It starts innocently: “Hey! Do you want to come to contra with me tonight?” “Oh…OK…I mean, I’ve never done it before…” And suddenly you find yourself spinning around in the arms of someone you just met five minutes ago having the most exciting (and maybe awkward) time of your life.
Whether dragged to River Falls Lodge for contra dancing or the Handlebar for swing, the story tends to be the same. After the initial experience, some go back only occasionally, but others, like Furman senior Allison Davey, are hooked for life.
“When I was in high school and junior high, I was in a dance troupe,” Davey said. “When I came to Furman, I was looking for an outlet.”
After attending an event at River Falls with her freshman hall, contra became that outlet.
But what is contra? And why do people seem to like it so much? To quote Webster, contra is “a folk dance in which couples face each other in two lines.” It’s similar to square dancing in that some of the basic dance moves are the same.
There is a “caller” who shouts out dance moves, the dance is meant for groups of people. Most contra dancers, however, go not just for the dancing but also for the people.
“Contra is a warm and inviting place,” Davey explained. “The people there really want you to be there.”
Sophomore contra enthusiast Philip Reed concurred.
“I’ve made a lot of friends [through contra],” he said.
Meeting people from all walks of life outside of the Furman “bubble” is a theme for both contra and swing dancers.
“It is really good stress relief, fun, you get to meet really cool people, and it’s not Furman,” said senior swing dancer Alison Bressler. “You get to see and interact with a cross-section of real people, see what real life is like.”
Davey agreed.
“I love Furman,” he said, “but I look forward to those nights I get to escape it and meet new people.”
Reed provided insight on why Furman students seem to be so enamored with swing and contra.
“[Contra] is an experience,” he said. “It’s accessible, but it’s obvious when you walk in how good you can be.”
Davey came to a similar conclusion, saying there’s no substitute for giving swing dancing a try.
“I think it’s one of those things you can talk about forever, but you won’t understand until you go experience it,” he said.
In other words: Quit studying and go try it. If you are interested in contra dancing, River Falls Lodge in Marietta, S.C. hosts advanced contra dances on Fridays, and normal dances on Saturdays. Furman’s own Environmental Action Group (EAG) will be hosting a night of contra Oct. 18 from 7–10 p.m. in the Watkins Room. Prospective swing dancers should try the Handlebar on Stone Avenue on Tuesday nights.
