Contra Dancing

What is Contra Dancing, you ask? It's kind of like square dancing. You get to eventually dance with every person of the opposite sex in the room if you stay long enough, not long, but you do.

Here in Denver it meets every 2nd and 4th Friday @ 8 p.m. with a lesson at 7:15. Boulder hosts a dance the other Friday nights.

Mostly over-50 crowd, although there are a number of younger folks acquainted with folk dancing that show everyone else up - especially in Boulder where the Univ. of Colo. is. Most people, including and especially the older crowd are in excellent shape physically - you have to be to last 3 hours almost non-stop dancing. It's quite aerobic.

The most fun part is the swing. It's probably the most repeated step also. You get to hold and swing the person of the opposite sex for about 15 seconds at a time. Some people really get to twirling.

The Denver dance is held at the Masonic Temple on 35th and Federal; the Boulder one in the Avalon Ballroom about 60th and Arapahoe. Cost is $10 for non-members and $8 for members. I'm now a member - it costs $20 to join for a year, then the charge goes down to $8 a time.

At half-time you get refreshments. There's always a live band of 2-4 people, usually a violin, guitar, and maybe a dulcimer or saxophone. They're always good and lively. CFOOTMAD is the group that sponsors the dances.

Why not try it? Come for the 7:15 lesson, get a few steps under your belt, then give it a whirl. Stay as short or long as you like.