Contra Dancing... ?

Does Oliver North participate in any of these events?

Originally posted by scyfreestyler Does Oliver North participate in any of these events? Common mistake... I sort of doubt it, but you never know. Contra Dance has nothing to do with Central American revolutionaries. This link pretty well sums up what it is not: www.sbcds.org/.../

Originally posted by craiglll@yahoo.com Once Oliver North was so rude to me that I almost slapped him. I was working at a restaurant and he came in as a customer. I went to the table and said I would be right back. He tyold me that I woudl take his order now and to shut up. Then he called me a name. No one ever went to his table. After a few minutes, he realized that he had been an idiot and fortunatley he left. Are you for real? :eek:

By the way, I can just see a waiter slapping Colonel Oliver North in a restaurant. Too funny...shoulda done it. :D

Me! Glad to know of another. I used to dance years ago, and just last year helped organize a contra dance at the arts council here in my home town. In fact I get the callers and bands for our dance. I have often thought that swimmers make good dancers and vice versa. There is a lot of the same body/mind coordination, don't you think?

Originally posted by jadams ... I have often thought that swimmers make good dancers and vice versa. There is a lot of the same body/mind coordination, don't you think? I agree. I got started in Nashville, TN back in the late 80’s. Now I dance in Austin, TX, which has a superb Contra Dance community (and I’ve danced all over the SE and mid-west). In fact I moved here largely because there is more than one dance per week. The six years before I moved here I was living in one of the most Contra Dance barren areas of the USA. I tried to generate interest in a dance there, but finally gave up and went elsewhere to seek my fortune... and have more FUN! I tip my to you for getting a dance started. I know what a challenge that is, but I’m sure the rewards make it all worthwhile. I’m really surprised I don’t see more swimmers at the dances here. The UT team alone is nearly 2/3’s the size of the entire LMSC where I used to live (and am still a member), and there are a dozen teams listed in Austin alone for the STLMSC! (Plus I know of others that are not listed.) I would think that at least a few of them would be interested. Viewer’s who live in Austin and want to know more should start with: http://austincontradance.org/

Once Oliver North was so rude to me that I almost slapped him. I was working at a restaurant and he came in as a customer. I went to the table and said I would be right back. He tyold me that I woudl take his order now and to shut up. Then he called me a name. No one ever went to his table. After a few minutes, he realized that he had been an idiot and fortunatley he left.

Originally posted by scyfreestyler Are you for real? :eek: Yeah,m it was at George town Bar & Grill. The restaurant isn't there anymore. It was in the hotel on Wisconsin Street.

I stated Contra Dancing in the early 90's and Masters Swimming in 2003. I've been to "Fire Ant Frolic" in Austin! Started dancing in Seattle-great community- and I continue in Los Angeles. Swimming and Dancing are a great compliment to my life; athletic and social. :)

I went to my first Contra dance in New Paltz last Saturday night and was immediately hooked. My wife has dragged me to lessons for Swing and Waltz and other kinds of dance and it's always been unpleasant.... Thanks for the feedback (u 2 pkglide), my experience is very similar. I used to hate dancing from back in HS. I eventually got to where I liked going to dance (at clubs and such) where you’d just shake it loose, no structure at all. I’ve tried various forms of structured dance (like Waltz and Cajun/Zydeco), but could just not seem to get it, with crunched toes and banged shins frequently being the result. One of the things I immediately liked about contra dance is that foot movement is not critical. It is important to be in the right place at the right time, but how you move your feet to get there is not all that important (though you will definitely develop a pattern with practice). The music is designed to let you know where you are in the dance, so as you learn to listen for this it becomes a really simple process. If you are able to attend a dance where most of the folks know what they are doing you learn a lot faster (and have that much more fun all that sooner) as folks will generally nudge you in the right direction if you get lost. I always tell folks if you can count to 8 and climb a flight of steps you can contra dance. It really is hours of pure fun! And it can be pretty aerobic too if you want it to be, or you can literally just walk through it. This is one reason this form of dance has such a wide appeal age-wise. Some of the most fun dances I’ve attended were dances where folks brought their kids (who generally learn contra faster, and have more fun with it, than the adults). The social and community aspect of contra dancing is what really keeps me coming back. CD communities tend to be like small villages where you get to know everyone in some degree, and these self-sustaining volunteer communities generally have a very supportive atmosphere. My favorite definition of contra dance goes “hours of pure fun, where every few seconds a different person of the opposite sex is flung into your arms.” Again: These are great social mixers, and I think they could be a big hit for an after meet event. Find a dance: http://contradancelinks.com/ One of many sites with info and links: http://otmad.net/ Have Fun!