answer is, “A lot of fun!” We like to say it is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Some things you might want to know:

• The essentials are taught in a beginners’ session at the start of each evening. The caller for the evening also explains each dance and how to do it before it starts.
• Contra dancing is a kind of American traditional dancing and it is usually danced to acoustic music (always live, in New York and most other places)--string bands and lots of interesting variations, like the klezmer-flavored Brooklyn Swing Ensemble band. The figures of each dance are laid out to coincide with a certain phrase of music, so listening to the music can be a big help to know when to do what.
• It is danced in long lines, in subsets of two couples. Everyone has a partner for that dance, and partners usually change with each dance. You do a set of figures (usually 32 bars of music) with another couple, and then you move on to repeat the same figures with the next couple, and so on.
• It is informal – wear comfortable clothes, and either wear or (preferably) bring soft-soled shoes, so we don’t wear out the floor.
• Come alone or with someone else. We usually change partners after each dance. If you are new, you will learn faster if you dance with someone who is more experienced. Feel free to ask anyone to dance, male or female, older or younger.
• Although it can be simple enough for people to pick up the basics in the space of a few dances, there are enough subtleties and kinesthetic pleasures to keep people loving it for a lifetime.

But like any dance, it is better experienced than talked about! Come and see what it
is like! See the schedule of contra dances on the home page, and get more information on the hall where we dance.