So while I am back safe and sound in DC, I spent the first part of this week up near Boston, where I did manage to get out to the contra & international dance on Copley Square (yep, outside, and the downright magical atmosphere in the Square stood in striking contrast to the high-rise offices surrounding -- it was wonderful to see some of you there!). While it took the dancers a little while to get used to the concrete dancing surface (I never realized how much I appreciated the lack of friction on a wooden floor), once it all clicked it was awesome and wonderful.
When I talked to Will Mentor last fall about Contrashock and Contrastock, one of the things he talked about was the idea of a venue's ability to contribute to the flow of a dance. This gets me thinking -- what makes a good venue for a contra dance? Do techno contras and traditional contras have wildly different factors when choosing setting to set a mood, or is it entirely a trick of the music and the lighting? Does it make a huge difference if a techno contra is in, say, a local tavern instead of a church basement or a park building?
For me, the outdoor venue was a lot of fun, though the concrete was an adjustment; while last night was a treat, I don't know as I (or my knees, or my feet) would want to dance on a sidewalk all of the time.
Thoughts? Let me know in the comments!
When I talked to Will Mentor last fall about Contrashock and Contrastock, one of the things he talked about was the idea of a venue's ability to contribute to the flow of a dance. This gets me thinking -- what makes a good venue for a contra dance? Do techno contras and traditional contras have wildly different factors when choosing setting to set a mood, or is it entirely a trick of the music and the lighting? Does it make a huge difference if a techno contra is in, say, a local tavern instead of a church basement or a park building?
For me, the outdoor venue was a lot of fun, though the concrete was an adjustment; while last night was a treat, I don't know as I (or my knees, or my feet) would want to dance on a sidewalk all of the time.
Thoughts? Let me know in the comments!
