Contra dancing: The most fun you can have while staying on two feet!
Contra dancing is a little like square dancing -- they share some moves -- but it's in lines, not squares and there are no poofy dresses. It's also (imho) a lot more fun with room for some improvisation once you have the basics down. It's a very physical activity and makes a fun workout. Recent research also says that this kind of dancing is good for the brain!
If you can walk to the beat of a song, you can contra. If you hold a little tension in your arms so you can sense your partner, it'll be easier to lead and follow.
You dance with a partner in contra (though no need to come with a partner), but you also dance briefly with other people in the line, so it's a great opportunity to discover who else you like to dance with! People of all ages contra dance.
Contra dancing is wildly popular with those who do it; I think you'll get a sense for that from seeing the joy on people's faces below.
- Here's a 2020 article about contra in Madison (with yours truly in the photo).
- Here's the Madison dance schedule. I helped to organize our annual weekend contra Squirrel Moon from 2007 - 2018. And here's a list of national (and beyond!) dances.
Sometimes I take pictures and videos at dances; here are a few highlights, or feel free to dig thru my photo albums on Facebook for more (might need a FB account). Lots of smiling faces!
It's a little challenging to take pictures at contra dances since:
- there's often not a lot of light, so sometimes the pictures are a little grainy;
- people are moving fast, so sometimes the pictures are a little blurry.
But people seem to enjoy them, so I keep taking them.
