After taking part in the Bloomington Contra dance, I understand our class. Never before have had I felt such a strong sense of community and belonging while having the time of my life. No exaggeration necessary, the contra dance was inspiring. The people were friendly and had a boat load of energy regardless of their age and gender. Everyone was an equal participant as the dance went on. When everyone did their part, the room of amateur dancers flowed smoothly, and each song seemed to end in an instant. Concentration and instinct took over as if the music ordered them too, and the band played a number of tunes perfectly. Whether it was your first time at the contra dance or your third year, everyone was treated equally and played an equal role in the fluidity of the group dance.
The event as a whole made me feel great! I had entirely too much energy by the time the dances were over. It was a sort of inspired feeling, one that is difficult to explain. Contra dancing is not a typical, mainstream forum for public dancing and music making, but it seemed as though it should be. The contra dance is perfect for shy people who would like to break out of their shell. Kind folk will not hesitate to ask you to dance with them, and everyone’s company is thoroughly enjoyed.
Typically, when kids of my age want to go to a musical event, it is a presentational form of music they long to see. Few kids are able to experience alternative forms of musical social events. If more students were introduced to participatory music at a young age, our country could be drastically different, and kids may spend their free time differently. We can only speculate as to how the world may be different if everyone understood the power of music, and the potential powers it possesses.
I will admit I did not even want to go to the contra dance at all. Luckily it was my obligation, because I would have missed out on some valuable life lessons had I not gone. Now I even think I would like to go back in the future just to obtain the satisfaction of partaking in a community, participatory event as well-run as the contra dance. When the action is participatory, no one in the room has the opportunity to be bored! Everyone has a job, or role, to play in the event. The whole room of people was in constant movement, be it the musicians strumming away or the dancers spinning their partners round and round. Motion was constant as in all participatory music.
While everyone was kept busy, the social aspect of the contra dance was not thrown out the window. Plenty of small talk and numerous friendly gestures were exchanged. Everyone became friends simply because of a common interest, or goal. Being forced to dance with people you do not know or even don’t know well, is perhaps the best part of the contra dance. Leaving your comfort zone and joining forces with a stranger to conquer the art of dance works in a beautiful way. Hand contact made for a feeling of togetherness and closeness. People tend to go to Contra Dance specifically to connect with people. This is the opposite of what people get at high fidelity dance clubs. The environment of the contra dance is designed to create relationships. People do not only come to connect with people, they also feel the connection of the entire place. Everyone at the Contra Dance is very accepting and at least pretendes to be congenial.
If more people participated in activities like the contra dance, Bloomington would be an even happier place then it already is. When people put their minds to having a good time and a fun experience, the result is the achievement of such. Everyone in the gymnasium wanted to enjoy themselves, and brought with them an optimistic attitude.
The contra dance made me question society. While those who play participatory music are generally happier and community oriented, the United States does not play nearly as much participatory music as other countries. This leads me to believe regardless of economic issues, countries that play participatory music together are generally closer to one another and have a generally more positive attitude. This may say a lot about America, considering the large quantity of problems and lack of participatory music.
At first I did not want to have anything do with the contra dance, but much to my surprise the contra dance delivered a moral lesson I will hold with me forever. I kept an open mind while I was there, and the feel of the music took over. Felt like a professional dancer by the end of the night. While the event was participatory, I was able to take away a very valuable personal gain. I realized the importance of togetherness, community, and open mindedness. With those three things, there is so much to be achieved.
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