When we received the class syllabus
on the first day of IFS, I casually flipped through it, noting the different
activities we would partake in and the different assignments we would have to
complete. As I skimmed to the back page, I
noticed that one of our assignments was titled “Bloomington Contra-Dance”. In that moment, I let out an exasperated sigh
and was immediately imagining how disastrous it would be if I attempted to
dance. Anyone that knows me understands
my complete aversion to dancing in any way, shape or form. I consider myself to be the least rhythmic
person on the planet, and that is in no way an exaggeration. For example, during a music class in grammar school we had
to learn how to square dance and, in short, I ended up with a broken leg by the end of
the lesson. However, despite my severe
case of clumsiness, I was quite surprised when I found myself actually having
fun at the Boys and Girls club at last night’s contra-dance event.
Initially, since everyone in the
class was outside of their comfort zones, most of us partnered up with a person
we knew. However, once the first dance
was over, everyone mixed it up and met new people. Each dance thereafter, my partner was not
someone I had known beforehand. I found
this to be extremely indicative of the type of people that go to events such as
the contra-dance, and the friendliness of the people in Bloomington. I never had to ask
someone to be my partner, because the “regulars” readily walked up to us
newcomers and asked us to be their partners.
That was probably the most surprising thing of the entire experience-
the fact that complete strangers wanted to welcome you wholeheartedly into
their environment. Even though my feet
and arms were occasionally out of sync and it took me forever to learn a
courtesy turn, I never felt awkward because the more experienced dancers were
so encouraging. I think I apologized to
just about every person I danced with, and they all responded with uplifting
remarks. I told one older man that I had
no idea what I was doing and he answered by saying, “That’s what makes this so
fun!" I hadn’t thought of it in that
way, but it was completely true.
Initially, I found myself feeling frustrated and embarrassed when I
messed up a move, but eventually I learned to laugh it off and just have fun
with it.
In high school, I absolutely dreaded
going to dances. As I stated before, I
lack rhythm, which can make for awkward encounters at a Homecoming dance. While at a school dance, nightclub, or big
party with a dance floor, no one really talks to one another. In those settings, one would witness a lot of
jumping up and down with some indecent “dancing” added in. This, to me, is not enjoyable at all. Although I wasn’t very good at
contra-dancing, I would much rather contra-dance and actually interact and
socialize with the people around me, as opposed to getting a headache from listening
to house music and being blinded by strobe lights in a club. As we discussed in class, the music at a
nightclub is so loud that you can barely get in a word edgewise with your dance
partner. While contra-dancing, some of
the different people I danced with asked me where I was from, if I was there
with a class, how I was adjusting to life in Bloomington so far, etc. It’s extremely unlikely that one would have
such a conversation in a nightclub. Not
only were the people at the contra-dance extremely eager to have new people
there for the night, but they actually enjoyed conversing with us, which set
the foundation for finding commonalities between one another.
The sense of community and
involvement that is instilled through events such as the contra-dance cannot be
denied. There were young people, senior
citizens, college students, people that have lived in Bloomington their whole
lives, couples, young children, and families that all come together once a week
as a cultural cohort to simply enjoy one another’s company despite their varying background and demographics. This participatory “social action” is greatly
related to participatory music making.
At one point, I danced with a person that has been doing the
contra-dance for over 10 years, yet he was ever so patient with me at the
beginner’s level. No one goes to the
contra-dance to show off their skills or compete with one another, evidenced by
the obvious fact that everyone is welcome.
It is simply a tradition that the people of this small town wish to keep
alive, and they preserve it well by being so welcoming to people that could
potentially make a habit out of attending the contra-dance.
Unfortunately, however, I do not think I will be one
of those people. While I immensely
enjoyed myself, I don’t think I should press my luck with my coordination
abilities. The contra-dance, however, is
similar to other community involvement activities, such as attending the farmer’s
market or other social events in town.
While I may not frequent the contra-dance sessions very often, Bloomington
provides many other ways to join in a participatory environment, and I will
most definitely find one that suits my tastes. I am extremely grateful to have experienced something that I never would have taken to initiative to attend on my own, and I can't wait to discover more of Bloomington's hidden treasures.
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