Loose Leaf Notes

-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on February 13, 2020.

The Floyd Contra Dance is marking its 30th year bringing the American version of English country dancing to Southwest Virginia.  At Saturday evening’s contra dance, dancers promenaded and swung their partners to the upbeat tunes of the Rhythmajigs on the Floyd Center for the Arts’ new hardwood floor. Chris Youngblood called out the dances, standing in for the scheduled North Carolina caller, who couldn’t make the trip because of bad weather.

Named for its opposing lines of dancers, the “contra” dance series started in Roanoke in 1989 and was re-located to Floyd’s Sun Music Hall in 2001.  Following the opening of Dogtown Roadhouse, where the Sun Music Hall was located, monthly dances were moved to the Community Room at the Floyd Center for the Arts (220 Parkway Lane South), where they still take place on the second Saturday of the month from September to May.

The family friendly dances, are sponsored by the Blue Ridge Country Dancers and organized by a small group of dedicated volunteers that includes Kathleen Ingoldsby, Chris Youngblood, Liz Warriner and others who do set-up, sound, publicity, booking and welcoming beginners and experienced dancers each month.

Ingoldsby began contra dancing in New England in 1971 with her late husband and friends. She explained that contra dancing, which originated in England, Scotland and France and dates back in this country to the time of the American colonies, had a resurgence in the ‘60s and continues to be popular today. “The Virginia Reel is a version of a contra dance,” said Ingoldsby, who met her current husband at an English country dance.

Chris Youngblood fell into Blacksburg’s Old Time Music scene when she moved to the area in 1972 and was part of a square-dancing group and a clogging team.  Youngblood explained that square dancing was a continuous tradition in the South, where many dances were held in barns and allowed room for squares of four. In New England, long lines made use the long spaces in town hall buildings where dances took place. Youngblood grew up in D.C. and learned about contra dancing in the ‘80s from her brother, who lived in Annapolis. “I did my first big contra dance at the Glen Echo ballroom in D.C.,” Youngblood said.

Liz Warriner remembers learning square dancing in her New England elementary school gym class and liking it. She discovered contra dancing in New Hampshire in the late ’70 when she was in her early 20s and hasn’t stopped dancing since then. Warriner spoke of the community that surrounds contra dancing. “If you contra dance and you travel, you look for where the dances are and you’re welcome there,” she said.

Ingoldsby, a local historian, archivist and active member of the Old Church Gallery’s Oral History Project, remembered an interview she recorded with Stanley Lorton about the early days of square dancing in the region.  “Stanley was a fiddle player. He would go to someone’s house when they had a house party dance. He remembers he was late, and he’s walking up the hill and hears them clapping to make up for the fact that the fiddle hadn’t arrived. They were clapping the beat and dancing squares.” Ingoldsby said. She also recalled that old Floyd Press newspapers of the late 1800s listed house dances that started at 10:00 at night, after the farming was done.

“It’s the live music that’s a huge draw,” said Youngblood. “and the live calling. The musicians on stage and the dancers are like one big unit. It’s a very symbiotic relationship.” Youngblood also commented that the social connections made at the dances are part of what brings people back every month.

“You don’t have to come with a partner,” said Warriner. She noted that partners are available and change during the dance. “It’s contra dance etiquette that dancers seek out beginners.” There is even a free lesson a half-an-hour before the dance, which starts at 7:00, Warriner said.

“It’s great aerobic exercise,” Ingoldsby said. “But the number one thing is that it’s fun!” Youngblood added. They all agreed that there is a lot of smiling while contra dancing, and Saturday’s dance, which drew about 40 dancers, was a testament to that. – Colleen Redman

-The next Floyd Contra Dance is March 14 with live music by Go Figure and Jack Mitchell calling. Open to the public, dance admission is $8, $6.50 with a student ID. Casual dress and soft-sole shoes are recommended.