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Form of a contra dance
Formations
Standard
Contra dances are arranged in long paired lines of couples. A pair of lines is called a set. Sets are generally arranged so they run the length of the hall, with the top or head of the set being the end closest to the band and caller. Correspondingly, the bottom or foot of the set is the end furthest from the caller.
Couples consist of one lead (also gentleman, or simply gent) and one follow (or lady). By custom, leads are male, and follows are female, though this need not be the case.
Couples interact primarily with an adjacent couple for each round of the dance. Each sub-group of two interacting couples is known to choreographers as a minor set and to dancers as a foursome. (Not all dances are done in two-couple minor sets - see "Formations, Less common," below.) Couples in the same minor set are neighbors. The couple at the top of each minor set are 1's (or actives); the other couple are 2's (or inactives). 1's are said to be above their neighboring 2's; 2's are below. Minor sets originate at the head of the set, so that at the start of the dance the topmost dancers are 1's - if there is an uneven number of couples dancing, the bottom-most couple will wait out the first time through the dance (see "Progression," below).
There are three common ways of arranging dancers in the minor sets: proper formation, improper formation, and Becket formation (see illustrations below).
- In proper dances all the gents are in one line, and all the ladies are in the other; dancers are across (on opposite sides of) the set from their partners.
- In improper dances the 1's cross over, switching places with their partners. The result is "lady-gent-lady-gent" lines.
- Becket dances are essentially improper dances in which each minor set has been rotated 1/4 turn clockwise - lines are "lady-gent-lady-gent", which dancers standing next to (on the same side of the set as) their partners and across from their neighbors. (This formation is named after "Becket Reel" by Herbie Gaudreau, probably the first contra dance to use this formation. The dance itself is named after the town of Becket, Massachusetts.)
Common set layouts
- Proper
L1 L2 L1 L2 L1 L2 L1 L2... G1 G2 G1 G2 G1 G2 G1 G2...
- Improper
G1 L2 G1 L2 G1 L2 G1 L2... L1 G2 L1 G2 L1 G2 L1 G2...
- Becket
L1 G1 L1 G1 L1 G1 L1 G1... G2 L2 G2 L2 G2 L2 G2 L2...Key: band is to the left; L=lady, G=gent, 1s=1's, 2s=2's
Note: As there is no limit on set length for these dances (other than the number of people the venue will accommodate), the "..." can represent any number of couples.
Traditional dance choreography left the actives doing much more than the inactives. Modern choreographers typically want everyone to be active, so the roles have been renamed "1" and "2". At the same time, improper and Becket dances have become more common than proper ones as choreographers and dancers have come to desire greater neighbor interaction.
Less common
There are four additional forms a contra dance may take: triple minor, triplet, indecent (all illustrated below), and whole-set.
- In whole-set dances, such as the Virginia Reel (dance), only the head couple is active. After once through the dance, this couple is left at the foot of the set. Whole-set dances are now almost only seen in dances for children.
- Triple minor dances, or triples, are based on sixsomes or three-couple minor sets, as opposed to the duple minor dances based on foursomes. Triple minor dances are rare.
- Triplet, which are "triple major" dances - the entire (major) set is three couples - are also rare. The triplet form was invented by Ted Sanella, and in his lifetime they were quite common.
- Indecent dances are duple-minor contras in which each couple is crossed over with respect to an improper dance.
In triple minors and triplets, 1's are called actives and both 2's and 3's are inactives.
Less common set layouts
- Proper Triple Minor
L1 L2 L3 L1 L2 L3 L1 L2 L3... G1 G2 G3 G1 G2 G3 G1 G2 G3...
- Improper Triple Minor
G1 L2 L3 G1 L2 L3 G1 L2 L3... L1 G2 G3 L1 G2 G3 L1 G2 G3...
- Proper Triplet
L1 L2 L3. G1 G2 G3.
- Improper Triplet
G1 L2 L3. L1 G2 G3.
- Indecent
L1 G2 L1 G2 L1 G2 L1 G2... G1 L2 G1 L2 G1 L2 G1 L2...Key: band is to the left; L=lady, G=gent, 1s=1's, 2s=2's, 3s=3's
Note: As there is no limit on set length for triples or indecent dances (other than the number of people the venue will accommodate), the "..." can represent any number of couples.