Contra Dance - What is it?

HOST: Donna J COST: $10 (Includes dance lesson) Monthly event: 1st Friday http://charlestonfolk.weebly.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/charlestonfolk/ Arrive early - limited participants 7:30 is a dance lesson. (I'll teach basic moves at 7:15 before the lesson.) This is a fun friendly dance group. * The place is air conditioned, which is cool, but contra dancing is thirsty, sweaty work. Bring water with you, and maybe a fresh shirt if you tend to excess perspiration. * BDC has a beautiful dance floor, and they ask that we help keep it that way be wearing *clean, non-marking shoes.* Please no high heels (which are no good for contra dancing anyway) to avoid stabbing the wood. * Let’s not avoid the fact that COVID is still a thing. If you’re not feeling well, *stay home.* We strongly request that you be up-to-date on your shots. If you choose to wear a mask\*\*, we support you!\*\* What is Contra Dancing? Contra dancing is social interaction, meeting people, and making new friends, set to music. A caller, usually working with a group of live musicians, guides new and experienced dancers alike through a variety of dances. Contra is danced to Celtic, Quebecois, Old Time, New England, Southern Appalachian, Jazz, Blues, and all sorts of other music played by live bands. In a contra dance, parallel lines of dancers stand opposite -- or "contra to" -- their partners. A dancer and his or her partner form a couple. A dancer and his or her partner dance a series of figures, or moves, with each other and with another couple for a short time. They then repeat the same figures with another couple, and so on. The figures are similar to those of old-time square dancing. The figures are combined in different ways for each different dance.