Northern Twisters Square Dance Club
1448 5th Avenue Prince George, BC, Canada

Please share this post and subsequent others with those who follow you on Facebook. It’s a suggested way to socially reconnect after the pandemic while having l...oads of fun at low cost. A different post will appear each day up to Saturday September 19th DAY 4 OF 7 Discover Contra Dancing IT’S SQUARE & ROUND DANCE AWARENESS WEEK IN BRITISH COLUMBIA! Wednesday September 16, 2020 The contra dance is a related dance form to the world of square and round dancing and it is embraced by the non-profit British Columbia Square and Round Dance Federation, its many individual dancers, member clubs and associations. As we observe Square and Round Dance Awareness Week in the province, contra must be celebrated and promoted! After all, it’s considered a forerunner to square dancing. Overall, apart from contra dancing, the Federation supports square dancing, round dancing, clog dancing and associated dance forms like line dancing. During Awareness Week, these daily posts will share the many benefits and enjoyment to be experienced in each dance form. The organization has secured a Proclamation of the week from the Government of British Columbia, taking place now through September 19, 2020 (See the Proclamation at: https://www.bclaws.ca//SquareandRoundDanceAwarenessWeek2020.) Despite the fact that dancing in close proximity is on-hold during the pandemic, the dance community wants to celebrate its dance forms, retain awareness and assure the public that it is poised to offer great fun, social re-connection and active living once gatherings are again safe to conduct. CONTRA DANCING DEFINED Square dancing is said to have developed from the folk dance known as the contra, among other influences such as English Country Dances. Although there are variations, the contra dance generally consists of facing lines of dancers who work with their partner across and up and down the line. Depending upon the size of the dance hall and number of contra dancers attending, basically two parallel lines run the length of the hall. There is no footwork, you simply step to the beat of the music. The dancers react to calls from a contra caller or prompter, except certain patterns develop wherein the dancers are able to remember and repeat some sequences without prompting. Each dance consists of a sequence of moves wherein each pair interacts with the couple across, known as a set. It ends with couples having progressed one position up or down the line. As the sequence or figure is repeated, a couple will eventually dance with every other couple. Highly social and enjoyed by singles and couples alike, contra dances use many of the same figures as square dancing (such as swing, promenade, etc.) but you dance with more people than found in a square of 8 persons. It’s common for a contra caller to suggest after each dance that you find a new partner. By having the dancers exchange partners, over the duration of the event they get to dance with many friendly people. Since alcohol is not be consumed before or during a contra dance, that makes it a family-friendly activity. THE MUSIC AND RHYTHM IN CONTRA DANCING The music in contra often engages a live band where the main instrument is the fiddle but might include guitar, banjo, piano, accordion and double bass. Recorded music is certainly used by contra callers when live music isn’t available. Contra dancing involves steadily moving to the rhythm in a 64 beat format. The rhythm must be consistent in order to be danceable. That’s how many beats there are in a contra figure after which the pattern repeats. For the musically-inclined, the beat in contra music is accented on the 2nd and 4th beat, not the 1st and 3rd. It has a syncopation wherein you can say that the accent is on the chuck, not the boom, as in boom/chuck. LEARNING TO CONTRA DANCE All ages can participate in contra dancing. At a contra dance you typically learn-on-the-spot. You do not need lessons because you learn as you go and there’s no need to bring a partner. Many people who say that they can’t dance find that contra dancing proves them wrong. Singles are attracted to contra dancing because the atmosphere is very welcoming and there’s always someone with whom to pair off. It’s not uncommon for a lady to ask a man to be her partner for a dance. THE AVAILABILITY OF CONTRA DANCING Contra dancing is well-established in parts of the United States and weekend or multi-day events usually attract many dancers. In British Columbia there have been past contra dance clubs that met weekly. Contra dances are more likely to pop-up in a community. One reason is the dancers’ preference for a live band and the subsequent need for larger venues due to the interest generated. The Central Okanagan and East Kootenay regions of the province have seen such periodic contra dances. The president and chairperson of the B.C. Square and Round Dance Federation, Jean Wood, is both a square dance and a contra dance caller. She conducted a contra dance in West Kelowna in recent times. Contra dancing is often a component of Festivals and Conventions where the program dedicates a dance hall for it. At large square, round and clog dance events, contra dancing is sometimes offered as an introduction to pay homage to the part it played in development of the related dance forms. B.C. Festival 2019, held at Salmon Arm in July, included a contra dance event in its schedule. In the U.S., they conduct an annual 3-day festival known as the Flurry where contra dancing is a big component. Flurry is a shortened name from The Flurry A Festival of Traditional Dancing and Music. It’s one of the largest folk dance and music festivals in North America, drawing roughly 4,500 attendees & 400 performers. Starting on a Friday and concluding on Sunday, it features a wide variety of dance styles, including ballroom dancing, square dancing, swing dancing, Latin Salsa dancing, Irish step dancing, improvisational dancing and contra dancing. Flurry takes place at Sarasota Springs, New York, on the President’s Day weekend (third Monday in February). The next Flurry Festival will be February 12 to 14, 2021 but, in light of the pandemic, the Flurry will adapt to an online celebration utilizing various locations. See several video links below for a look at contra and some other dance forms as enjoyed at the Flurry. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY AND MAKEUP OF THE CONTRA DANCE The Wikipedia web site has a comprehensive section about contra dancing including its history, should you want to learn more. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_dance SOCIAL RECONNECTING POST-PANDEMIC THROUGH CONTRA DANCING Contra dancing could be another ideal activity for social reconnecting after the pandemic. Welcoming to all ages, singles, couples and families, and a dance form where you can learn on the spot, perhaps we’ll see Contra Pop-up Dances in the province! INFORMATION FROZEN IN TIME! CONTACTS. The pandemic brought all the very social dancing within the realm of the B.C. Square & Round Dance Federation to a sudden halt. Post-pandemic introductory sessions for newcomers to square, round, clog or contra dancing have yet to be identified. In the interim, a comprehensive but admittedly dated list of dance clubs in the various styles is available on the Federation’s promotional web page: See it from the home page at: www.SquareDanceFun.info See a list of the various regions of British Columbia with clickable links to your city or town at the following linknote that most all the contact information is still relative in case you want to make inquiries: https://squaredancefun.squaredance.bc.ca/ Broad inquiries can also be made at these contacts: [email protected] Toll-free Dance INFOLINE: 1-800-335-9433 The B.C. Square and Round Dance Federation’s web page, largely serving accomplished dancers: www.squaredance.bc.ca The Canadian Square and Round Dance Society’s web page, also for existing dancers: www.squaredance.ca LEARN MORE ABOUT CONTRA DANCE FUN THROUGH SOME GREAT VIDEOS SEE A BRIEF VIDEO ABOUT CONTRA DANCING On the Facebook page for the B.C. Square & Round Dance Federation (https://www.facebook.com/BCSquareAndRoundDanceFederation), we have featured a video that introduces contra dancing (others introduce square & round dancing). It was produced in the U.S. by the ARTS Foundation and You2CanDance. You'll find it under "Videos." To reveal the one about contra dancing, click at the right on "See All." An Introduction to Contra Dancing - 1 minute, 45 seconds ADDITIONAL VIDEOS Atlanta, Georgia July, 2012 Title: Contra Dancing Beginner? Just Have Fun - Janet Shepherd & Capetians. An introduction to Contra Dance by Janet Shepherd and music by The Capetians. This is an excellent video that furnishes an overview of contra dancing while showing dancers having fun to live music. Assembly by the Chattahoochee Country Dancers Calling and narration by Janet Shepherd 4 mins, 39 secs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9_Qbnpplgc Webster Groves, Missouri southwest of St. Louis September, 2017 Title: It's Not a Square Dance: It's a Contra Dance! A visit with the Childgrove Country Dancers, a feature report voiced by Paul Schankman Produced by HEC Media. 4 mins, 17 secs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24X7zCskUSU Tacoma, Washington November 24, 2019 In the following video, an overhead camera looks down on a dance floor full of happy contra dancers moving to music by a live band named the Faux Paws. They’re lively and whooping it up! For this sequence, contra caller George Marshall didn’t need to prompt the dancers because they had memorized the routine and moved proficiently on their own. 6 mins, 25 secs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEU3UU5xEcw YOUR FIRST CONTRA LESSON Gainesville, Georgia December, 2013 Here’s your first contra dance lesson through video It’s a beginner session with instructor Cis Hinkle 8 mins, 21 secs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKoYD3t_thQ FLURRY DANCE FESTIVAL Several videos Saratoga Springs, New York The Flurry is a big, annual three day festival of traditional dancing and music held each February in Saratoga Springs. Contra dancing is a major component June, 2013 Title: Saratoga Springs, NY: The Flurry Festival This is a great profile about the Festival with an accent on contra dancing, complete with a narrative. A woman named Mickela Mallozzi presents her perspective on the Flurry in a feature called Bare Feet. She also covers other dance forms but contra dance is revisited in the last minute and fifteen seconds. Description: Mickela Mallozzi attends the 26th Annual Flurry Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY where she gets her first lesson in Contra Dance. Along with making some new friends, she also gets a taste of the other styles of dance featured at the Festival including Swing, West African, Forró with Matuto and even Techno Contra! 3 mins, 43 secs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad1Jz1Pq6EQ February, 2020 Title: Contradance at Flurry 2020 Saratoga Springs -- Jacqui Grennan with Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand This is a nice, short sample of contra dancing at the 2020 Flurry. The caller prompts the dancers for about the first minute then they proceed without the calls. 1 min, 48 secs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MBpPUUEqpU February, 2020 Title: Contradancing at the Dance Flurry Festival, City Center, Saratoga Springs NY Another short video showing contra dancing at the Flurry, in the Paul Rosenberg Hall at the Saratoga Hilton and City Centre. The dancers have memorized the routine and don’t require prompting but the caller is Lisa Greenleaf and band is called Polaris. 2 mins, 33 secs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HorzLQn6PUs February, 2016 This version shows the band and dancing in a long but lively sequence Title: Flurry 2016: Mary Wesley & The Gaslight Tinkers The Gaslight Tinkers and Mary Wesley entertain. The Gaslight Tinkers features Peter Siegel on guitar, Audrey Knuth on fiddle, Joey Fitzpatrick on drums and Garrett Sawyer on bass. They are playing "Benton's Dream" by Benton Flippen and "Waiting for Nancy" by Curt Bouterse. Mary Wesley is calling the contra dance "Three Thirty-Three" by Steve Zakon-Anderson. 8 mins, 59 secs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PmE1lXC4t4 February 2020 A very large and absolutely packed floor of contra dancers at the 2020 Flurry in February at Saratoga Springs, NY. Pans and zooms by the cameraperson show a good cross-section of dancers. The caller initially gives commands but the dancers soon memorize the routine and the prompts become no longer necessary. At the 2 minute mark, the camera pans around to reveal an eight member band, consisting of a flutist, four fiddlers, a mandolin player, a guitarist and a keyboard player 7 mins, 29 secs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKP1xR-fjgk PLEASE SHARE THIS POST TO YOUR FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS AND MAKE THEM AWARE OF AWARENESS WEEK. THANK YOU! ^be

Please share this post and subsequent others with your Facebook followers as a suggested way to socially reconnect after the pandemic while having loads of fun ...at low cost. A different post will appear each day up to Saturday September 19th DAY 1 OF 7 About Square Dancing IT’S SQUARE & ROUND DANCE AWARENESS WEEK IN BRITISH COLUMBIA! Sunday September 13, 2020 The non-profit British Columbia Square and Round Dance Federation and its many individual dancers, member clubs and associations is celebrating Square and Round Dance Awareness week in the province! The organization has secured a Proclamation of the week from the Government of British Columbia, taking place September 13 to 19, 2020 (See the Proclamation at: https://www.bclaws.ca//SquareandRoundDanceAwarenessWeek2020.) Despite the fact that dancing in close proximity is on-hold during the pandemic, the dance community wants to celebrate its dance forms and assure the public that it is poised to offer great fun, social re-connection and active living once gatherings are again safe to conduct. The B.C. Federation embraces several dance forms including square, round, clog and contra styles. During Awareness Week, these daily posts will share the many benefits and enjoyment to be experienced in each of them. THE MANY BENEFITS OF SQUARE DANCING Today’s style of square dancing is so very much fun, easy to learn, economical, builds your physical and mental fitness and, most importantly, is highly social. After social distancing is no longer necessary post-pandemic, people will want to socially reconnect. Human beings are social creaturespeople need people. The square dance activity will certainly fit-the-bill! Closing this post are several supportive links to videos about square dancing but, first, learn of its many benefits LEARNING IS A GREAT EXPERIENCE Discovering today’s style of square dance at introductory sessions is a wonderful experience. At first you might be apprehensive but you start having fun right away, learning the basic calls and quickly building confidence. The caller-teacher gives patient instruction with lots of review. IT’S A SOCIAL DANCE FORM Many square dance calls can be taught initially in large interactive circles, where dancers progress as pairs from one to another. That technique alone shows the ideally social nature of the dance form. WHY IS IT CALLED SQUARE DANCING? The nature of the dance itself is one where 4 pairs of dancers each stand, facing in, on a side of the square so as to look across at another pair. During the dance, the eight interact with each other to commands from the caller to end up back in their original positions. That’s the fun part because the dancers have to cooperate and coordinate with each other while listening for the commands or calls from the caller. One missed call by just one of the dancers might allow for a quick recovery but more often than not the square will collapse in laughter, only to regroup and try again. IS THERE SPECIAL CLOTHING? In today’s square dancing, the attire is loose, comfortable and casual, although many dancers still love wearing the traditional western clothing. The longer prairie skirt is a popular dress style for the ladies because it allows free, flowing movement but still looks sharp. SQUARE DANCING IS ENJOYED WORLDWIDE Opportunities to travel as an accomplished square dancer are endless because the calls are standardized worldwide in the English language. For instance, you can go dance in Japan, Switzerland or Germany to calls in English even if the local dancers don’t speak the language. ALL AGES PARTICIPATE All ages participate in square dancing which makes it wonderful for family involvement. Also, for couples young or old it’s precious together time. In the Pacific Northwest, there are several pre-teen & teen square dance clubs. In British Columbia there are youth clubs at Burnaby and Surrey. Although square dancing is non-competitive generally, they hold a long-running annual competition known as the Pacific Northwest Teen Square Dance Festival. YOU DON’T NEED TO WALK TO SQUARE DANCE Handicapables enjoy square dancing as can be experienced in Surrey, BC, at the Wheeling 8’s dance club. They move a little slower as they manouvre but they can proficiently execute most all the square dance calls. PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS To square dance is to live actively! The physical health benefits include improved balance and coordination, maintenance of joint flexibility, increased lung capacity and improved muscle tone and bone density. During a two hour session, accomplished dancers have been known to register on a pedometer the equivalent of several kilometres of travel just on the dance floor. PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH BENEFITS Psychological or mental advantages to square dancing are not to be forgotten. As you move to the beat of enjoyable music (from pop to country & show tunes to golden oldies), listening to the calls from the caller, you’re improving your mental agility as you translate oral commands into action, you’re forgetting outside worries, reducing any depression or loneliness and reducing age-related memory loss. When not restricted by a pandemic, our provincial organization purchases Facebook advertising to tell of lesson offerings around B.C. After a young woman in Powell River went to an introductory lesson presented by the Star Dusters dance club, she commented: Last night's open house was fantastic! Tons of fun! No corny music, my face hurt from smiling and laughing so much! See you next week!" In fact, she was having so much fun that she told the square dance caller-teacher to shorten the breaks and keep the dancing going. SOCIAL RECONNECTING POST PANDEMIC THROUGH SQUARE DANCING One of the big preventative measures taken during the pandemic is social distancing. Once people can safely congregate again, the square dance activity will be there for them to socially reconnect. Apart from simply having fun in the company of others as the social creatures we are, the social benefits to square dancing include making new friends and expanding social contacts, developing new social groups and reducing inhibitions. It’s also ideal for anybody newly-moved to an area to make friends. A SQUARE DANCE MIGHT POP UP ANYWHERE AFTER THE PANDEMIC That reconnecting through the square dance can get people together for fun and laughter, such as at service clubs, church groups, business socials, school classes, community centres, etc. Ad hoc square dancing on street cul-de-sacs by neighbourhood groups could even be possible, allowing neighbours to reconnect. An impromptu square dance might pop up anywhere! A fun introduction to square dancing could be followed by an opportunity to attend a weekly session to learn more. INSTRUCTION CAN BE EASY AND BRIEF One of the programs taught in many areas is known as Social Square Dancing where in just 12 weekly sessions the dancer learns an amazing 50 calls (many are really easy), having fun at every session. Suddenlyyou’re a fun-loving square dancer! INFORMATION FROZEN IN TIME! CONTACTS. The pandemic brought all the very social dancing within the realm of the B.C. Square & Round Dance Federation to a sudden halt. Post-pandemic introductory lessons for newcomers to square, round, clog or contra dancing have yet to be identified. In the interim, a comprehensive but admittedly dated list of dance clubs in the various styles is available on the Federation’s promotional web page: See it from the home page at: www.SquareDanceFun.info See a list of the various regions of British Columbia with clickable links to your city or town at the following linknote that most all the contact information is still relative in the event you want to make inquiries: https://squaredancefun.squaredance.bc.ca/ Broad inquiries can also be made at these contacts: [email protected] Toll-free Dance INFOLINE: 1-800-335-9433 The B.C. Square and Round Dance Federation’s web page, largely serving accomplished dancers: www.squaredance.bc.ca The Canadian Square and Round Dance Society’s web page, also for existing dancers: www.squaredance.ca ENJOY A SELECTION OF VIDEOS A short video introducing the fun of today’s style of square dancing. Produced by Mary Anne Turner of Williams Lake for the Stampede Whirlaways dance club: https://youtu.be/dZmDzlKX3PY (1 min, 8 secs) Just for fun, see a square of dancers in Williams Lake, BC, having winter fun dancing in snowshoes!... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll_hsXxZzT0 (2 mins, 37 sec’s) Learn lots about starting as a new square dancer in the 10 minute video Dancing Keeps You Young. In story form, in the comfort of their home a couple learn from friends about the modern nature of the square dance activity and its many benefits and then they go with them to an introductory session. The video shows the learning process, guided by caller-teacher Steve Edlund, a B.C. square dance caller-teacher. www.DancingKeepsYouYoung.ca On this Facebook page, see a 2-minute video by You2CanDance, from the ARTS Foundation and You2CanDance. It’s a basic introduction to the square dance. LEARN MORE ABOUT SQUARE DANCE FUN IN PUBLISHED ARTICLES In Surrey/Langley, the dance club Surrey Square Wheelers was featured in an article that appeared in the Langley Times on February 22, 2017. Included in the online version is a video in which the club’s dancers are enjoying the more complex Plus square dance program as well as some round dancing which is choreographed ballroom: https://www.langleyadvancetimes.com//video-if-you-can-wal/ In Kamloops, a retired school teacher from Ashcroft discovers square dancing with her husband (something she says they originally knew nothing about) and gives thanks to the caller-teacher couple for the Thompson Valley Stars dance club: Article in Ashcroft/Cache Creek Journal Nov. 19, 2019 by Gloria Mertens https://www.ashcroftcachecreekjournal.com//local-couple-f/ In Dawson Creek, the dance club Mile Zero Grand Squares was featured a number of years ago in two newspaper articles: It’s Hip to Be Square by Alaska Highway News - Oct. 17, 2012 https://www.alaskahighwaynews.ca//it-s-hip-to-dance-square Mile Zero square dancers brings together circle of friends by Northeast News - October 30, 2012 http://www.northeastnews.ca/mile-zero-square-dancers-bring/ PLEASE SHARE THIS POST. THANK YOU! ^be

Someday...hopefully sooner than later!

We will dance again...

Round dancing Covid style... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=de0i7p2hFHY