Contra Section
The Oddity of Origins explores the charming anomaly of contra dance music, originating from English, Scottish, and French soil transplanted to North American ground in the 17th and 18th centuries. With fiddles leading the parade and occasional lyrical nods, this repetitive, binary form unfolds as dancers enact a ritual of movement in orderly chaos. Histories intertwine as the tunes serve as pastime and soundtrack for social rendezvous, evolving through folk revivals and improvisation. Geographic quirks showcase the preservation of tradition in New England, flirtation with bluegrass in Appalachian regions, and modernity on the West Coast.

