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The Other Side of the Coin

1/16/2013

 
I was poking around online and ran across some of CDSS's archives. Specifically, I came across Mary McNab Dart's 1995 Contra Dance Choreography, which made for an interesting look at the contra dance tradition. It was written by a traditionalist (I imagine her reaction to the existence of a techno contra might include the clutching of pearls in horror) but she makes several interesting points over the course of her book.

The one I'd like to talk about today, though, is the following:

"Another way in which the new choreography relates to the attitudes of the experienced dancers is that the emphasis on the dance as sport, and the interest in challenging and complex dancing—the focus, in short, on the dance movements themselves rather than on the event as a social occasion—means that partners are chosen as often for their skill level as for their social attributes."

While I see the point that I think she's attempting to make -- the one where elitism means that new dancers are left out in the cold -- the point she ends up making comes off as a bit snobby. "...Partners are chosen as often for their skill level as for their social attributes." And what of those folks who might be a bit geeky, a bit nerdy, a bit shy -- but happen to be really amazing dancers? Interestingly, in my five and a half years of dancing I've actually found that choosing some (not all, but certainly some) dance partners based on their skill has actually let me get to know more people than I might have gotten to know had I met them any other way, as dance gave me an opening to talk to them. And I don't see this as a bad thing at all. On the dance floor, you don't have to be the most charming, or the most charismatic, or the best looking, or the most extroverted to get a partner...you just need to be willing to dance, and while with any activity, it's usually more fun when it comes easily to you or you're willing to try, skill is still not entirely necessary.

Dart makes a similar point about how dance has become a sport rather than a social event, and how this is a negative influence on the community:

"When I started dancing, participants tended to dress for a dance party, wearing nice looking dresses and shirts and shoes. There is a growing trend today to wear sports clothing—shorts, tank tops, sweat bands, tennis shoes—and even to bring a small towel with which to dry off once in a while, and a change of T-shirt."

Sorry, but I'm not sure I see this one as such a bad thing, either (especially the bringing changes of T-shirts to change into when the first is sweated through part). If I'm not so concerned about dressing up, I can eschew the high heels and the fancy and impractical clothes in exchange for a more mundane sort of pleasure -- the one where I can be myself and come and be social while being comfortable, dangit. Somehow I've managed to make several friends on the dance floor -- and off of it, when I've gone to sit with folks during a break from dancing and chatted with them. Somehow, I've managed to find a way. I also managed to find some aerobic activity that got me out of the house and has, either directly or indirectly, managed to be the cause of my meeting lots of interesting and fun people that I hang out with away from the contra floor as well as on it. To me this feels like it's become a sport of sorts and a social activity, rather than instead of a social activity, granted with a different aesthetic than it had in previous decades.

While there are some valid points that I feel that Ms. Dart makes, it seems like she's limiting herself to seeing these things only happen in a given aesthetic, rather than looking at what is actually happening. No doubt there are people out there who only view contra dance as a form of exercise, who are only looking for the next big thing, and who won't give anyone the time of day unless they're already a supremely skilled dancer. And yes, I'll agree that those sorts of people are not assets to the dance community as a whole. But there are a lot of other people who embrace the power of and, who love the fact that modern contra dance is in some ways challenging and has a bunch of people who come as they are in comfortable clothes rather than in fancy finery (assuming those two are mutually exclusive, which is a different train of thought altogether) and who can come and dance with lots of people and be welcomed even if they aren't the most socially adept; and there are those who find that aesthetic more appealing than any event where the only focus is on the social graces of the participants.
Rowan
1/15/2013 01:22:02 pm

Hey! I haven't actually read the book yet (I was recently given it in print), but based on knowing Mary Dart in real life, she comes across as pretty open to new things in the community.

Based on the quotes that you posted, I read a non-judgmental setting-out of ways in which the community has changed -- of course, it is entirely possible that the context would change everything.

Also, I haven't actually discussed techno contra with Mary -- but she isn't the clutching-pearls type. I'm pretty certain that she would be/is interested in, if not a personal fan of, techno contra.

Ryan (blogger) link
1/16/2013 12:47:02 am

Hi Rowan,

That's entirely fair -- sometimes words can come out sounding differently than intended. Reading the book, to me those sections came out with a distinct note of romantic nostalgia that took several concepts that, yes, are different than they were 30-40 years ago (bigger dances, focus more on the dance than the sociability), and made them into this thing that was going to damage the tradition rather than enhance it because it was different. (Which does make it seem like techno would be a nail in the coffin of this treasured thing.)

I've had days too where I end up coming off in writing as further to the extreme than I actually am in the interests of making my point clear. I point out here that some of the things she indicates as problems might not be as black and white as they are painted in her book (though she is of course entitled to her opinions).

Peter
1/16/2013 07:16:27 am

I agree with the idea of 'and'. Part of the concept can include spin-off events: On-campus dances at a college can offer a greater level of comfort to newcomers who might feel marginalized at a large existing dance. Events such as Contra Sonic can cater to those interested in a different musical aesthetic/ambiance. Another possibility I have participated in is having a group of local contra dance musicians of varied experience levels play the first part of an evening and finishing with Electroflow. Such spin-off events can have a smaller attendance, but they can be quite beneficial to the larger community. Also, a series such as Larry Jennings' Zesty Contra can focus on a certain aesthetic to great success of its own.

Reading through the book, I found the coverage to be insightful, examining the challenges faced in a range of circumstances and documenting various larger trends. Having organized a number of alt-music dance events myself, I didn't get the impression that the author would be particularly shocked by or opposed to the form.

If I had to guess the author's treatment of alt-music dances in a work written today, I would extrapolate from this book's introduction discussing contra dance picking up different styles of music as it spread to different regions, and also the community chapter which mentions younger people taking part in areas where efforts have been made to recruit new dancers.

In the community chapter mentioning sport, I think the driving concern is being able to integrate newcomers. I didn't read it as a suggestion that a contra dance should be a place to dress fancy, but rather an observation offered as a visible sign of changes.

Some of the trends identified in the book have actually been receding in the period since it was published back in 1995. I starting contra dancing in 2006 and have noticed a reduction over time since then in how vigorous dances are. Likewise, the demand for more and more complicated dances seems to have dropped off. The trend with alt-music contra has even been to prefer less complex choreography.

I don't think the title traditionalist fits the author, given this:

"How can it be that the contra dance has achieved such a remarkable comeback, after coming so close to extinction? What is its appeal in our society today?"

"One answer is that the contra dances enjoyed by participants today are, for the most part, not the same dances as those enjoyed prior to the current revival. In the last two decades an interest in the composition of new contra dances has mushroomed, resulting in literally hundreds of new dance sequences. Many of these new dances are tried once or twice and then abandoned for one reason or another. Some are composed and never tried at all. But a large number of the new dances have caught the fancy of the contra dance communities and have been carried all over the country and abroad. In many areas, particularly in the urban contra dance communities, these new dances have largely supplanted the older ones. One can see in the contemporary choreography reflections of broader societal trends that have made their impact on many forms of recreation, including folk dance."

English Country dances or (around here) southern squares are where people I think of as traditionalists hang out. For example, in the case of English Country Dance, the participants actually are interested in 300 year old dances and dressing the part. With southern squares, there's an interest in dances and tunes traditional to the region.

Contrariwise, I don't think critical examination of the past and present along with possible future directions of contra dance makes one a traditionalist - even when pointing out challenges presented by a current trend or new development. Even now, 18 years after its publication, the book appears useful as a tool to assist in building the future rather than something advocating being limited by the past. After all, one of the major themes is how societal changes have necessitated doing things differently from in the past to keep the form alive and relevant.


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    I dance with abandon. I play with glowsticks. I look for music that is conducive to one or both. I play behind cameras.  I write about all of the above. I'm based in Glen Echo's contra dance community outside of Washington, D.C., but I'm happy to go dance afield when I can. Lather, rinse, repeat. Always repeat.

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