Contra Section

Featuring Contra Dancing . Crowfoot in Tacoma . Christie Burns . Butch Ross . Contra Dance . Heathen Creek . Nelson Contra Dance . Palo Alto . California . Friday Night Waltz . Smokin’ Contra Band . Wayfaring Stranger . Dirtycool Contra . My Cool . Contra Dance Basics . A Contra Line .

Gary Shapiro : The French, who thought that they invented country dancing and who were miffed at the notion that the English should receive credit for anything, converted the name ‘country dance’ to French contredans, then turned around and claimed that the English term was a corruption of the French!

Contra Dance Music: A Working Musician’s Guide : Dudley Laufman quoted Ralph Page as saying, “If a tune is good enough to start a dance then it’s good enough for the whole thing.” He further quotes John Kirkpatrick in his Medley Mania as saying, “You have to play it ten, or fifteen, or twenty times, before you really get inside it and can feel the full extent of its diversity. These tunes were built for constant repetition,” and “If a tune is worth playing once, it’s worth playing a hundred times.”

Wrath of the Grapevine : It’s a great way to meet people and interact in a physical and playful way, without the pressure of performance or the sexual undercurrents of many other dance forms. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, but this is the sort of dance that all ages can do, with great live rootsy, old-timey music.

Contra Dance Links : This page is devoted to listing resources about contra dances ranging from dance compositions to e-mail groups, to essays to miscellaneous sites. URLs and e-mail addresses are listed when available. New entries, additional information, and changes in information are always welcome.

Don Pedi : For over thirty years Don has amazed and delighted audiences with his unique “Fiddle-Pick” style of playing the dulcimer. Drawing on decades of association with many of the best musicians in the southern mountains, as well as his deep commitment to preserving the old music, Don carries on the tradition in an exiting and innovative fashion unrivaled on the Mountain Dulcimer.

Glen Cottage Music : Dan Compton plays fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and button accordion. He has been active in the Pacific Northwest folk music scene for over 20 years, performing at many concerts, festivals, and music- and dance camps – as well as the odd pub gig, contradance and ceili. Dan also teaches extensively, does studio session work, and writes and performs music for film and theater.

Bruce Molsky : While most identified with traditional American old-time music, Molsky’s influences range from the Appalachian soul of Tommy Jarrell to Delta blues; from the haunting modal strains of Irish music to the rhythmically nimble music of Eastern Europe.

Gordon Stobbe : Gordon has been an invited adjudicator at the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championships, Nova Scotia Kiwanis and other festivals. He is also interested in the connection between traditional instrumental music and dance. He can often be found calling a square dance.