Bloomington Contra Dance

When we first arrived at the Boys and Girls Club for the Bloomington Contra Dance, I was pretty nervous about what to expect.  I have very little dancing skill, so I was afraid that my ability to participate and enjoy myself during this event would be hindered.  I did, in all fairness, make many mistakes throughout the dance.  However, the people around me were all really helpful and happy to explain steps I may have missed.  I also found that I was laughing just about the whole time, regardless of which dance we were doing, who my partner was, or whether or not I was actually able to perform the dance.

The contra dance was very different from dances I have been to in the past because it really was a group activity.  At past dances I have been to, there has been much more pressure on how you look while you dance.  In addition, people usually dance with their date or their friends and don’t use dances as opportunities to meet new people.  At the contra dance, everyone had the opportunity to dance with everyone else in the room, and I had the chance to talk to many Bloomington residents who come to the Contra Dance every week and knew much more about it than me.  One aspect of the contra dance that made it the most enjoyable was that, though these people were much more experienced than the members of our class, they didn’t get upset or frustrated with us for messing up.  Instead, they laughed along and encouraged us to keep going.  Also, because everyone was dancing at the same time and focusing on their own movements, people wouldn’t always be able to tell if I’d made a mistake.  This took more pressure off of me while I danced and made me much more comfortable throughout the night.  The fact that the dance was so open to people of all skill levels made it a perfect example of a participatory event.  It also made it possible for participants to achieve a flow state because it required focus at all times, but was not too hard to keep up with.

It was also cool to witness the contra dancing cohort present in Bloomington.  The regulars we met and danced with on Wednesday night might be very different from one another, but they come together weekly because of their mutual love of contra dancing.  I would definitely consider returning to the contra dance during the year.  I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but if I ever have a free night during the year and can find some friends to come with me, I think it would be great to go again.  If we all brought just a few friends and introduced them to contra dancing, the cohort’s size would grow immensely!