Contra dance!

Tamara and I went contra dancing last night. It was amazing. If you've spent much time with me, you've probably heard this dozens of times over, I'm not sorry. What is contra dancing? I'm glad you asked!

No. It has nothing to do with a certian video game. (Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start. Yeah, I'm that cool.) Nor does it have anything to do with Nicaraguan rebels.

That's what it's not, but what is it?

The simple answer is that you just have to experence it for yourself. Go contra dancing.

My favorite answer is that it's an amusement park ride we make with our bodies.

For an attempt at a more complete answer: contra dancing is a form of early American social dance. Ever seen Pride and Prejudice? It's almost like the dancing in that movie, except that it's more lively and less refined. The dance is in two long lines down the hall, and you dance primarily with your partner, but also with those around you and the entire line.

Ever been square dancing? It's kind of like that, only a whole lot less hick. Like square dance it is a walking dance: no foot work required. Also, it is a called dance. A caller tells you what step is next so you don't need to know any dances ahead of time. Thankfully, contra dancing is not sqare dancing. Instead of country/western music, you dance to bluegrass, Irish jigs and reels. (It's not what you might call a "traditional" instrumentation, but here is a link to my favorite contra dance band.) Square dances are for the caller, they keep calling new thing, the dance keeps changing, and the dancers have to pay attention. Contra dances are for the dancer, the dance repeats itself as you progress through the line and the caller eventually shuts up and lets the dancers enjoy the dance. Whereas square dances only involve the eight people in the square, contra dances involve everybody in the line, allowing you, over the course of an evening, to dance with everybody in the hall.

The wonderful thing about contra dances is the progression. You dance primarily with your partner (the person you ask to dance and line up next to) and your neighbors (the partners next to you in line). I already mentioned that the dance repeats itself, the fun part is that everytime it does, you and your partner find youselves having moved either up or down the line, and facing a new pair of neighbors. The whole thing, when done well, is a fantastic bit of clockwork with dancers for gears and cogs. Everybody does the right steps at the right time to find themselves facing the right person at the right time. A well written dance flows from one step to the next seemlessly. A really well written dance makes you wonder how you'll ever find your new neighbor (or sometimes even your partner) and then makes them magically appear.

Interested? If you want to go, here's what you need to know:

There is generally a teaching session an hour or so before every dance. Each dance is also walked through before the music starts. Not knowing what you're doing is no excuse to not go to a dance. How else will you learn?

Wear comfortable cloathes and shoes. It is an aerobic work out, you will get hot, dress appropriately. Tennis shoes work well enough, just make sure you can pivot on the balls of your feet. Women (and some men!) often wear hippie skirts, they breathe well and it's fun to twirl in them. Just remember to wear something modest underneath to avoid embarassing moments if you get carried away in a twirl.

Don't be afriad to come without a partner, there are plenty of people already there who would love to dance with you. Ladies, it's more than acceptable to ask men to dance. If you're new, seek out partners who are experienced, they are more than willing to help you. Try not to dance with other new people! I know this is tempting, expecially if you and your SO decide to try it out together, but trust me new person + new person = mess. Remember the clockwork idea. Even if you get lost, a more experienced partner can keep you on track. Wait until the second half to dance with someone else new, by that point you'll both have a little better understanding of what you're doing.

Dance every dance. Sitting out is no fun, and the dances generally get slightly more difficult as the evening goes on. If you sit out a dance, especially early on, you might find yourself behind later. Remember, don't be afraid to ask people to dance.

Where can you find a contra dance? Links, yay!

http://www.contracorners.net/contra/links/dancemap.html

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/

http://neohiocontradance.org/

http://www.pittsburghcontra.org/

LSD = Bad Idea

I am currently in my friend Trevor's appartment, in Chicago, drinking a 312 wheat ale. After Lake Shore Drive I needed it. City driving is terrifying to me. Trevor is at a middle school choir concert until 10, which gives me 4 hours to roam Chicagoland. Yay adventure!

Tomorrow I get to see the Tamara again. <3

Productivity=Fail

Well, I'm doubting Cleveland Orchestra will happen for me tomorrow, maybe I'll be done in time to swing dance at Ceder's.

The problem I have with writing this paper is that I have all these ideas in my head, and I can't get them out of my head and onto the paper in a coherent fashion.

Almost

I'm on my last paper.

The trick isn't making it through this week with all my work done. The real challenge is surviving the week, completing my work, and still being awake/alert/alive enough to drive to Chicago on Friday. My hope, however unrealistic, is to be finished with everything by Thursday afternoon so I can make it to the Cleveland Orchestra for Sibelius' Symphony No. 7.

Besides the obvious benefits of spending time with Tamara, catching up on sleep, and not writing papers, I'm really looking forward to break so I can have time to read. The problem I have with books is that I collect them far faster than I read them, so there are piles of unread books in my room right now calling my name.

I'm always torn between reading "serious" or academic books and fantasy. I have a tome on Christianity by Hans Küng and a book on the gnostic gospels by Elaine Pagels that I would love to read this summer. I also want to read something like The Brothers Karamazov or Anna Karenina. It's also been a long time since Billy Shakes and I have hung out. However, it's The Wheel of Time and other fantasy novels that are calling my name. Maybe I've been doomed since day one, when my mom named me after a character from a fantasy novel, but I always fall victim to fantasy's siren song. It's upsetting to me that so many people draw a line between sci-fi/fantasy and "serious" literature. Yes, there is a phenomenal amount of trash, but what about Heinlein, or Le Guin? Even Jordan, as fluffy as The Wheel of Time is, had a firm hold on the English language.

Oh well, too much pnn, to little paper writing.

Finals Week

I didn't sleep last night. It sucked.

The music theory paper I have to write this week will probably be my last paper at YSU! (I doubt I'll have to write anything of consequence for weather class this summer.) I'm having a weird experience with graduation. I'm graduating in August after a summer class, but a lot of important (at least I feel like they should be important) lasts are happening this semester. I feel like summer class and work will be like awkwardly hanging out.

I'm more than ready to move out though, if only so I can have a place without a television. It drives me crazy, does there always have to be background noise?

Productivity?

When am I getting my Islam papers done? I have no clue. Some time today, I imagine. I really need to be more motivated, but I find myself firmly in the grip of senioritis. I know I'll get everything done, it's the "on time" part of things that gets sketchy. Right now, my only big worry is passing Islam. I probably ought to get to work on those papers.

Sitting in trees after the rain

It was a surprisingly good day.

It's nice to realize you have more good friends than you thought. Of the few people I am especially close with, almost none of them are very much like me. That's fine. I enjoy friendships anchored by a few strong similarities and kept interesting by contrast. The downside to this is that I don't have many friends to whom I can really say anything without feeling even a little bit judged. It's nice to have a couple of friends that really empathize with all your eccentricities.