Anyone may ask anyone to dance. At CDNY, we generally change partners for each dance. So go ahead, ask someone new! We especially encourage folks to ask dancers who have been sitting out, and experienced dancers to ask new dancers, so that everyone gets a chance to dance and to learn the ropes.

When the caller asks for hands-­four and starts teaching the dance, give them your full attention. Listen attentively to the caller and refrain from conversation. Talking over the walk­through is impolite to the caller and is distracting to others in the hall who are trying to listen.

Folks of any gender may dance either role, or both.  If you know how to dance one role and want to learn the other, plenty of folks in the hall will be happy to partner with you and help you out. It is polite to ask which role your partner would like to dance. If you would like to dance a specific role, you might say, for instance, “I’d like to be the Lark, is that OK with you?”

Dance with whoever comes at you. Don’t assume which role someone is dancing based on their gender presentation. (If you meet a pair of unfamiliar dancers in line and they seem confused, you can nicely ask which role they are dancing and help them get back on track.)

You are always free to say no when someone asks you to dance. You don’t have to give a reason; you can just say “No, thank you.” If you ask someone to dance and they say “No,” take it gracefully and move on. If someone has declined to dance with you, the etiquette in our community is not to ask that person again that same night. If they would like to dance with you, they can come ask you—it’s their turn to do the asking.

Communicate your needs to your partner so they know how to give you the most comfortable dance. You can always speak up if a dancer is doing anything that makes you uncomfortable: for example, “Please swing slower,” or, “I’d like your hand a little higher.” If you feel especially uneasy or unable to communicate such an issue with your partner, please seek out a board member or the dance manager—we’re here to help!

Check in with your partner every now and then. Everyone is different. We have different joints, we get dizzy from different things, we have different preferences, we are strong (or not) in different places, etc. Because of these differences, we can’t accurately guess how our dancing feels to our partners; the only way to know for sure is to ask.

If you like to use flourishes ask your partner if they like being twirled before each dance. The same goes for dipping—always ask first! Even if you have danced with someone on previous occasions, it is good to ask each time because they might have a new injury, for instance, of which you are unaware. Remember that every flourish is an invitation plus an acceptance; if you are attempting to flourish someone, it is your responsibility to pay attention to your partner’s responses, and only carry out flourishes if your partner accepts them. For instance, if you go to twirl someone and they tug their arm down, it means that they do not want to be twirled. If unsure, ask!

Respect people’s space. If you like swinging in a close embrace (a close blues pivot), ask your partner if they too enjoy this before initiating such a swing.

Keep flirtation off the dance floor (unless you’re positive that it will be well received). While flirtation is often part of social dancing, it can make dancers uncomfortable and is not an essential part of Contra dance. Please limit flirtation to dancers who are known to you and have returned your dance-­related flirtatiousness in the past! (If you’re at all unsure, ask!)

Please give care to your personal hygiene! Shower, wear deodorant and make sure your breath is fresh. If you are prone to sweating, bring additional clean shirts to change into over the course of the evening. Please refrain from wearing perfume and cologne; when bodies heat up on the dance floor, fragrances are more rapidly dispersed and quickly become overpowering.

And finally: We are all constantly learning and evolving as dancers and members of the Contra community. We can do this best if we have an open dialogue with each other about dancing!

Don’t fret if your hands-­four gets mixed up. Smile and use clear gestures to help our new dancers (and everyone) through the dance. If you’re really mixed up, just take a beat to think about where you need to be to dance with the next couple, move there, and wait for them to come to you.

Use gestures and physical demonstrations to show new dancers how something works, and keep verbal instructions to a minimum—it’s hard for newer dancers to listen to you, the caller, and the music all at the same time! (This goes for beginners’ lessons as well—the caller can’t teach if there are other people teaching from the floor at the same time.) If you notice that your partner or neighbors are struggling, try to get in position for the next move early so they know where they need to go next.

Experienced dancers are always welcome at beginners’ lessons to help show newcomers the ropes, so if you feel like showing up early, please do join us! It’s a great way to introduce new dancers to our community and help them pick up Contra as quickly as possible.

Refrain from twirls, spins, and other flourishes with newer partners; fancy add­-ons can be disorienting, and may slow the learning process for those newer to Contra. Please make sure new dancers have a solid base for understanding Contra dance before adding any extras. Please also refrain from flourishes during walkthroughs as it is confusing to newer dancers who are trying to learn the basic steps.

The CDNY contra dance is an upbeat, urban Contra dance featuring great music and friendly, competent calling. Our dancers prefer callers who use appropriate and satisfying material for the level of the crowd and who offer safety and style guidance while maintaining an upbeat and positive attitude. The dancers are used to just one efficient walk-through for most dances.

A caller whose reputation in NYC is not well established is better advised to offer a well-prepared program of current standard material rather than individualistic material or “gimmick” dances. If you are unsure of your program, please feel free to talk with Alexandra Deis-Lauby in advance.

If you are a new caller to our series, we expect to share dancer feedback with you. If you haven’t called a full evening for us within the last two years, you might be interested in how you were received by the crowd. Please contact Alexandra Deis-Lauby by email.

We have a mixed-age group with a lively young-adult population, as well as older dancers. We have anywhere from 3-20 new dancers on any given night and 30-70 overall. Most of our dancers have had some experience. Our expectation is that callers will be aware of the new people and call appropriate dances for all to enjoy. If there are many new dancers present, interesting yet accessible dances are encouraged rather than a slew of survey dances. If you have any questions about the capabilities of the crowd at hand, consult with that evening’s dance manager.

Please remind dancers to welcome the new dancers and to ask folks who are sitting out to dance.

When the hall is full, it can be noisy during walk-throughs. It is the caller’s job to make sure that all Contra lines are set up correctly (hands four, ones crossed over, for example) before teaching the dance. The dancers are used to one concise walk-through for most dances. Use your best judgment.

We encourage you to offer brief styling points throughout the evening.

6:30PM - Lesson For Beginners

• The dance manager will let you know how many beginners there are. The lesson is usually small; if you don’t know our dancers, then ask the dance manager or a board member to help you recruit experienced dancers to pair up with the new people.

7:00PM - Dance Begins

7:00PM - 8:30PM First half of the dance

• The dance manager will make announcements before the last Contra of the first half.  This half ends with a waltz.

8:30PM - Waltz & Break (15-minute average duration from end of waltz)

8:45PM - Second half of the dance begins

8:45PM - 10:00PM Second half of the dance

10:00PM - End of the dance

• The 10:00PM ending is soft. The waltz can begin at 10:00PM 

10:30PM - Targeted time to complete dance breakdown

• An evening that can be reasonably characterized as a typical urban New England style Contra dance, with a balanced mixture of flowing dances and clear calling with a minimum of extraneous talk.

• Between 10 and 13 slots, no more than three of which are not Contras. (Couples dances do not count as a slot.)

• A good amount of neighbor interaction, especially early in the evening.

• Variety in figures, particularly with allemandes, which can be tiring if repeated from dance to dance.

• No more than one mixer (most callers don’t call a mixer). If you do call one, program it for within the first hour of the dance.

• Squares and other non-Contra formations in moderation. Most dancers prefer Contras but are willing to dance well-called squares and four-face-fours.

• No more than two dances so challenging that they seem a struggle. Dancers do not respond well to an evening of idiosyncratic material. If you are constantly having to do more than one walk-through, then simplify your program.

• If you have any questions on your program, email Alexandra Deis-Lauby in advance.

• We use Larks and Robins and gender-neutral pronouns such as “they/them” to refer to our dancers (e.g. “larks, catch the robin and scoop them around”).  The use of Leads and Follows is also permissible. 

• Clarify that Larks and Robins are just positional roles and that anyone can dance either role. Many of our dancers dance both roles.

• We do NOT use Men and Women, nor Ladies and Gents for the Contra dances.

  • Some English Country callers may use both positional terminology and gendered terminology specifically for the English Country dances.

• Many of our callers use “Right shoulder round” instead of “gypsy.”

• Please do not use language about flirting or suggest that some dance figures or dances are flirty (e.g., “tease your partner with that eye contact, then turn away and start the hey”; “walk around, and when you can’t stand the tension anymore, swing”).