Contra Dances

Please send contra information to promn8@newnorth.net
Updated November 29, 2008

North Country Contra Dance Club - Date to be determined
Langlade County Community Center, 411 Superior St., Antigo, WI
Looking for people to form a contra dance group on Thursday evenings. Need about a dozen - - have half that number so far.
Contact Pat Kelm (715) 623-4523 promn8@newnorth.net

14th Annual Christmas Ball - Saturday, December 20, 2008
Central Illinois English Country Dancers
Illini Student Union, 1401 W. Green, Urbana, IL, room 314
Dances led by Jane Hobgood, Scott Meyer, and Jonathan Sivier
Music provided by The Flatland Consort
See web site: http://www.prairienet.org/ciecd/xmas.html

Terpsichore's Holiday - Dec. 27, 2008 to Jan. 1, 2009
Dancing in the New Year!
Stonewall Resort, Roanoke, West Virginia
See web site: http://www.danceholiday.net/

English & American (and more!) Dance Weekend - March ?, 2009
Illini Union in Urbana, Illinois
Contact Jenifer Cartwright at (217) 352-2803 or jencart7@yahoo.com
See web site: http://www.prairienet.org/ciecd/weekend.html

Rocky Mountain Dance Roundup - Mid June, 2009
See website: http://www.squaredanceetc.com/html/rmdr.html

Cumberland Dance Week - late July, 2009
Kentucky Leadership Center
Visit the web at http://www.LloydShaw.org

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 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

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