Leo Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 (edited) I just found this Google video of a contra dance (Square dance??) in New England by the group Wild Asparagus. I listened to about the first hour and a half (while doing other things). An English Concertina is played in the first song, and is easy to see, also at about 31 minits. The rest I was too busy to look. Nice music; and yes over 4 hours worth. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4...rtina&hl=en It's worth a look Thanks Leo Edited August 28, 2006 by Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 I just found this Google video of a contra dance (Square dance??) in New England by the group Wild Asparagus. I listened to about the first hour and a half (while doing other things). An English Concertina is played in the first song, and is easy to see, also at about 31 minits. The rest I was too busy to look. Nice music; and yes over 4 hours worth. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4...rtina&hl=en Wild Asparagus is one of the premier contra dance bands in the US; George Marshall is their concertina player, and he does some amazing things. For contra dance players, and concertinists in particular, they sort of set the standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nalzalk Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 yea, i found it funny that you could only see a 1/4 of the player body. i was thinking to myself, get in the corner, but it fix itself a little later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 (edited) I just found this Google video of a contra dance in New England by the group Wild Asparagus. ... Nice music; and yes over 4 hours worth. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4...rtina&hl=en Wonderful! Old friends, whose music I love. One of the few things I really miss here in Denmark, where there are a few contra dancers, but the spirit isn't quite the same. And there is some concertina in the video, but I certainly wouldn't skip the other parts. Two things are "missing", which would have made it even better: ... 1) I can't seem to hear Stu's bass at all on most of the numbers. ... 2) You can see that the pattern of the dance is repeated all across the floor, but I think the low camera angle loses the sense of the lines, so essential to contras. Still, I think this is the first widely available video I've seen that I feel gives a real sense of what contra dancing feels like. Maybe some of you who aren't familiar with contras can get some idea why us contra fanatics can be as insufferable as concertina players in our enthusiasm. Strange, though, is that in the 4-hour stretch at least some of the segments are repeated. Not just the same tune played again, but exactly the same, including the video of the dancers. No time right now to figure out how much. I wonder how long it will take to download. Edited August 28, 2006 by JimLucas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Morse Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Ah - my local band! Actually - just one of the many we have in this area. Interesting to hear the familiar tunes and see the dancers going at it - in an unfamiliar place. Huge hall. Our halls (mostly grange meeting or town halls) tend to max out at about 250 people but have stages large enough for the band and hangers on to cool their heels while looking over the evolving patterns. There's some guy who's taken movies from time/time of our dances though I've never found out what he's ever done with them. Vermont public TV also did a piece on our Greenfield dances about 10 years ago though I missed when it was aired. Contradancing is great fun! Those coming to NESI will be able to play for - and dance some. -- Rich -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theodore Kloba Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 (edited) Still, I think this is the first widely available video I've seen that I feel gives a real sense of what contra dancing feels like.Except maybe for the one I posted back in June... Seriously though, you're right. Edited August 28, 2006 by Theodore Kloba Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted August 28, 2006 Author Share Posted August 28, 2006 (edited) I really don't know I've never run accross the term "contra dance" before getting interested in concertinas. That time can be counted in months, so I'm learning lots of new stuff slowly. Is it the same as "square dance? All I could come up with is contra dance is short for country dance. Thanks Leo Edited August 28, 2006 by Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Morse Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 I really don't know I've never run across the term "contra dance" before getting interested in concertinas. Is it the same as "square dance?Definitely not. There are some similarities in the "figures" (movements) people do while dancing (such as a "back to back", hands round" or "swing") but such figures are common to many types of dance. Both contradance and square dance probably had the same roots (from English Country Dance when we were still a colony) but they diverged fairly early on. There were/are many forms of ECD (double line dances, set dances of 2,3,4 couples, round dances singly and of sets, etc...) of which square dances evolved from primarily the 4 couple circle or set dance. Contradance evolved from the double line dance where couples faced each other forming a double line down the hall, being opposite (or contrary?) each other. The music, style, and social etiquette is considerably different between the square and contra. Not many people do both. I find that one of the biggest differences is that contradance is social dance and square dance is partner dance. People are welcome to contras as single folk (couples are welcome as well!) and spend the evening dancing with many, many of the opposite sex (dancing repeatedly with one person is considered impolite). Even in a single dance you'll spend some time entwined with about 20-30 (wo)men. Square dances tend to attract couples who dance with each other for the entire evening though during a single dance they briefly dance with 4 other partners. All I could come up with is contra dance is short for country dance.Check out this page for some good definitions of what contradance is. There are many all around the country. The DanceDB page shows 24 regular dances in my state which doesn't cover the special dance events or irregularly held ones. -- Rich -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted August 28, 2006 Author Share Posted August 28, 2006 Definitely not. There are some similarities in the "figures" (movements) people do while dancing (such as a "back to back", hands round" or "swing") but such figures are common to many types of dance. Both contradance and square dance probably had the same roots (from English Country Dance when we were still a colony) but they diverged fairly early on. There were/are many forms of ECD (double line dances, set dances of 2,3,4 couples, round dances singly and of sets, etc...) of which square dances evolved from primarily the 4 couple circle or set dance. Contradance evolved from the double line dance where couples faced each other forming a double line down the hall, being opposite (or contrary?) each other. The music, style, and social etiquette is considerably different between the square and contra. Not many people do both. I find that one of the biggest differences is that contradance is social dance and square dance is partner dance. People are welcome to contras as single folk (couples are welcome as well!) and spend the evening dancing with many, many of the opposite sex (dancing repeatedly with one person is considered impolite). Even in a single dance you'll spend some time entwined with about 20-30 (wo)men. Square dances tend to attract couples who dance with each other for the entire evening though during a single dance they briefly dance with 4 other partners. Check out this page for some good definitions of what contradance is. There are many all around the country. The DanceDB page shows 24 regular dances in my state which doesn't cover the special dance events or irregularly held ones. -- Rich -- Rich Great! Thank You! Just what I was looking for. I found that page a little bit ago and that's what prompted my questions. While I was out to dinner, Laitch sent me to the same page. Between that and you're explanation, I'm not so confused now. Unfortunately for me I didn't read the page close enough the first two times to catch all the links. Skipped right by it. The best one is the short explaination link on the top. I should learn to read slower and digest new information before engageing fingers. I've lead a sheltered life growing up in the city, then moving to "suburbia". There is a lot I'm not familiar with, and sometimes it's hard to even know what question to ask. Some of this whole concertina world leaves me baffled. Holy mackeral, I'm out of my element here almost like a fish out of water, floundering around, but I'm having a whale of a time. I'm somewhat better at other things. Thanks for the information Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Still, I think this is the first widely available video I've seen that I feel gives a real sense of what contra dancing feels like.Except maybe for the one I posted back in June... Seriously though, you're right. That's Morris Dancing. Whole 'nother smoke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken_Coles Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 I really don't know I've never run accross the term "contra dance" before getting interested in concertinas. That time can be counted in months, so I'm learning lots of new stuff slowly. Is it the same as "square dance? All I could come up with is contra dance is short for country dance. Thanks Leo Leo, The next Pittsburgh contra dance is Friday, Sept. 8 at the community hall in Pgh very close to the border with Swissvale, just east of Squirrell Hill (at the Swisselm community center). Usually about 7 or 8 bucks to get in, a great time! I will probably be there. Bring your tennis shoes and come on by! One of the regular bands includes an English concertina player (she has a 50s wheatstone, IIRC). Ken www.pittsburghcontra.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 I just found this Google video of a contra dance (Square dance??) in New England by the group Wild Asparagus.The band is from New England, but the dance was filmed in Boulder, Colorado, according to the caption.I listened to about the first hour and a half (while doing other things). An English Concertina is played in the first song, and is easy to see, also at about 31 minits.I looked at the beginning, and then I looked at the 31 minute mark. They were still playing the same tune! I'm afraid to look at the 4 hour mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theodore Kloba Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 That's Morris Dancing. Whole 'nother smoke.Oh yeah, it is! I guess I'll have to find some incongruous music to dub onto a real contradance video, and choose an animal to handle the vocals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 (edited) 5000 Edited August 29, 2006 by Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Still, I think this is the first widely available video I've seen that I feel gives a real sense of what contra dancing feels like.Except maybe for the one I posted back in June...That's Morris Dancing. Whole 'nother smoke. Yeah. Confusing Morris and contra is a bit like confusing the Estonian and Lithuanian languages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 I just found this Google video of a contra dance.... An English Concertina is played in the first song, and is easy to see, also at about 31 minits.I looked at the beginning, and then I looked at the 31 minute mark. They were still playing the same tune! I'm afraid to look at the 4 hour mark. And I had noticed other repetitions. Is it perhaps a ½-hour video repeated 8 times? Or is the shuffling of segments more complex? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theodore Kloba Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Yeah. Confusing Morris and contra is a bit like confusing the Estonian and Lithuanian languages. Not confusing the dances so much as forgetting which one was in the animation and not paying attention when linking back to the old post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 (edited) I really don't know I've never run accross the term "contra dance" before getting interested in concertinas. That time can be counted in months, so I'm learning lots of new stuff slowly. Is it the same as "square dance? All I could come up with is contra dance is short for country dance. Thanks Leo All AHA! Insight!! I finally figured out how to make the Search function work correctly (+signs and other combinations). I didn't think I was the only one with limited cultrural insight. The same question was gone over in depth 2 yrs. ago and I couldn't find it. Now that I think I got the function working to my expectation, I don't think I'm reinventing the wheel when I come up with a question. For one: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php...hl=contra+dance Thanks for your help and patience. I'm still bewildered but hopefully trainable. Leo Edited August 29, 2006 by Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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