News
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — It's autumn, which means it's contra dance season.
Dancers from around the Western Slope will congregate Saturday at the Palisade Community Center to dance to Celtic and old-time music performed by the local group Fifth Reel. Ron Young will “call” the dances, guiding people through the steps.
The old-time country dancing was brought to America by English colonists 200 years ago. Scottish and Irish immigrants added their own twists to the dance.
At a contra dance two parallel lines are formed with dancers facing each other. Each dance consists of a sequence of smooth walking steps done to the rhythm of the music. As the dance progresses, couples end up dancing with every other couple in the set.
You don't have to come with a partner or have experience in order to contra dance. There's a beginners' walk-through of the basic moves a half-hour before the dance begins.
Fifth Reel's piano player Connie Smith started the contra dances in the Grand Valley 11 years ago. Other band members are Robert Rosenberg on guitar, his daughter, Rachel Rosenberg, playing fiddle and Mick Wilson on clarinet.
Smith said she loves looking up from the stage to see a room full of smiling people.
As a Colorado University student in Boulder, Rick Svenson remembers first seeing a contra dance take place on the patio of the student center.
“I was on crutches with a bad leg at the time, so all I could do was watch. It looked like so much fun, though, and I never forgot it,” Svenson said.
Later, he heard about a dance sponsored by the Colorado Friends Of Old-Time Music And Dance. He went, again intending only to watch, he said.
“I was trying my best to be a wallflower, when one of the young ladies came over and asked me to dance.” Svenson said. “I protested that I was just watching, and, anyway, I didn't know how. She just told me that unattached males weren't allowed to ‘just watch,' and the next thing I knew, I was dancing. I had one of the best times of my life and found myself smiling about it for days.”
There's a lot of mixing at contra dances, although said Svenson, “if you do happen to have a special someone you want to dance alone with, there are always some waltzes, polkas, or swing dances thrown in during the night.”
Gretchen McGeeney attends the dances as often as she can — in Palisade they're held twice in the fall, and four times in the spring.
“It's a lot of fun, and it's great exercise as well,” McGeeney said.
“You don't have to show up with a partner. There's always somebody to dance with.”
Last year, several different youth groups attended, including the cast of Central High School's musical “Oklahoma.”
McGeeney choreographs the school's plays and thought it would be fun to invite the students to come experience dancing similar to that of the era portrayed in the musical.
“The kids just had a blast,” McGeeney said.
Catherine Eicher said friends kept inviting her to come to a contra dance.
“It took awhile to convince me, but once I started going I was hooked,” Eicher said.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
Dancers from around the Western Slope will congregate Saturday at the Palisade Community Center to dance to Celtic and old-time music performed by the local group Fifth Reel. Ron Young will “call” the dances, guiding people through the steps.
The old-time country dancing was brought to America by English colonists 200 years ago. Scottish and Irish immigrants added their own twists to the dance.
At a contra dance two parallel lines are formed with dancers facing each other. Each dance consists of a sequence of smooth walking steps done to the rhythm of the music. As the dance progresses, couples end up dancing with every other couple in the set.
You don't have to come with a partner or have experience in order to contra dance. There's a beginners' walk-through of the basic moves a half-hour before the dance begins.
Fifth Reel's piano player Connie Smith started the contra dances in the Grand Valley 11 years ago. Other band members are Robert Rosenberg on guitar, his daughter, Rachel Rosenberg, playing fiddle and Mick Wilson on clarinet.
Smith said she loves looking up from the stage to see a room full of smiling people.
As a Colorado University student in Boulder, Rick Svenson remembers first seeing a contra dance take place on the patio of the student center.
“I was on crutches with a bad leg at the time, so all I could do was watch. It looked like so much fun, though, and I never forgot it,” Svenson said.
Later, he heard about a dance sponsored by the Colorado Friends Of Old-Time Music And Dance. He went, again intending only to watch, he said.
“I was trying my best to be a wallflower, when one of the young ladies came over and asked me to dance.” Svenson said. “I protested that I was just watching, and, anyway, I didn't know how. She just told me that unattached males weren't allowed to ‘just watch,' and the next thing I knew, I was dancing. I had one of the best times of my life and found myself smiling about it for days.”
There's a lot of mixing at contra dances, although said Svenson, “if you do happen to have a special someone you want to dance alone with, there are always some waltzes, polkas, or swing dances thrown in during the night.”
Gretchen McGeeney attends the dances as often as she can — in Palisade they're held twice in the fall, and four times in the spring.
“It's a lot of fun, and it's great exercise as well,” McGeeney said.
“You don't have to show up with a partner. There's always somebody to dance with.”
Last year, several different youth groups attended, including the cast of Central High School's musical “Oklahoma.”
McGeeney choreographs the school's plays and thought it would be fun to invite the students to come experience dancing similar to that of the era portrayed in the musical.
“The kids just had a blast,” McGeeney said.
Catherine Eicher said friends kept inviting her to come to a contra dance.
“It took awhile to convince me, but once I started going I was hooked,” Eicher said.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
