Last night, I attend my first contra dance. My own husband has invited the family (including my parents!) out dancing. Contra dance, otherwise known as patterned folk dancing, has great potential to create a fool out of me. You know how uncoordinated I am.
I resist going until the very last minute.
But I know that living with flair means I try new things and embrace--not just endure--new experiences. It helps that Devin, my friend and contra dancing expert, has been telling me for two whole years that I will love contra dancing.
When you go to a contra dance, you become swept up (quite literally) in a world gone by. You feel like you're at the Dance at Grandpa's from the Little House books. The band plays all the traditional folk tunes, and a caller tells you what to do. It doesn't matter what you look like or how old you are. Nobody cares because when the caller tells you to switch partners, you do it. You find yourself dancing with a 4 year old and then a 70 year old, a teenager, and then your husband. You find yourself dancing with your own father for the first time since your wedding day.
You'll hold hands with complete strangers, form a circle, and shout together. My own daughters learn the dances and circle off away from me.
It occurs to me that this is exactly what communities should do on a Friday night in a college town. I didn't want to leave.
I now love the verbs promenade and do-si-do.
Living with flair means you attend a community contra dance sometime this year.
_______________
Journal: Have you been to a contra dance?
PICTURES!
ReplyDeleteI was too busy dancing to take pictures!
ReplyDeleteWere we at the same place? I went to a contra last night in a college town (a really crowded contra!). I love going out to contra and completely agree with all the points you've brought up here. I love the social nature, the excitement, the acceptance -- everything! We only have them a few times a year in the college town near me, but I keep meaning to make the hour long drive to the big city to go to contras more often. I used to live in Seattle, and there are multiple contras a week there. I miss that kind of social interaction. I definitely wish communities would get back into doing regular social dances.
ReplyDeleteI PLAYED at a contra dance once, with a Polka Band! The rest of the bands played the traditional folk music, but ours did the polka music. And I was swept away, wishing that I could be on the floor dancing . . .
ReplyDeleteI loved hearing about from your perpective!!
And (totally unrelated)-- I think that you would REALLY enjoy using Disqus or IntenseDebate as your commenting platform. It will make interacting with your readers so much easier (you can reply by email!!) and I have found it has made the community of readers much stronger on my own blog!!
For a tutorial/overview I am going to send you to my review of both of them. Switching to IntenseDebate or Disqus Commenting Platforms
Love your flair, as always, Heather. "You find yourself dancing with your own father for the first time since your wedding day." That one brought tears to my eyes.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
No, but that sounds really fun!
ReplyDeleteJust last Saturday night my BF kidnapped me and we ended up at a dance hall in the middle of a field in Luckenbach, Texas where I danced with strangers! I could have used a caller like we have her in NC. I don't know how to Texas Two Step.
http://kristinwithani.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/saddle-up/
I just wanted to add a comment here to mention thanks for you very nice ideas. Blogs are troublesome to run and time consuming thus I appreciate when I see well written material. Your time isn’t going to waste with your posts. Thanks so much and stick with it No doubt you will definitely reach your goals! have a great day!
ReplyDelete