CD*NY, or Country Dance*New York, holds traditional English Country and American Contra Dances in Manhattan — very much in the style of a Jane Austen novel. The group, which held its 75th anniversary dance festival at NYU, hopes to appeal to college-age students. The organization puts together a ball every year, where its members arrive dressed in period costumes. CD*NY said the excitement of the occasion would appeal to dancers of all ages. “We feel a special connection to the NYU community,” said Sharon Green, a CD*NY board member. “Some of our regulars are NYU staff.” The nature of CD*NY dancing has a ubiquitous appeal, say its members. “The ball is a thrilling experience,” said CD*NY member Susan Amesse, who is also communications coordinator of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU. “It takes place in an elegant room and everyone is formally dressed, either in period or contemporary clothes. As we line up for the first dance and the exquisite music begins I glance around and am transported to a world that I thought existed only in books or my imagination,” she said. ENGLISH COUNTRY VS. CONTRA DANCING Though differences do exist between English Country dancing and Contra dancing, both are highly formalized set dances that rely heavily on repeated patterns of movement, and are similar to a traditional square dance. Using bona fide dances from the Restoration through the Victorian Era and featuring live musicians, CD*NY seeks to recapture the authentic feel of the dances and balls immortalized by writers like Austen, Thomas Hardy and Lewis Carroll. “I think if you’re interested in literature, music or history, you will find a lot to fascinate you [at the dances],” said Green. The two types of dances vary in terms of music and general feel. Contra dancing is essentially a highly aerobic form of English Country dancing that has been Americanized. The music consists of jigs and reels. A Contra dance also typically runs for a longer time, giving the dancers ample opportunity to learn the patterns. |
“Whereas the Contra dancing generally utilizes traditional jigs and reels, you could be doing an English Country dance to Vivaldi,” said Green. “Every English Country dance has a song.”
Contra dancing also tends to feature more frequent shifts of movement. WHERE IT’S AT CD*NY holds dances in Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey but feels a special connection to the Metropolitan Duane Church on 7th Ave., their home since 1950. English Country and Contra dances are held on Tuesday and Saturday nights, respectively. Although the crowd varies in number, from 50 to 150, CD*NY has its regulars, who attend both the weekly dances and CD*NY’s yearly ball in Brooklyn. Live music plays an integral part at a CD*NY dance, and at every dance there are always live musicians on hand to play. Green describes the musicians as having a reciprocal relationship with the dancers. CD*NY books bands, orchestral musicians and conservatory-trained instrumentalists to play at their dances. “The musicians are always truly great,” she said. “[They] definitely pick up on the energy and vitality of the dancers and vice versa.” CD*NY encourages beginners to attend, and all dances are taught. The caller, or the person who calls the dances as they are happening, decides what the program will consist of each evening, and while CD*NY boasts an extensive dance repertoire, many of the more popular dances are repeated on several evenings. “We have a dance archive on our web site that lists all of the dances that we have done over the past year and many of the dances turn up again and again,” said Green. And, as many of the dances turn up again and again, so do many of the people. The camaraderie of the group is another positive element that Green feels works in the group’s favor and will hopefully encourage dancers and non-dancers of all ages to attend. “I think that it’s important for students to try it and know that it’s there as a resource,” Green said. “And if you’re a student and you can’t come every Saturday or Tuesday, that’s OK. We know you’ll disappear during finals. But we want you to come back.” |
©2001 washington square news
Source: Linda Wolfe's New York Times Jane Austen article