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Nothin’ Square About Contra

by

John C. Campbell Folk School photo

If it’s Thursday night, it’s the Old Farmer’s Ball just outside of Asheville, when contra dance takes over the wood-floored barn of Warren Wilson College. Amid the claps of hands and stomps of feet—with arms and legs a tangle of twirls and flourishes—this folk tradition is taking on new life with gusto.

As each song ends, partners switch, the room rearranging with new formations. The caller announces above the roar of the crowd: “Swing your partner… Spiral out as much as you can… Bow to your corner… Face your corner…” She walks the dancers through the steps before the music begins. A fiddle practices a few riffs in the middle of the shuffling. “Lady on the right, gent on the left…Roll away with a half sashay.” A few experienced dancers throw in some swing dance moves. 

As dancers move up and down the line, eye contact is important, to connect with fellow dancers and so newcomers don’t get dizzy from whirling and twirling. NPR’s Marika Partridge recently described the overhead view of a contra dance floor like a kaleidoscope, the inner workings of a watch, or even a quilt pattern in motion.

Over the years, Warren Wilson’s weekly dance has introduced contra to countless new fans. More than a decade later, they still attend. Asheville boasts one of the youngest and largest contra communities in the region, and some say the country.

Kate Hanford moved to Asheville from Brasstown, North Carolina, after being introduced to the contra scene there. “You’ll see a lot of the same faces at these dances,” says Hanford. “I moved away for a while and when I came back to Asheville, I saw people at contra that I met eight years ago or more. I love the eye contact, the community. People join in from all walks of life.” 

Contra is considered a community dance in which anyone from any group or class can participate. This concept has roots in English country dance, often called the predecessor of contra. Formed by working-class people, the style is thought to have emerged in opposition to Queen Elizabeth I’s courtly dances, which required ample leisure time to practice the stylized steps as well as wealth to afford the elaborate dress. 

Then as now, contra dancers follow no dress code, wearing everything from casual and comfortable attire to flowing dresses to guys in skirts and head bands. A unique part of contra is the “gender bending” that sometimes occurs. “With many other dance forms, there are usually more women than men that show up, and women feel like they need to sit out,” says Robin Lenner, a contra dancer since 2002. “With contra, women can dance lead with other women, or guys dance with guys, or women will lead guys. It’s really flexible that way. And you don’t need to bring a partner.”

Contra can be danced along to old-time, Southern Appalachian, New England, Celtic, Quebecois, jazz, blues, and other music played by live bands. National contra groups such as Elixir, known for its energetic horn section, and Perpetual e-Motion, which uses electronic samples and loops, push the boundaries of traditional music.

Since 2008, techno contra has risen in popularity, which pairs traditional contra patterns with pop, celtic fusion, or electronica in a low-lit club setting, often with black lights. While the Warren Wilson dances are open to all levels, only regular dancers are typically invited to techno contras because of the challenges of navigating low-lighting, interpreting the calls, and incorporating them into dance moves.

The rebirth of contra in the 1960s, 1980s, and again today can be attributed to younger generations looking for an alternative to popular culture. Contra offers a way to grow roots and form ties to an enriching community. This living tradition keeps people coming back. Even if dancers leave the community for a while, they know they can always jump back in, connect with old and new faces alike, and pick up where they left off.

Wear Your Dancing Shoes

Asheville Area, N.C.

Brasstown, N.C.

Boone, N.C.

East Tennessee

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