Contra Dance
as an
Intangible Cultural Heritage
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A Study of the Dance
"Delphiniums and Daisies" by Tanya Rotenberg
Contra Dance Basics:
How It Works
Contra dancing has a culture and language all its own. Although the only way to properly experience it would be to go to a contra dance, this introduction will try to offer some ways to think about and understand the way contra dancing is built as a form of human movement done in a communal setting.
Form: Contra dance is danced in long lines of couples, referred to as longways sets; each longways set is made up of two rows of people. A dancer has a partner that joins them as they make their way through the dance, and neighbors they encounter along the way. Dances group people into smaller, immediate groups, called a minor set, typically a group of four (you, your partner, and the two people in a neighbor couple), or a hands four, who will dance together one time through the dance before you and your partner move on to new neighbors. Couples in line near the band and the caller are at the top of the hall; couples at the end of the line away from the band and caller are at the bottom. Contra dances are written so that couples move up or down the hall (toward the top or toward the bottom) after each time through the dance, by way of a figure or series of figures in the dance called the progression.
More on contra dance form:
https://www.cdss.org/elibrary/dart/appendix_a.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_dance_form
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Movements: Referred to as figures, contra dance has a vocabulary of established movements that go by particular names or terms. In the context of a dance, these are referred as calls, as a caller uses these terms to teach the dance to the dancers and then prompts or leads dancers to execute the next move by giving the term for it as they are dancing. Movements are typically done using a simple walking step, and often involve held hands and a shared connection, with an even and smooth momentum.
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More on contra dance figures:
https://www.cdss.org/elibrary/dart/appendix_b.htm
Music: Contra dances are specifically written to fit 64 beats (or counts) of music, usually to traditional tunes like jigs and reels. Those 64 beats are divided into two 32-beat sections, which are in turn divided into four 16-beat parts that match the form of the music: a musical phrase A that is repeated once (called A1 and A2), and a musical phrase B that is repeated once (B1 and B2). One of the greatest senses of accomplishment for a dancer is being on time, that is, executing a particular figure in the exact number of beats so that one's movement matches the phrasing of the music. Certain figures take certain numbers of beats (usually 4, 8, 12, or 16), meaning contra dance choreographers know which figures to put in which order so that dancers will have a satisfying dance experience that matches well with the overall 64-beat form and sections and phrasing of the music.
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More on contra dance music:
Style: Contra dancing is about community: taking care of one's partner and others while on the dance floor, being in control of oneself and aware of what's happening around oneself and making adjustments, and maintaining an atmosphere that is respectful and safe. Contra dance is also about connection: connecting with others through eye contact, through smiles, and something contra dancers refer to as "giving weight." Giving weight is the slight tension in the muscles that dancers feel, for instance, as they take hands and share connection and momentum to help one another move together through figures with smoothness and with a quick efficiency.
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More on contra dance style: