Contra Dance
as an
Intangible Cultural Heritage
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A Study of the Dance
"Delphiniums and Daisies" by Tanya Rotenberg
What is Contra Dance?
Contra dance is a form of American community folk dancing that has its immediate origins in New England, and parts of Appalachia.
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It is a living, breathing cultural heritage and dance tradition—not a historical reenactment. Although "old" dances are still danced to traditional music, new dances are being written and new contra dance tunes are being composed today.
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Seeing contra dance in action (through the many video examples on this website) is one of the best ways to understand the formations, movement, and flow that characterize modern contra dancing. This introductory portion into contra dance basics also provides short narrative descriptions and other resources to explore in order to understand this folk dance tradition as cultural heritage.