The future of contra dance

I have seen the future of contra dance music, and it has didgeridoos. The Great Bear Trio from upstate New York is on its first West Coast tour, and they took Seattle by storm this week. They play a contemporary style of dance music, New England in origin, but way warped into a brew of percussive fiddling, driving mandolin and Australian wind instruments.

This group is completely in sync with the kind of dancers coming to contra dances now, which are barely post-pubescent. Andrew VanNorstrand and his brother, Noah, are 20 and 17. Their mom Kim plays keyboard.

I heard them at the Thursday Lake City dance, and had such a good time that I stayed way past my bedtime. They were playing again Friday at the Emerald City Dance. I played their CD while making dinner, which made Robin want to come too. "I’ll read my book," she said. She’s got a bad case of Planters Fasciatus these days, and can’t dance.

I knew that the Friday dance drew a younger crowd, but I was surprised at how dominant the 20 somethings were. There was a clutch of women from Seattle Pacific University, at a contra dance for the first time. I came out of the first dance, and Robin shoved one of the students my way. "Here, take this one."

I love breaking in a first time dancer. "Quick lesson. Take my arm. Like you’re arm wrestling. There, that tension? That’s how you want to do every move. You can’t dance with spaghetti arms. When you give good weight like this, you’re in charge." Then a 10 second swing lesson. "Here, ballroom position. That inside foot, next to mine? Pivit on it, and scoot on the other foot, like you’re on an old fashioned scooter. Give me weight now." Bam, the smile lights up as we spin around.

"Don’t worry about messing up. You get lots of chances. It repeats bunches of times. Everyone around you knows where you need to be next."

Over the course of the next ten minutes I watch her deer-in-the-headlights look transmute into total body bliss.

Robin blogged her take on the dance over at Trauma & Attachment.
 

Comments

[Lisa Sieverts]

Hi Doug,

I think they're still called the "Great Bear Trio," not Big Bear. And yes, they're awesome. I worked with them for the milkman shift at the Brattleboro Dawn Dance last year. It was easy to stay awake with so much musical excitement going on!
Best,
Lisa Sieverts
Nelson, NH

[Doug Plummer]

Thanks for catching this Lisa. It's fixed.