Country Dance New York Welcome Back Contra Dance Set for Tonight, 9/8

Country Dance*New York will present its first contra dance of the fall season tonight, September 8, 2012 from 9:00 pm to 11:45 pm at the Chinatown YMCA's Houston Street Center (273 Bowery, near Houston Street, Manhattan). Contra dancing is having a renaissance around the country, thanks to a thriving youth scene; high energy, joyful, acoustic music; and fast-paced, aerobic dancing. There is plenty of swinging your partner and lots of fun, flirting and eye contact. Some men wear kilts or skirts. Women dance with men, men dance with men, and women dance with women.

No previous experience is required. From 8:30 pm to 9:00 pm there is a beginner's workshop, and the caller walks everyone through the patterns of each dance.

Dynamic live music will be provided by the popular, New York-based dance band, Grand Picnic. Grand Picnic plays high-energy contra dance music, combining the rhythmic drive of old-time Southern tunes with French Canadian and New England fiddle music. The band is comprised of Jody Kruskal (Anglo concertina, percussion), Michael Gorin (fiddle), Bill Peek (piano), Marco Brehm (bass), and Sam Zygmuntowicz (fiddle, mandolin). Their enthusiastic music-making reveals deep respect for tradition enlivened by creative improvisation and a bit of playful irreverence. The greatly admired caller Scott Higgs, known for his enthusiastic and clear teaching, and high energy and "swingy" contra dances, will lead the proceedings.

Contra dancing started in New England in the 1700s, but the modern version is a far cry from the Virginia Reel-type dancing done in schools years ago. The current dancing is done in long lines of dancers facing their partners and moving briskly in patterns to live music, sometimes changing partners.

General Information: Admission is $15; and $12 for students with ID. Those interested can call The Dancephone at 212.459.4080 or visit the Country Dance*New York website, www.cdny.org for more information. Attendees are asked to bring a separate pair of clean, soft-bottomed shoes for dancing.

Traveling to 273 Bowery (and Houston Street) via subway: Take the 6 train to Bleecker Street stop, the F train to Second Avenue stop, or the B or D train to Broadway and Lafayette Street.

Here are links to sample videos of contra dancing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFUqM7h5GZA&feature=related

Here is a link to a short video of the band, Grand Picnic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz0hUI-xDsk

Photo credit: Anne Scher