Jackson Musker
"Contradancing" is a form community dancing: in a given song, pretty much everyone dances with everyone else. It also has a distinctive sound, as the caller shouts out the steps, the live band plays, and the dancers step and swing and stomp up and down the floor.
Contradancing: A Living, Swinging Tradition
Every weekend in LA, hundreds of people gather to participate in the oldest dance in the American canon—Contradancing. This isn't a reenactment; it's a living tradition, and it's open to all comers. Correspondent Jackson Musker put on his dancing shoes and joined the throng at a recent Contradance in Brentwood led by longtime caller Susan Michaels. (READ ON FOR VIDEOS AND SLIDESHOW)
Web Resources
- The Ultimate Contradance Schedule at CalDance COOP
- More on Traditional Dances from "The Living Tradition"
Also on this episode
The following video features LA-based band The Syncopaths and caller Susan Michaels at a dance in Missouri. It offers a good introduction to Contra music, calling, and dancing. For LA-specific photos and video, continue reading below the break.
Intrigued? Head over to the dance this Saturday night (10/24) at the same Brentwood location that Jackson visited. (shown in the video below). Susan Michaels is calling, and a band called the Screaming Earwigs is playing. Sounds like a great time...
This clip shows a waltz at the Brentwood Contradance. Waltzes occur twice during a typical evening of dancing: once at intermission, and once at the end of the night.
A few more Contradancing photos, from a set on KPCC's Flickr page...
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4 weeks ago
Want to watch Contra Dance at it's best...go to utube; enter into
search Contra Dancing Labor Day Dance Away.
4 weeks ago
Nice article! You can find more Contradances in the Los Angeles area by going to www.caldancecoop.org and in Orange County at www.thelivingtradition.org
Also, just fyi, the video above shows the waltzing that is done at break and at the end of the evening and not Contradancing.
We welcome newcomers of all ages!
4 weeks ago
Thank you, Jackson Musker, for your help in spreading the awareness of contra dancing! Be sure to come again - and again!
Weekly Contra Dancing:
Los Angeles,
Santa Barbara,
San Diego...
Monthly Contra Dancing:
Anaheim - 4th Sat,
Riverside - 1st Sun
Easy to learn, lots of fun, great exercise & friendly people!
3 weeks, 6 days ago
Great spot on contradancing! So very nice to hear something about the very active roots music scene in SoCal!
More info can be found at www.ctms.org -- that's the California Traditional Music Society, where the musicians are.
Thanks!
3 weeks, 2 days ago
This is truly one of the most enjoyable things to do there is - and cheap compared to most other entertainments! You'll get 3 hours of exercise, hear great live music, laugh a lot, and generally have a ball (so to speak.)
3 weeks, 1 day ago
WOW! Thanks for a really great spot on contradance! I see, however, that an important caveat has NOT been included, either in the radio spot or in the comments. As a contradancer for fourteen years, I feel compelled to warn you - especially you younger folks - that, as a particularly aerobically, socially, and spiritually stimulating activity:
!!! CONTRADANCING IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE, and THE EXHILARATION DERIVED FROM IT MAY BE BENEFICIAL TO YOUR PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL_BEING !!!