What Is Contra Dance?

Contra dancing is social interaction, meeting people, and making new friends, set to music. The rest is just details.

Contra dancing takes place in sets. A set consists of two lines, with your partner usually across from you in the other line. The set is subdivided into minor sets, consisting of two couples starting with the top couple changing sides and facing the next couple, the third couple doing the same and so on down the set.

The minor set dances one time through the dance after which each couple moves on to a new couple, forming new minor sets, and repeats the dance.

A caller, working with a group of live musicians, guides new and experienced dancers alike through a variety of dances.

A dancer and his or her partner dance a series of figures, or moves, with each other and with another couple for a short time. They then repeat the same figures with another couple, and so on. The figures are similar to those of old-time square dancing. The figures are combined in different ways for each different dance.

The caller teaches each dance before it is actually done to the music. This gives everyone an idea of what to expect so the movements can be easily executed. The caller leads the dances while they are being done to music, so dancers are able to perform each movement to the music. Once the dancers appear to have mastered a particular dance, the caller may stop calling, leaving the dancers to enjoy the movement with music alone.

People of all ages and lifestyles, including children, are welcome. Contra dances are a place where people from many walks of life come together to dance and socialize.

The French, converted the name ‘country dancing’ (as called in England) to French contredans (which conveniently translates as 'opposites dance').

Later, the French term evolved in the young U.S.A. into "contra dance."

At least this is one theory.