The Contra

It's natural to enjoy participating in choreographed events.


Every once in a while, someone will introduce you to something that will change your life forever.

For me, it was contra dancing.

What is contra dancing?

you may be wondering.

Well, the reliable people over at wikipedia define it as
Contra dance (also contradance, contra-dance and other variant spellings) refers to several partnered folk dance styles in which couples dance in two facing lines of indefinite length. Sometimes described as New England folk dance, contra dances can be found around the world, though they are especially popular in North America.

I define it as awesome.

I was in Clemson with Jenna this weekend visiting her brother Jad who was excited to take us for our first Contra experience. I was a little wary of this because

A) I had never heard of it and it kinda sounds made up.

B) I thought it sounded like the kind of dancing old hispanics take part in.

C) It took 30 minutes to get there on mountain roads and for a while I thought they were taking us out in the middle of no-where to kill us.

The place ended up being a big barn, with a dance floor decorated with twinkle lights and an old-time band at the front (fiddles and whatnot).

Basically, you have a partner, and you get in a group with two other people, and everyone forms long lines and does the same choreography all down the line.

The weird thing is, there is a lot of spinning involved, so you have to stare directly into your partners eyes so you don't get all dizzy and puke all over the dance floor. I wasn't exactly excited about staring intensely into the eyes of a complete strangers, but I had just eaten Japanese food and didn't want it to end up on the floor so I did it anyway. It's very strange at first and you feel like you are trying to shamelessly seduce said partner but you get used to it and end up with a few creepy-guy stories at the end of the night.

Fashion is not really an issue at a contra dance. You could wear a splatter paint tutu and blend in just fine. I saw a guy wearing a skirt and a girl who looked like she had borrowed Dorthy's dress from the wizard of oz. I envy that girl's confidence.


There were lots of college students there and mountain folk that came down from their lofty abodes to show us how its done. It was certainly a memorable experience.


If you have ever wished that life was a musical, and that everyone would break out into song and dance simultaneously, then contra dancing is for you. Minus the singing. Plus some mountain folk.

And who doesn't love mountain folk?