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Few things are more traditional than a New England contra dance, in which a group of dancers gathers into lines and follows instructions from a caller, as musicians play fiddles and other acoustic instruments.
But on Saturday, when the organizers of a monthly contra dance in Surry celebrate the event’s second birthday, they’ll break away from old-school folk music to feature a DJ playing techno music.
Alice Slater, who organizes the Surry contra dance, will take on the nickname DJ Pawz for the event, playing remixed dance tunes tunes from the 1990s and 2000s, by decidedly electronic artists including Daft Punk, Avicii, Eiffel 65, Chemical Brothers, Darude, Stromae and Vengaboys.
“It’s important to mix things up, and that keeps it interesting,” Slater said. “I think it’s a good way to bring in people that wouldn’t normally think about coming to a contra dance, who perceive it as being quite traditional, because really, I know things have really updated anyway, even the more acoustic music with traditional instruments.”
Contra dancing, a type of traditional community folk dance, has mixed origins from English, Scottish and French dance styles that date back the 17th century.
Slater has been to techno contra dances before, including at least one that she previously helped to organize in Surry. “It was really fun,” she said. “I just thought that would be a nice thing to bring to the community and to mix things up, keep things fresh. I think that’s really important.”
While perceivedly old-fashioned, the contra dance scene in Maine and other places has been able to attract people of all ages. It has also evolved in various ways, with new musicians learning to play the tunes, new dances being written and dancers learning to call out the instructions.
Techno contra dances are also an emerging form at events such as Flurry Festival, which is a national gathering of contra dancers. They may employ club-style lighting, as well as tunes played by a DJ.
After moving to Maine in 2013, Slater was bitten by the contra bug after an early exposure to it at the Common Ground County Fair. She hadn’t previously danced at all, she said.
“It was a totally different experience from anything I had experienced before; something really special happened that night,” Slater said. “Something equally as magic happens at every contra.”
The current monthly contra dance in Surry was started two years ago, in April 2023, according to Slater. More than 100 people typically attend each one, but she is hoping this Saturday’s birthday event will be a blowout.
“I really encourage all folks who haven’t tried out contra dancing to give it a go. It’s probably not what they’re expecting at all,” Slater said. “You don’t have to have any dancing skills. You can have two left feet, and that’s OK. It’s really just stepping in time with the music, working with other people to create this pattern of movement together.”
The techno contra dance will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. at Surry Elementary School, at 754 North Bend Road. Donations of $15 to $25 are suggested. No alcohol, tobacco or drugs are allowed.
Sasha Ray is a Boston native and recent transplant to Belfast, where she covers Waldo county. She graduated from SUNY Purchase in Westchester, NY and received her Master of Science from Boston University… More by Sasha Ray