Have you tried Contra Dancing?

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Ask a group of contra dancers to describe contra dancing and you will probably get many different answers. Basically, contra dancing is a high-spirited dance that can be elegant, lively and most importantly, FUN! Based upon Old English and New England country dancing with some aspects of American square dancing blended into it, the dances are danced to Irish, Celtic, Old English, Early American and modern 'traditional' tunes that are played by live bands.

Dances are led by a Caller and each dance is walked through before the start of the dance. The dances are a blend of a fairly small group of movements: Allemandes; Stars; Do-Si-Dos; a LOT of Swings; and several other older and modern movements. Dance choreographers arrange the different movements into unique dances. It is the caller's job to match the dance to the music and the skill level of the dancers.

There are two main phases to Contra Dancing... the first is learning the movements and the second is dancing these movements. All dances are performed with a simple 'walk step' and 8-beat timing is used in all Contra dances. In some dances, dancers may be swinging 50% of the time. Beginners are sometimes surprised by the amount of spinning and swinging that is part of the dance. A secret of Contra Dancing is to look your partner in the eyes while swinging, or pick a spot on their face and keep your concentration there to prevent dizziness.

For more information, check out the Atlanta Contra Dance Website