Contra-Dancing :)

My first time contra-dancing was challenging, but phenomenal. Considering I am not much of a dancer nor well coordinated, I felt very welcomed by the experts. I am very pleased with how well I danced and my overall experience. The steps were not too difficult to learn because the caller reviewed them several times before the actual dance. Although, numerous times I did forget the correct moves and got confused. I liked how the steps went along with the melody. That notion made it easier to learn. Everyone was so nice to me and encouraged me to continue dancing, even though I wanted to quit. Every time I had a new partner he introduced himself and told me a little about him. My favorite dance partner was Charles. He was very calm, supporting, and hilarious. He spun me around for fun when we weren't suppose to and gave me high fives when we were dancing with our neighbors. His enthusiasm in his voice when he said "jasmine" cracked me up. As I got the hang of contra-dancing, I felt more relaxed and felt as if i was not seen as the new girl. Throughout learning how to dance, I had some difficulties I had to oversee. Being 6'1" made it very challenging for shorter guys to twirl me under their arms. Not only did the guys raise upon their tippie-toes, but I also had to truly duck. Also, I struggled with making continous eye contact with my dance partners when I was doing the gypsy dance. I felt very uncomfortable and pressured. One time when I was not looking into a man's eyes he said, "look into my eyes, look at me, keep looking." I was thinking oh gosh, this is too much. My favorite part about contra-dancing was socializing with everyone and seeing my other classmates struggle. By consciously critiquing my classmates, I was able to personally grade my performance. In other words, I was not the worst dancer, I was pretty solid :) Because I was laughing so much with my classmates and my new dance partners my stomach had begun to hurt. I felt a sense of communitas with my classmates and the new people I met. I was very surprised when I discovered that contra-dancing is a workout. I did not think I would sweat because I never imagined it to be so long lasting and involved. I envisioned this type of dance to be slower with less movement.

I would gladly return to a contra-dancing session if I had nothing to do on a Wednesday night.  I was very happy to get a coupon that allows my second session to be free. However, if I attend, I would have to go with a group of friends to add joy to my experience. To be honest, I would really like to bring my sister. I think she and I would have an awesome time together. It would be a great way for us to bond and test each others' skills.

Contra-dancing definitely supports the values of participatory music. Everyone who makes an appearance at this event is expected to participate. Tonight, everyone was dancing or cheering on their friends. This type of dance is  least competitive, least hierarchial, and most democratic. Those who participated in dancing felt a sense of communitas with their dance partners or the melody of the music. The event was not judged upon the quality of the music, but instead the amount of participation. If there was a lack of participation, everyone would not have had such a great time and it would have been more difficult for individuals to find pairs. Contra-dancing forced everyone to interact with one another, socially bond. With this occuring, people made new friends, learned new dance techniques, and stepped out of their comfort zone. I am very happy I had the opportunity to go contra-dancing and feel very special that I have done something that I know my family and friends have not.