Contra-Dance and Communal Connection

When I was first told I would be dancing in this class, I thought it would just be an in-class activity. When we were told we would be going out into the town to dance with a few locals, I nearly froze in my steps. I had no idea what learning a new dance style with a bunch of people that new not only how to do it but what the newcomers look like would be like. After a while I just shrugged it off and figured I’d go with the flow of things. It turns out that’s just about all you can do.

When the name Contra-Dance popped in my head, I had no idea what it meant. I heard similar descriptions to square dancing but did not think much more of it. As soon as we walked in to discover a local gymnasium filled with people I will admit I was a bit nervous. Although everyone was learning the upcoming song and dance moves, they all at least had a little bit of a sense of what they were doing. However, as the rest of the class and I slowly snuck our way into the crowds, the tension began to lower. Even the people that seemed extremely experienced were completely willing and loved helping anyone that needed advice and guidance. I thought this was very generous of them to simply selflessly teach us how to move as they do so that we could enjoy the evening as much as they did. I also think there was a sense of them not wanting us to get in there way but disregard that. The idea was that they wanted everyone to feel comfortable with what they were doing and be as connected with the group as everyone else. As opposed to typical nightclubs that I’ve been to, the people in the hall wish to include all attendees in the traditional style and invite people to be a part of what is going on at the time. At many of the dancing events I’ve been to, most of the interaction only happens between you and the partner you’re dancing with at one time, or maybe 2 other small groups around you. This contra-dance has the communal feeling very controlled in that nearly everyone dances with every other person in some way or another at least once.

I think I would definitely attend something like this in the future. I surprised myself with the amount of fun I had. I’ve never had a problem with dancing in general so learning a style that was completely new yet required so little and put no one in the spotlight was something that truly caught my attention. I also really liked the participatory environment. As I’ve stated in previous posts, I like the idea of participatory music as a whole and the whole idea behind participation in communal events. This contra-dance was a perfect example of something I respect and could appreciate, especially if I could get a small group of friends together to join me in the dances. However, just as I learned tonight, the important thing is not to go to show off your moves or expose how virtuosic you can be in either the instrumental or dance realm, but rather to connect with those that you don’t to be a part of a collective whole.

The idea of participatory social gatherings is to be connected with everyone around you. As stated, it is not a talent show but rather a display of skills similar to those around you to feel comfortable and on the same level with other participants. One thing that I experienced as part of this social gathering was a welcoming feeling from the elders who were much more experienced than I was. They understood that I did not know exactly what was doing and then proceeded to ask one of the veteran participants to sit out so that I may learn and enjoy it just as he might. Although I felt guilty for taking this man’s spot, he seemed open to the idea. The feeling I got was that the general intention was for me to learn to promote an egalitarian atmosphere among everyone. I can honestly say this is something I definitely experienced. I think the same goes for participatory music as well. I’ve played with the idea of participatory music in the past (although I did not know exactly what it was referred to at the time) and I am able to understand exactly what the point of it is. In layman’s terms, the idea is to simply enjoy. You are supposed to not only enjoy the music you make with your friends or even strangers but rather to bond with those that you are making the music with. I’ve always thought this idea was interesting and I am extremely glad to say I was able to experience it in a new way that I never really thought about.