They Still Make Videos?!

[Dannyalcatraz]

Nice vids...but still no wiser as to what contra dance is. I mean, that looks similar to the dancing I see at zydeco, country or square dancing performances.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Aesop Rock's "ZZZ Top":
[video=youtube;KZvE7dQ-C5o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZvE7dQ-C5o&sns=em[/video]

Also, embedding- good idea. Working my way backwards...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Catch some Dengue Fever:
[video=youtube;CQYOGkCk2DA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQYOGkCk2DA&sns=em[/video]

 

[Nellisir]

Nice vids...but still no wiser as to what contra dance is. I mean, that looks similar to the dancing I see at zydeco, country or square dancing performances.

In essence, it's a partnered folk dance similar to square dancing, typically in two opposing lines (gents and ladies) rather than a square formation. It's also called New England folk dancing, although it's popular in the UK and Europe as well. There is a caller, and the emphasis is on "figures" rather than precised footwork. (In other words, you may swing your partner however you like.)

It's become very popular in the last twenty years or so, and very...contemporary, for lack of a better word. Very upbeat and can be extremely fast-paced, with a lot of room to have fun and add your own flourishes. Cornell University has about 4 a semester, and they've been hitting 200-250 attendees per dance for the last few years.

Edit: looking (and reading) about zydeco - there are similarities, but zydeco looks likes it's much more into the footwork. Contra is also considered a social dance - in most dances, you have a partner that you consistently return to, but you and your partner also have a neighbor couple that changes every 64(?) beats as you progress up and down the line, so you don't just dance with your partner - you'll dance with your neighbor as well, so during the course of a dance you'll actually dance with everyone in your line.

It can take some getting used to: there's a lot more physical contact and eye contact that we're accustomed to in society today. Some people won't look at you and are very "fingertips"; others will lock eyes and draw you right in.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

Two recent great videos from an Icelandic band

Of Monsters and Men is great. Hadn't seen their videos yet, very cool.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

A little trip 'round the world via music...

[video=youtube;AQMgXPFzdg8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQMgXPFzdg8&sns=em[/video]
[video=youtube;Ss9Znucx4GM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss9Znucx4GM&sns=em[/video]
[video=youtube;uqZdaVNOHj0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqZdaVNOHj0&sns=em[/video]
[video=youtube;bvFrCulCvgM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvFrCulCvgM&sns=em[/video]
[video=youtube;jvL_Yk1Q9Z0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvL_Yk1Q9Z0&sns=em[/video]
[video=youtube;Rdr_w6rPbpA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdr_w6rPbpA&sns=em[/video]

 

[Umbran]

Nice vids...but still no wiser as to what contra dance is. I mean, that looks similar to the dancing I see at zydeco, country or square dancing performances.

Contra Dance looks like Square Dance, because they share one of the same roots - English Country Dance.

In essence, English Country Dances (from the Renaissance) got taken up by French dance masters (who called them, among other things, "contredanse"), got mutated, floated back to England, and then came over to the US. One of the other names for Contra is "country dance".

(My wife does historical dance reconstruction - I catch a bit of it through proximity.)

 

[Nellisir]

Contra Dance looks like Square Dance, because they share one of the same roots - English Country Dance.

In essence, English Country Dances (from the Renaissance) got taken up by French dance masters (who called them, among other things, "contredanse"), got mutated, floated back to England, and then came over to the US. One of the other names for Contra is "country dance".

(My wife does historical dance reconstruction - I catch a bit of it through proximity.)

Yah. I've done English Country Dancing (I have friends who love it), but I find it too...quiet.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Contra Dance looks like Square Dance, because they share one of the same roots - English Country Dance.

In essence, English Country Dances (from the Renaissance) got taken up by French dance masters (who called them, among other things, "contredanse"), got mutated, floated back to England, and then came over to the US. One of the other names for Contra is "country dance".

(My wife does historical dance reconstruction - I catch a bit of it through proximity.)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Closely related to Imelda May's band is Katmen. The guitarist in both groups is her husband. The bass player in Katmen is also in May's group. The drummer is Slim Jim Phantom, whom you might remember from The Stray Cats.

[video=youtube;qq60V5KQcpY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq60V5KQcpY&sns=em
[/video]