The Dance

Home The Dance The Music The People Meet Us

Dancers at an MMTD meeting, 12/05/08 (:32)

A History of the Dance

At the Mid Missouri Traditional Dancer’s meetings, every first, third, and fifth Friday of the month, all types of people come to dance and socialize. From young to old, experienced to beginners, everyone is welcome and help is offered to those who need it. But if you’re a beginner, don’t expect to be taught square dancing, or even something like it. And don’t compare the two dances when trying to explain them. You might get in trouble.

The Mid Missouri Traditional Dancers are contra dancers. While there are some similarities in the steps between contra and square dancing, there are also many different steps involved; but the ultimate difference is the partners. In contra dancing, the attempt is to dance with many different people, while in square dancing you keep one partner throughout the entire dance. Experienced dancers can help new dancers, and it gives everyone a chance to get to know each other. There is also a difference in the music. Square dancing has a more country feel to the music, while contra dancing is generally more bluegrass or folk.

Valerie Young, a freshman at Mizzou and a regular at MMTD, says that contra dancing came from the English taking French line dances and making them their own. The dance has been passed down through the centuries, and contra dance became a popular pastime. However, with all the different forms of entertainment available today there are less people who go out to do traditional dancing for fun. Those who do choose to dance say they have a blast because it's a combination of exercising, socializing, and fun.