All the Way Around

“No Dance” was written on Ithaca, NY’s contra dancing website next to the date we hoped to be there. From the beginning of the trip, Lisa and I had been planning to attend the Ithaca dance as a part of the final stretch. Those two words wiped out all hope of that, and we realized that if we wanted to complete our closing goal of 5 consecutive nights of dancing, we would have to find another dance nearby–and fast!

We looked around for alternatives, but our host in Rochester told us about a great substitute. Waterloo, NY hosts a Civil War reenactment that has been going on for well over a hundred years, earning the town the title of official birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966. This reenactment, our host informed us, would include a contra dance, billed as a “Civil War Ball,” that would include authentic period costumes. Lisa and I had never heard of such a dance, and decided to go almost as soon as she told us about it.

Although we were assured that we wouldn’t need costumes, I still wanted to wear something for the occasion. My body resembled our war-torn country. I wore a blue t-shirt for the North, and gray pants for the South.

We arrived in Waterloo and entered the hall. We were a bit disappointed to see that it was happening on a modern-looking basketball court, but this disappointment was short-lived. In one corner, you could get your picture taken before an 1860s background. The band, City Fiddle, were costumed. The fiddler wore a billowing green and white dress while the two men in the group wore antique vests and shirts. The women around the room were clad in unique and intricate dresses.

Lisa had a conversation with a woman who called Civil War dances frequently for private events. The woman was very knowledgeable about the era and commented on the authenticity of each gown she saw. “That woman across the room has got on a dress that hasn’t been in style since the 1820s,” she said. “The young woman in the corner definitely has the most authentic costume in the room, but she’s not dressing her age. That’s a dress that an older woman would have worn. Those two young girls also have authentic costumes, but the shorter lengths of the dresses and the style of the tops make them more appropriate for girls their age.”

We took the floor for our first dance. The caller, Joyce Rossbach, had informed us that it would be unlike most contra dances, so we prepared ourselves for anything. She started with a mixer that had us promenading around the room. I noticed right away that the Civil War dancers did the figures differently from neighboring contras. Most performed two-hand turns rather than swings, and did promenades with hands in front.

One of the next dances was a formal procession. Dancers processed individually, then with partners, then in groups of 4, then 8, then 16 and then everyone joined hands to snake around the room in one long line that happened to be 32 people long, 33 if you include the caller who led the way.

We did a variety of dances in different formations, but after the break, we moved on to proper and improper contras. It was stunning to see all of those period dresses in a row up and down the single, long set. Many of the dancers had never done contra dance figures before, and had some trouble learning them. Joyce was able to keep the set together, however, and most people figured out the moves by the end of each dance.

During the times that there was no dancing, City Fiddle played and sang songs of the period. One was very pretty, and the words were about bringing our country back together as one. On stage, this was accomplished — a band from the North played with a caller originally from South Carolina.

Toward the end of the evening, Joyce called a circle mixer with swinging and hand claps. The progression confused many of the dancers, and I found myself thrust into the role of the lady for a while. Further along in the circle, I found a lady who had been forced into the role of gent. We laughed as we made the switch back to our original genders.

Though we were sad to miss Ithaca, the Civil War Ball was a completely unique experience with a totally different set of dancers. As we watched the final waltz, Lisa and I admired the different costumes of the dancers that went by. Lisa pointed out a young high-school aged girl who she learned made her dress. We were impressed at how contra fit into Waterloo’s Memorial Day tradition.

-Annandale-on-Hudson, NY

Dave and I spent our first night in Rochester at the Ant Hill Cooperative. Located about a mile from downtown, the co-op was surrounded by abandoned and dilapidated structures. The members, mostly college students from the University of Rochester, hoped to revitalize the neighborhood by planting gardens, buying and rebuilding homes, and holding bike repair workshops and other community activities. We stayed in a guest room left open for weary travelers, joined them for a tour of the neighborhood, and shared in an evening feast.

Our second night was spent with the president of Rochester’s contra dancing organization. She invited us to attend a pre-dance board meeting and told us about her dancing community as we drove to the diner where it was held. “Lots of college students come to our dance. In fact, the University of Rochester recently organized an evening of contra, which brought some new people to our weekly dance. But because the school year is over, we may have less of a crowd tonight,” she said. She also told us that many students from the U of R and Rochester Institute of Technology juggling clubs come to the dance. During the break, she explained, there is usually a blur of colored balls, beanbags, and clubs.

At the board meeting, we learned about Rochester’s most popular contra event: Thanksgiving Dance Weekend. For the two days after Thanksgiving, dancers get together with regional bands and callers for dancing and workshops. The meeting focused on a number of subjects, among them one we had seen dances struggle with nation-wide: attracting young dancers in order to keep the tradition alive.

The dance space was painted pink and white, with a low stage adorned with a black curtain. An open section on one side of the floor was filled with chairs for watching the dancers, and water and pretzels were available near the kitchen in the back.

The night started with Lady Walpole’s Reel, one of the oldest improper contra dances. The Covenant United Methodist Church’s dance floor was slick, and I spun easily with Dave’s leads as we walked down the center and back. Dancing up and down the set, I noticed few beginners—each dance that night was learned quickly.

The caller, Bob Nicholson, called the dances while wandering around the hall, helping dancers when they looked confused. His contras were well chosen, matching perfectly with the number of dancers present, and their skill level. During the next dance, “Dip and Dive,” I noticed his shirt and pointed it out to Dave. On the front was written, “Bring Back Money Musk” with a beautiful illustration of lines of three performing the dance. On the back was a musical staff with the notes to the corresponding tune written out.

He didn’t call Money Musk, but we did do a triple minor dance. The 1s swung and then looked down to swing the 2s. A series of allemandes, balances, and contra corners followed. My partner wore bed slippers and as we performed contra corners with our triplet, we pushed off of each other and spun, flying into the arms of our neighbors.

Later in the evening, I took a break and sat next to a man I had danced with earlier. I learned that he was a retired plant biology professor from The University of Rochester, and I was excited to have a conversation with another botany geek. We chatted through the next dance about photosynthesis and fern reproduction.

The night ended with a waltz, which the caller decided to turn into a mixer. Couples joined hands in a large circle and waltzed into the center and out, switching partners each time. Everyone then waltzed around the room with these new partners, mixing around with one another. When the circle reformed, the dancers were out of order, making a return to original partners impossible. He threw up his hands at the end saying, “go find your partner.” There was a great scrambling and collision of bodies as couples ran to each other to finish the waltz.

After the dance, we joined up with many of the dancers for pie and ice cream. We learned that we would see some of them again soon at the Dawn Dance in Brattleboro.

-Rochester, NY