This article supplements the main Contra dance article.
Contra dance choreography specifies the dance formation, the figures, and the sequence of those figures in a contra dance. The figures repeat, ideally, in a graceful flowing pattern, aligned with the phrasing of the music. Contra dance figures (with a few exceptions) do not have defined footwork; within the limits of the music and the comfort of their fellow dancers, individuals move to the beat and embellish according to their own taste. Much of the dance is done as a walking movement, one step for each count of the music, while the arms and hands do most of the changing, most of these involving connecting with others' hands.
Most contra dances consist of a sequence of about six to twelve individual figures, prompted by the caller in time to the music as the figures are danced. As the sequence repeats, the caller should be able to cut down his or her prompting, sometimes to a single word for every figure, and eventually stop calling, leaving the dancers to each other and the music.
Fundamentals A figure is a pattern of movement that typically takes eight counts, although figures with four or sixteen counts are also common. Each dance is a collection of figures assembled to allow the dancers to progress along the set.
A count is one half of a musical measure, such as one quarter note in time or three eighth notes in time. A count may also be called a step, as contra dance is a walking form, and each count of a dance typically matches a single physical step in a figure.
Typical contra dance choreography comprises four parts, each 16 counts (8 measures) long. The parts are called A1, A2, B1 and B2. This nomenclature stems from the music: Most contra dance tunes have two parts (A and B), each 8 measures long, and each fitting one part of the dance. The A and B parts are each played twice in a row, hence, A1, A2, B1, B2. While the same music is generally played in, for example, parts A1 and A2, distinct choreography is followed in those parts. Thus, a contra dance is typically 64 counts, and goes with a 32-measure tune.
In figures such as an allemande, rollaway or swing, dancers commonly give weight, leaning slightly away from their partner to create tension. This is necessary in some dances to perform the figures quickly enough, and is considered good dancing style.
Same-sex partners are increasingly common in contra dancing, either by preference or to accommodate different numbers of men and women attending; in the descriptions that follow, gentleman and lady refer to roles rather than sexes.
Starting a dance Most contra dances are done in minor sets of two couples, as part of a line of dancers; the caller asks the dancers to organize themselves in these minor sets so they will know who they will initially be dancing with, and in which direction each couple will be moving in the course of the dance; this is generally stated as "Take hands four".
Contra dance figures Allemande Two dancers join either right or left hands in a thumbs-up, palms-together grip and walk around each other. Balance A figure which takes four counts and is often performed with a partner before a swing, though it can also be done in circles or wavy lines. There are many variations in how a balance is executed, but most commonly it consists of stepping on the right foot and kicking the left, and then stepping on the left foot and kicking the right. Couples balancing may join either one or both hands, and the movement is sometimes accompanied by stomping on the beat. Basket Ladies join hands in the center. Gents join hands on the outside. Then the ladies raise their arms above and around the gents' heads. Then all circle left or right in this position. Butterfly whirl The gentleman and lady turn around, each while keeping hold of their partner's waist. Facing the same direction, with inside arms reaching across their partner's backs (or, less commonly, gentleman's arm behind lady's back, lady's hand on gentleman's shoulder—this often makes moving into the next figure easier), the lady walks forward in a circle and the gent backs up. This often leads into a figure with the ladies in the center, such as a ladies chain (see below). A common precursor to this figure is the following: gentlemen do a left hand allemande, then "scoop up" their partner by putting their arm around their lady's waist. Next the gents drop left hands and the two couples butterfly whirl back to place, facing each other. Circle Four people join hands and walk around in a circle, either clockwise (left) or counterclockwise (right). Circling can be of a circle (rare), (less rare), (common), once around (common), or (less common). Clover-leaf Starting from a Cozy Line, the center pair duck down while the outer pair pass their joined hands over the center pair, forming the clover-leaf.
Contra-Corners A figure involving six dancers and taking 8 bars (16 beats) of music. The center couple of the group of six dancers is the active couple; the other four dancers are the corners. As each member of the active couple looks across the set to their partner, their first corner is to the right and second corner is to the left. Typically, one's corners are of the opposite role to oneself. The figure is danced as follows: the active couple allemande right in the center until they reach their first corners. Actives drop right hands and allemande left with their first corners until they meet each other again. Actives now let go of first corners and allemande right until they reach their second corners. A final allemande left, with their second corners, is finished when the members of the active couple are facing each other again. Because moves within this figure begin and end in the middle of musical phrases, require a great deal of awareness of positioning, and are frequently unprompted by the caller after the figure's start, this can be a very difficult figure for those who are new to it. Courtesy turn The gentleman takes the lady's left hand in his left hand, and puts his right hand behind her back to take her right hand (usually at the small of her back). The dancers are side by side as they turn around to face back across the set; the gentleman walks backward as the lady continues to walk forward. Cozy Line (Turn Cozy) In a line of four dancers, the center pair lift their joined hands and turn away from each other, while the outer pair, without letting go, turn in and join hands behind the center pair's backs. Cross Trail A pass through followed by the lady crossing in front of the gent to her left, turning counterclockwise. The gent then turns clockwise to the right. They end up facing directly away from each other; if they began on one side of the set facing across, they will end on the other side with one facing up the set and one down. Can be used to progress, if the lady is the neighbor of the gent in each pair doing the figure. Dixie Twirl In a line of four dancers, the center pair arches. The extreme right person leads through the arch (taking the one on their left along for the ride) while the left person walks to the right. This results in a line now facing the opposite direction. Do-si-do Two dancers begin by facing each other, then move in a clockwise fashion so as to first pass right shoulders ("pass by the right"), then slide back-to-back, then back up, passing left shoulders, to end where they began. Sometimes they do-si-do times, exchanging places and ending back-to-back. As an embellishment, experienced dancers will often add a spin while performing this move. Down the Hall Four in Line Two couples join hands so that they form a line of four, and walk down the hall, or away from the music. Sometimes the two people in the center twirl those on the side, but this is optional. Figure Eight a weaving figure in which dancers pass between two standing people and move around them in a figure 8 pattern. A full figure of 8 returns the dancer to original position; a half figure of 8 leaves the dancer on the opposite side of the set from original position. In doing this figure, the gent lets his partner pass in front of him. Give and Take Facing across the set, all dancers step forward and join hands with the person across from them. One dancer then brings the other back to their own side.Jennings, "Glossary", Give and Take (2002) It is usually followed by a swing. Invented by Larry Jennings as a swing/swing connector. Gypsy Adapted from English country dancing, a pair of dancers look each other in the eyes and walk around each other without touching. In this way, the gypsy is somewhere between a do-si-do and a swing. The amount of eye contact depends on various factors including individual comfort and local tradition. Since some have identified the name as an ethnic slur, callers have been using a number of new terms for this, primarily right shoulder round. Half Hey Half a hey for four. Instead of crossing the set and returning, the dancers merely cross the set once, ending with the couples on the opposite sides of the set.
Hey For Four (Sometimes called a "straight hey for four.") The dancers execute a series of passes and turns with the other dancers in their minor set, crossing to the opposite side of the set and then returning. In this version of the hey, assume that neighbors are standing next to each other on the side of the set, facing their partners: The ladies begin passing right shoulders in the center of the set while the men sidle to right to take the recent position of their neighbor Partners pass left shoulders as the gents advance to the center The gents then pass right shoulders in the center, while the ladies make wide looping turns to the left on the sides to turn around Neighbors pass left shoulders This is approximately one-half of the hey. The second half essentially replicates the first half (except that the men, now facing out, loop to the left instead of sidling to the right). At the end of the hey, the dancers are restored to the starting position, with the exception that the men are facing out of the set. The figure is executed smoothly, with all dancers moving all the time. All versions of a straight hey for four will follow this track, but dancers will sometimes start in different positions (e.g., partners facing one another across the set, or with the gent on the right and the lady on the left), or the first person to move may be the person on the left, in which case the track is reversed. Experienced dancers often embellish by spinning and sometimes twirling the other dancers as they move through this figure. Ladies Chain The ladies join right hands in the center and pull past each other to the opposite gent; the gents then give the ladies a courtesy turn. This causes the ladies to trade sides in the set. Historically, a ladies chain described this sequence of moves being done twice, so that all the dancers returned to their starting position; a modern ladies chain was called a "half-ladies chain". Some more recently composed dances include a gents chain. Long Lines Forward & Back All dancers face toward the dancers across the set from them, and join hands with the dancers beside them to form "long lines" on the sides of the set. These two lines then, in unison, take four steps forward and then four steps backward. Mad Robin (Sashay Round) Two dancers move around one another as in a do-si-do. Instead of beginning by facing one another, both dancers face in the same direction. Pass Through Two facing dancers walk across (or along) the set, passing each other by the right shoulder, without touching. Even though the dancers may be in side-by-side couples, they act as individuals when passing through. This move frequently follows either a circle or a neighbor do-si-do. A pass through along the set is often used to progress, as one couple will move down the hall while the other will move up.