| OK, Jackson, get ready to reel. Contra is coming to town. No, not a
pack of Reagan-era officials here for a retrospective on the Iran-contra scandal. Contra is a form of traditional dance that looks a little like square dancing
and a little like line dancing and promises to give you a workout you've never had before on the dance floor. If you've ever done the Virginia Reel, you've
had a taste of it.
A series of three contra dances will take place over the next three months at St. Joseph Church hall. Tony Gerring of Parma, a member of St Joe's,
is organizing the series as a family event. Gerring has done contra dancing in the past, and has participated with his family in recent folk dances at the
Rando Activity Center, 3055 Shirley Drive, which have included some contra dancing.
"That's one of the big appeals to me," he said. "It's something families can do together."
The open nature of contra dances--drawing families, couples, singles, and different age groups--is one of the pluses, dancers say, along with the
casual dress, low pressure, and the mandate that dancers change partners with every dance.
Gerring said in his search for contra dances on web sites, he found them being offered all over--including Ann Arbor, Lansing, and Kalamazoo--but not in Jackson.
The dance falls into the realm of folk or traditional dancing, and in fact, the lively music that accompanies it reflects that, with the band usually armed with some
combination of fiddle, banjo, guitar, bass, piano, and dulcimer. The musical repertoier includes jigs, reels, and traditional tunes, with often an Irish or New England flavor.
Like square dancing, a caller leads the dancers through all the steps, which are similar to squares: everything from turns and swings to allemandes, promenades
and do-si-dos. Couples work their was "down" and "up" the lne of dance, dancing with every other couple along the way.
Michael Nation of Jackson has more than one reason to like contra dancing. He met his wife, Patricia, at a contra dance about eight years ago. They
were married last year.
"I like the music and the dancing, I like the people," Nation said at a recent dance in Lansing. "It doesn;t matter if they don;t have nice clothes, or if they
don't know how to dance, or what age they are." He said while couples and families enjoy themselves at contra dances, they are ideal for singles because--
due to the constant changing of partners--they meet so many people.
Karen Dunam of Grand Rapids, who'll be calling the Jackson dances--which will include contras along with squares and "circle mixers"--was also at the
Lansing dance, but purely to dance. Dunnam said it helps for dancers to like folk music.
"Your head-banging, pop-culture types won't enjoy it too much, at least at first," she said. A big positive, she said, is the runner's-type high that goes
along with contra dancing. "The music is lively, the people are friendly...Every 30 seconds another member of the opposite sex is thrust into your arms and
whirls you around. It's cheaper than a movie, more fun than a bar, there's zero rejection and posturing," she said.
Two Michigan State University students at the Lansing dance, Amy Winder and Conrad Myler, are also fans. Winder, whose hometown is Haslett, had
attended four or five dances before summer break, and was back again to start the new season.
Myler, invited by Winder, had gone contra dancing only one time before, years ago in New York. "I like the social part of it," he said, and that you dance with all ages."
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A warm experience
I can't remember why I decided to drive up to Lansing on a warm Satruday evening several years to go to a contra dance.I knew little about
contra dancing and the dance was taking place in a hot, old school gym. Must have been I was really hard up for something to do.
I soon discovered things would get much warmer. I also found contra dancing was some of the most fun I had had in a long time.
Sometimes risky decisions pay off.
If you're not familiar with contra dancing, check out the accompanying article, but this is my testimonial as to why I enjoy it:
You get to meet people in a low-pressure atmosphere--changing partners throughout each dance.
Going in, you don't need to know how to contra dance. Lessons are generally offered before each dance, and you'll learn the basics, which is all
that's required.
Anyone can ask anyone else to dance. Men can ask women. Women can ask men. Women can ask women, if there aren't equal numbers of males
and females. You'll even accasionally see a couple of men as partners, although that is rare.
You are encouraged--strongly--to change partners with every dance. That includes married and unmarried couples. In other words, no "ball and
chain" on these nights.
Diverse crowd. You get an unusual mix of types and ages. Families, singles, and couples from all walks of life are welcome. Even older children
do contra, and enjoy it. While much of the crowd tends to be middle-aged, there is usually a wide spread of generations. Students, particularly at dances
in university towns, are common.
Excellent exercise. Contra is every much a workout as a high-intensity aerobics class.
Casual. I often wear shorts and a printed T-shirt and--because I know I'll get wringing wet--I take a change of clothes. Some of the longtime contra
women wear full "prairie" skirts. But other women just wear jeans or shorts. Same for the guys.
When I arrived for my first contra dance, I was nervous, even after the lessons. As we were told to line up, a woman asked me to dance, a big relief. I
think she was one of the organizers and, knowing I was new, felt sorry for me.
We got into long lines, men and women facing each other. The caller then had us break into "hands four"--groups of two couples each, one couple
facing "up" the line of dance (toward the caller), the other down. We practiced the dance patterns a couple times before the music started.
The music, by a folk band, was uptempo and lively. Although I was a little clumsy at times, I got help along the way.
My partner and I worked our way down the line of dance and up again. I was amazed how the caller could lead us through intricate steps and get us
back to where we were supposed to be.
Since then I've learned more complicated steps such as the "hey"--basically a figure-8 type pattern done with another couple or two.And the more
I learn, the more fun it becomes.
Not that everyone is into contra, of course. My daughter gave it a try once, and didn't come back. I don't know the full reason, but I know her first
choices would be Latin dance and hip-hop.
Early on, I did learn one important lesson for successful contra dancing: Maintain eye contact with your partner during the swings or you WILL get
dizzy. I think I was dizzy for two days after that first dance. But keeping eye contact--awkward as it might seem at first--took care of it.
You can become as involved as you want in contra dancing, such as becoming a club member (which means cheaper admission), or being like me:
not a member of any club but visiting different dances as the mood strikes.
Whatever, don't let the name "contra" scare you off. There's nothing contrary about it. --John Piper
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