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Old-time Dance
Introduction |
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About Contra Dance The Brain vs. The Mind Taking the Plunge Calling All Dancers Music and Dance Fit Was Tradition Really a Fad? Tips and Traits of an Old-Time Dance Old-time Music is a term coined in 1923 to describe a genre of music that existed largely in the Southern and East Cost regions of North America at the time. The roots of what is now commonly referred to as Old-time Music go much farther back in history. These homegrown sounds were created mostly by the rural culture of the region in an era before radio and other commercialized forms of music occupied folks leisure time. It is claimed by many to be the predecessor of Bluegrass Music. The tunes are remarkably simple (and repetitious), and usually are not accompanied by a dedicated set of lyrics. Old-time Dance is a somewhat generic term that refers to various styles of dance that are phrased to Old-time Music (and similar styles of music). The most common styles of Old-time Dance that you will see today are:
A Circle, or Appalachian Dance should not to be confused with Round Dance. About Contra Dance Contra Dance may be more familiar to you than you think. The Virginia Reel, for example, is a Contra Dance that is often done in plays, movies, and grade schools. The structure of a Contra Dance is basically as such: The dance begins in two long lines (to form a "major set"), with pairs of couples taking "hands four from the top", all the way down the length of the major set. As the music begins, each group of four (the "minor sets") will interact with each other. By the time the tune (and the dance) are ready to repeat, the couples have "progressed" to meet a new couple (forming a new minor set) and start the process all over again. When you get to the end of a set you have to turn around, and usually wait for one cycle of the dance to finish, before you join back in the dance. This is the part that gets most folks confused because in most cases the dance is not symmetrical. That is: You will not be doing the same thing going UP the set as you will be doing going DOWN the set. So it helps to pay attention to what the other folks are doing before you get to the end of the set and have to go back the other way. The Brain vs. The Mind The Music and the Dance are closely related in structure. It is a very simple mathematical relation, and consequently very popular among left-brain types like engineers, scientists, and other logically thinking, analytical type people. There is plenty of room for creativity however, so it appeals to right-brain folks as well. While some folks find the repetitive nature of the Music and Dance to be boring, it can be very meditative and relaxing. Imagine yourself in a large room with 50 or more people all moving at the same time to a sometimes wild and syncopated beat, sort of like the Whirling Dervishes. You know what is going to happen next, you know where to look for the next person you will interact with, and everything is prearranged. All you have to do is relax and enjoy it! Taking the Plunge If you are a beginner it is important to trust the folks around you at your first dance. If you just sit on the sidelines and watch you will probably never figure it out. It is best to just get in there and participate. If you are in a group where most of the folks have a good idea about what they are doing, you will meet plenty of helping hands and smiles to help you find your way to having a good time. And that is mostly what it is all about... Having FUN! If you are the type of person who always says, "Oh, I can't dance", you still might want to give Old-time a try. It is very different from more freeform styles of dancing like Ballroom, Swing, Cajun, etc. Because it is structured so that there is no guess as to what you will do, or where you will go next. This can be very relaxing, and even has some meditative qualities. You can't successfully complete the dance while totally unencumbered by the thought process, but as you get more familiar with the dances it becomes much easier to relax. Calling All Dancers Nearly all popular Old-time Dances these days are prompted by a Caller, who will tell you where to go. At the beginning of each dance it is important to be quiet and pay attention as the Caller "walks" you through the next dance. At that time the Caller will give you any special instructions or tips to get you through the first few cycles of the dance as smoothly as possible. Again... It is important to Pay Attention to the caller's introduction of the dance. It is not at all uncommon for a caller to prompt you for just the first 3-4 cycles and then go silent and allow you to just enjoy the dance and the music, along with all the folks in your set. Sometimes the walk through session at the beginning of the dance can seem a bit intimidating or confusing. If you look at the caller's dance notation cards however you will see that the dance is really quite simple when broken down into its basic elements. If you pay attention to these elements and note them mentally, you will be able to complete the dance with a lot less effort. Most callers will start an event with simpler dances (so it pays to get there early if you are a beginner). Here is a sample of what you might see for a Caller's note card used at the beginning of a dance event:
Music and Dance Fit Old-time Music is not the only style of music played for Old-time Dance. Any style of music that has the right mathematical relationship can be played for the dance. It is not uncommon to hear other forms or styles of music, or a combination of them, at an Old-time Dance. Historically speaking, Jigs, Reels, Schottisches, Old English Dance, Quadrilles, and other related art forms have all blended together over many centuries to evolve into what is now commonly referred to as Old-time Music and Dance. The structure of the Music and Dance basically goes like this: There are 64 beats in one cycle of the tune and dance. Each cycle is divided into two equal parts (Part A and Part B), and each of those parts is also divided into two equal parts (A1, A2, and B1, B2). So one way to look at it is like this:
Was Tradition Really a Fad? It is important to understand that there is a vast difference between “Traditional Square Dance” and Contemporary or “Western Square Dance”, so that there is no confusion on the part of the newcomer. At Western Square dances you typically have to be 18 or older, go through a lengthy (and possibly expensive) training process, dress according to a code (usually in costume), bring your own partner. Also: Western Squares tend to be a lot more complicated (hence the training period). There are dozens more figures to learn and you really have to be ready as the caller can use them at random. Western Squares are much more freeform and a lot less predictable than Traditional Squares, which are very similar to Contra Dances in that they are a fixed set of figures that repeat themselves. If you look at the introductions to most any Old-time Dance, especially those that feature Contra Dances, you will typically find a very relaxed set of requirements:
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