HISTORY OF THE DANCE

Contra dancing has been around for centuries, yet many people don't know what it is.

It is much like a square dance in that the figures performed are mostly identical to the figures made by square dancers, according to Max Drake, who plays old-time banjo and guitar at contra dances in Cape Girardeau.

The word contra was derived from country and can be used interchangeably.

The name somehow got confused when English country dances and French ballroom dances were mixed together in the American colonies. The same dance spread to Germany under the name contredance.

The dances and the music have been around in some cases since the 14th century.

The music consists of jigs, reels, hornpipes and waltzes.

Reels are generally faster tunes played with a lot of sixteenth notes.

Jigs have a different timing than reels do and the notes are generally grouped in threes.

Hornpipes are like reels but slower.

The waltz is moderately fast and generally saved for the last dance of the evening and at breaks of the three-hour dances held in Cape Girardeau.

In America, the dance has changed somewhat over the years and has taken on some distinct regional differences. Differing fiddling styles in New England and the southern colonies brought about changes in Contra Dance music.

The most obvious difference between a New England contra dance and a southern (Appalachian) contra dance is that the New England style includes jigs while Appalachians hardly ever include jigs.

Another difference is that the Appalachian fiddler will play shorter bow strokes than the New England fiddler, according to Ann Drake, who plays fiddle at local contra dances.

Other changes in the music have occurred throughout the years, according to Max Drake. Different regions have different styles of music that have been adapted into the original contra dance songs and dances.

In the U.S., contra dances traditionally were held in rural settings like a barn on a Saturday night. Contra dancing began fading away in the early part of the century but made a comeback in the '60s and early '70s. Now, most contra dances are held in urban settings.