Contra Dance books

A listing of contra dance books, in alphabetical order by author or editor. Many of these books can be obtained from the Country Dance and Song Society bookstore. However, in most cases, you should order directly from the authors, so that they will receive the maximum inducement to keep publishing such materials.

I intend to add more information about each book, including a table of contents. However, I've procrastinated long enough on publishing the page as it stands, so I decided to go ahead. I also have a small number of additional books to add to this list, with contents to add to the title index.

Gems, the Best of the Country Dance and Song Society Diamond Jubilee Music, Dance, and Song Contest

First Printing: April 1993
The Country Dance and Song Society
17 New South Street
Northampton, MA 01060
413-584-9913

94 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches, with dances and tunes in American and English traditions.

The Caller/Teacher Manual for Contras

Copyright 1973
Don Armstrong
The Sets in Order American Square Dance Society
462 North Robinson Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048

97 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches, with contra dances in "ready to call" format. This book is aimed at square dance callers who wish to add contra dances to their repertoire. It also serves as a resource for many traditional contra dances.

Ken's Contras, Dances That Flow

20 pages, A5. contras and squares composed by Ken Bonner.

Ken's Contras No. 2, More Dances That Flow

20 pages, A5. contras and squares composed by Ken Bonner.

New England Quadrilles and How to Call Them

Square Dance Caller's Workbook

50 pages.

Contradancing in the Northwest

132 pages, about 7 x 8 inches. Includes histroical notes, contra dances, and some tunes.

Midwest Folklore

and other dances

Send your address, book title, and U.S.$15.00 per book plus shipping at $3 per book for North America and $6 for the first book and $3 per copy thereafter for Europe to:

Orace E. Johnson Memorial
c/o Laura Sleade
1601 W. Park
Champaign, Illinois, USA, 61821

Make checks payable to: Johnson Memorial Trust

Click here for complete information about this book.

More Pure Invention

18 pages, A4. Contra and square dances composed by Mogens Hansen.

Pure Invention

18 pages, A4. Contra and square dances composed by Mogens Hansen.

Dance A While: Handbook of Folk Square, Contra, and Social Dance

Jane A. Harris, Anne M. Pittman, and Marlys S. Waller
Sixth Edition
Copyright 1988
Macmillan
New York, NY

551 pages (?).

Dance All Night

Out of print.

Dance All Night II

39 pages, 5 x 8.5 inches. Contra dances composed by Tom Hinds.

Dance All Night III

35 pages, 5 x 8.5 inches. Contra dances composed by Tom Hinds.

Contra Comments

More Than Third Edition
Copyright 1993
Erik Hoffman
the Know Nothing Press
949 Fell Street #3
San Francisco, CA 94117
415-487-1830

69 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches. Contra dances, most composed by Erik Hoffman, with essays on contra dance in northern California, contra dance calling, and choregoraphy.

Dizzy Dances

Gene W. Hubert
North Carolina

Dizzy Dances, Volume II

23 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches. Contra and mixer dances composed by Gene Hubert.

Zesty Contras, A Selection of 500 New England Style Dances

with a
Provocative Explanatory Text
Copyright 1983
Third Printing, with modified pages x and xi: May 1988
Larry Jennings
New England Folk Festival Assocciation
1950 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140

90 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches. Larry says that he'd prefer folks order Zesty through CDSS.

To Live is to Dance

A Collection of Uncommon and Enjoyable Contra [& Other] Dances
First Edition, Third Printing: February 1996
Copyright 1995, 1996 by James Kitch
Sigma Publications
PO Box 253
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
215-849-5384

29 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches. Contra dances composed by Jim Kitch. Each dance is typeset into a 3x5 inch space, such that it can be copied directly for the caller's personal use.

Contras as Ralph Page Called Them

An Elegant Collection of Contras and Squares

153 pages.

Contra Dance Calling, A Basic Text

First Edition, First Printing, April, 1992
Copyright 1992 by Tony Parkes
Hands Four Productions
PO Box 641
Bedford, MA 01730

312 pages, roughly 6 x 9 inches. A comprehensive guide to calling contra dances, including material on operation of sound systems, finding a suitable hall, regular dances, and "one night stands." This is a marvelous book for someone approaching calling for the first time.

Shadrack's Delight

46 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 inches. Contras, squares, and mixers composed by Tony Parkes.

Son of Shadrack

48 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 inches. Contras, squares, and mixers composed by Tony Parkes.

Crossing the Cascades

Contra Dances and Tunes from the Pacific Northwest
Mike Richardson
2nd Edition, July 1994
mrich@u.washington.edu
2511 Perkins Lane West
Seattle, WA 98199
(206) 285-4673

45 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches. Contra dances and tunes composed by Mike Richardson.

Balance and Swing

A collection of fifty-five squares, contras, and triplets
in the New England tradition
with music for each dance
Copyright 1982 by Ted Sannella
Second Printing, Revised 1990
Library of Congress catalog number 81-71881
ISBN: 0-917-02405-2
Published by the Country Song and Dance Society
17 New South Street
Northampton, MA 01060
(413) 584-9913

156 pages, roughly 8 x 6 inches. Contras, squares, and triples, mostly composed by Ted Sannella. Each dance is accompanied by extensive notes and music for a suitable tune.

Another Contra*Bution

Dances by Ted Hodapp/Carol Ormand/Peter Stix
compiled and edited by Peter Stix
Copyright 1995 by Peter Stix
PO Box 3072
Albany, NY 12203

59 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches. Dances composed by the authors.

Contra*Butions

A Selection of Dances and Tunes from the Upper Midwest
compiled and edited by Peter Stix
Copyright 1992 by Peter Stix
3328 47th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55406-2345

89 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches.

Whynot Dance With Me

Roger Whynot

Lullaby of the Swing

and other contra dances, tunes, waltzes, and essays
Copyright 1993 by Myrtle Wilhite
2126 Center Avenue #2
Madison, WI 53704

64 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches.

WWW sites with dances

The Cambridge (England) Contra Dance maintains a collection of about 100 dances.

Contradancers of Hawaii has started a collection of traditional dances, some with associated tunes in MIDI or abc format.

Donna McAllister has made available some of her dances in her own web page.

Kiran Wagle maintains a collection of contra dances with the permission of the choregraphers. Kiran also has posted a page listing contra dance books.

Mike Richardson and Russel Owen have developed a database of contra dances, with complete choreography, teaching notes, etc.

Some folks in Cambridge (England) maintain an index of contra dances that you might do well to check out.

WWW sites listing dance titles

Michael Dyck (jmdyck@netcom.ca) also has developed an index of contra dance titles. He may actually maintain his listing better than I do mine.

WWW sites listing dance books

Kiran Wagle's list (described above).

The Country Dance and Song Society has a store which sells via mail order many of the books I have listed.

The the Ayer Company maintains a list of a number of dance books, covering a broad range of topics (but not contras). I don't know much about them. They seem to be a book ordering service.

Click for my index of contra dance titles, Austin, Texas dance information, or William Watson's public page

This page last updated Mon Jul 14 15:13:26 CDT 1997 by William J. Watson.

(watson@isd.tandem.com)

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