HAYC3 and Dance Flurry have joined together to hold Contra Dances once a month at the Armory
According to Wikipedia (paraphrased here), “Contra Dancing is a folk dance made up of long lines of couples. It has mixed origins from English, Scottish and French dance styles. Sometimes described as New England folk dance or Appalachian folk dance, contra dances can be found around the world, but are most common in the United States and Canada.
Contra dancing is a social dance and singles are more than welcome. The dancers form couples, and the couples form sets of two couples in long lines starting from the stage and going down the length of the dance hall. Throughout the dance, couples progress up and down these lines, dancing with each other couple in the line. The dance is led by a caller who teaches the sequence of figures in the dance before the music starts. Callers describe the series of steps called “figures,” and in a single dance, a caller may include anywhere from 6 to 12 figures which are repeated as couples progress up and down the lines.” It’s easy to learn and everyone just has a good time!
A beginner session is held at 7 pm, dancing begins at 7:30. There’s live music and plenty of fun for all ages, from teens to the ancient! The dance is a wonderful way to get out of an evening during the winter. The next dance will be Friday, January 4. Admission is $12, $10 for seniors.