contra – Alex KG Ellis

Video by Dave Pokorney from Contradancers Delight Holiday. Lyrics provided by Noah VanNorstrand himself.

Contra Dance Etiquette For The Guys
It’s my hope you memorize
All that I have got to say
Contra dance in a respectable way
Contra dance etiquette for the guys
It’s my hope you realize
When you’re dancing with a girl
You gotta think about more than the next twirl

First up on the docket is the older guys
Don’t worry I’m gettin’ to the younger guys
You guys are supposed to be wise, so I’m surprised
What I see happenin’ with my own eyes
Lets say you’re dancing with a girl who’s pretty and young
You think “It’s just contra dancing, I can flirt with this one”
DAAAAMN dawg, what’s wrong with you, son?
She’s fifteen and you’re sixty-one!
Don’t worry, I’m not saying you’re a pedophile
But, put on her shoes and walk around for a couple miles
What, you find may not be so kind
Old sweaty guys just might not be your style!

Doesn’t matter with whom you’re dancing
Old or young, a newbie or veteran
Stop acting like you’re broke on a payday
Grow up and respect the ladies!

All right younger guys, it’s your turn!
I’m gonna make your ego crash and burn
You think everyone’s in love with you well I got news for you!
It ain’t all about you, when you gonna learn to dance
Best for your partner
Best for your hands-four
Best for the whole line
Best for the entire floor
That’s the golden rule that you should live for
Stop treatin’ common sense like it’s a damn chore!
Go ahead, call me old-fashioned
But dippin’ a girl without asking is lacking compassion
I’ve seen elbows crashing
into heads that are bashing
Into the floor…what for?
Just so that you can be the hottest guy on the dance floor?

Doesn’t matter with whom you’re dancing
Old or young, a newbie or veteran
Stop acting like you’re broke on a payday
Grow up and respect the ladies!

You got your Ashe-villains tearin’ up the scene
But you make contradancing look a little obscene
You got your West Coast, being all cool
But you can’t dance Money Musk at Dancin’ Fool
Got your Greenfield, Cambridge, I’m your biggest fan
But you can seem a little snobby in New England
I love the dance community, it’s got a hold on me
So fellas, let’s make it better – who’s with me?

Contra Dance Etiquette For The Guys
It’s my hope you memorize
All that I have got to say
Contra dance in a respectable way
Contra dance etiquette for the guys
It’s my hope you realize
When you’re dancing in long lines
You’ve got to get her there on time

Contra Dance Etiquette For The Guys
It should not be a surprise
Keep your hand off of her butt
Thank you very much

Contra dance etiquette for the guys
It’s my hope you memorize, realize, memorize

January 19, 2009

Encounter at Whately Diner

Let me tell you a little story about the peculiar and fantastic encounter I had tonight. Read on for the full story. Continue reading “Encounter at Whately Diner”

January 18, 2009

What a week.

I’m listening to the Inauguration “We Are One” concert on the NPR website. Tears have come to my eyes several times, including during the singing of the national anthem. There are lots of actors speaking words, and I recognize their voices: Denzel Washington, Laura Linney, Steve Carrell, Tom Hanks.

The contradances the past two nights were spectacular. Tonight (Swallowtail) will hopefully be just as wonderful. The best moment last night was during the last dance, the band was playing fantastic music through the whole dance, then they broke into Brenda Stubberts’ for the end of it. One of the best sets of music I’ve ever danced to.

Lost starts again on Wednesday. I’m somewhat excited about that.

Hope you all are having as good a week as I am.

January 10, 2009

Session Creep

Last night I went to a session at this local Irish pub for the first time in about five years. Sessions are fantastic, because you get to play music with other people. However, at the session tonight, there was one guy who approached the music like a creepy old guy approaches children. He was paying insufficient attention to the mood of each tune, instead just rocking out in an accelerating fashion on his congas. Now, I’m sure he’s a fantastic elementary school music teacher, but for those of you who aren’t musicians, speeding up in a reckless fashion is BAD. And annoying. Sigh. I suppose the idiom clarified later tonight holds true: 75% of the folkie world are the greatest people you’ll ever meet, but the other quarter are creepy, annoying, arrogant, or generally unpleasant to be around.

Tonight’s Winter Extravadance. Come one come all.

Tag: contra

Contra Dance Etiquette for the Guys

Encounter at Whately Diner

What a week.

Session Creep