CONTRA DANCE TERMS DIAGRAMS BASIC FIGURES HISTORY MANNERS HOME
Some Assorted Definitions
Set: The overall arrangement of couples for a given dance, such as a big circle, square formation, longways, etc.
Longways Set: Two lines, usually made up of partners facing each other in the opposite line. Used for contras and reels.
Big Circle: One large circle made up of couples facing the middle.
Sicilian Circle (1): A formation consisting of one large circle made up of couples alternately facing clockwise and counter-clockwise around the circle to form pairs of couples. (2): A dance done in this formation.
Square (1): A formation of four couples facing the center of their group, aligned so each couple faces a wall of the room. (2): A dance done in this formation.
Contra Dance (1): Dance in which couples progress up and down a longways set by performing a sequence of figures with one or two couples (who are progressing the opposite way), then moving further along to repeat the sequence with a new couple or couples. (2): An event at which contra dances, as in definition (1), are prominently featured.
Up: In a longways set, toward the music.
Down: In a longways set, away from the music.
Top: End of a longways set closest to the music.
Bottom: End of a longways set farthest from the music.
Minor Sets: Within the set, the groups of two or three couples that do all the figures of a dance together before separating in opposite directions to join new groups.
Figures: The different kinds of standard (more or less!) movements that dancers perform with other members of their set.
Partner: The person who agrees to be your prime collaborator through a given dance.
Opposite or Neighbor: Person next to you or across from you in the minor set who is not your partner.
Taking Hands Four: After lining up to form a set, joining hands in circles of four (two couples) to see which couples will be progressing away from the music (referred to as the #1 couples or the "active" couples) and which couples will be progressing toward the music (#2 or "inactive" couples).
Proper: In sets with mostly mixed-gender couples, lining up before a contra dance so all the men are in the left-hand line and all the women are in the right-hand line from the dancers' point of view looking toward the top of the set. This is the way that experienced dancers first line up when they join a set.
Improper: In sets with mostly mixed-gender couples, lining up for a contra dance so that in each couple the men are on the left and the women are on the right as they face the other couple. Since the #1 couples are looking toward the bottom of the set, the partners in those couples have to swap places after lining up in a proper formation (see Proper, above). Whenever a couple reaches the end, the partners must remember to swap places.
Becket Formation: A variation of the basic contra formation. After forming an improper set, the groups of four rotate one place to the left (clockwise) so that the starting position for the figures is partners side-by-side in the same line instead of across from each other in the opposite line. After doing the figures, each couple progresses sideways up or down their own line.
Couple Dance: Any dance such as a polka or waltz where couples dance independently, not in a set.
Waltz (1): A couple dance done to music in 3/4 time, usually done in a more graceful manner than most set dances. (2): Music written in 3/4 time, especially music for dancers to waltz to.
Polka (1): A couple dance done to brisk music in 2/4 or 4/4 time, often using a specific step called the polka step. (2): Music written for dancers to polka to.
Schottish (1): A couple dance done to 4/4 music with a slower tempo than for set dances or polkas. The usual footwork for a schottish, starting with the outside foot, is step-step-step-hop, step-step-step-hop, step-hop, step-hop, step-hop, step-hop. (2): Music written for dancers to do the schottish to.
Reel (1): At most contra dances, a dance tune for set dances written in 2/4 or 4/4 time. (2): Any longways dance for which a reel might be played, but the term is usually used in the name of a specific dance, as in the Virginia Reel or the Temperance Reel.
Jig: At most contra dances, a dance tune for set dances written in 6/8 time.
CONTRA DANCE TERMS DIAGRAMS BASIC FIGURES HISTORY MANNERS HOME