By Kyle Lappin

Q: May I have this dance?
A: Why yes, you certainly may!

Have you ever been interested in dancing but just never knew where to start? Come contra dance! Portland Intown Contra Dance, located at 159 State St, Portland, is a short, free bus ride away from SMCC.

I talked with Dela Murphy, one of the founding members of PICD. She says the dance hall “enriches lives and cultivates a vibrant community through dance.” They gather every Thursday night for “zesty, joyful dancing” and also find ways to “enjoy each other’s company when we’re not on the floor.”

Murphy is a pot boiling over with good energy and encouragement. I asked her a few things about the contra dance and she could not have summed it up more perfectly: “We consider it like dance church. People come together without the religion, and have a ton of fun. We just create a community that is unlike any other community I have ever been a part of.”

Dela also proclaimed that “I smiled more than I have ever smiled probably in my life.” There could not be a truer statement. This dance is a perfect way to let go of anxiety and flow with people who are all in the same mindset, rhythm and motion. There is zero tolerance for any conduct that does not honor your dance partner (which could be anyone you choose to ask) and respect every individual in the dance hall. Before each dance there is a brief, yet engaging and effective lesson that will get you in motion in no time. You are also provided with a pin that lets people know you are a beginner, so they can assist you throughout the dance and others know not to whip out serious dance moves. Everyone also gets to make a magnetic name tag button, which makes interactions that much more efficient.

Shari Shakti has been contra dancing for ten years, and she has been coming to Portland Intown Contra Dance since it opened two years ago in June.

Comparing PICD to other contra dances she has attended, she said, “I love the way Dela and Doogin have organized this as a gender-neutral place, the welcoming nature of the dance, [that] they have created this sense of community . . . The varying ages that are coming in, new people every week.”

Fellow SMCC student Rebecca Dow showed me the world of contra dancing by ‘dragging me’ there, but now I go almost every week! Here is what she had to say: “I began Contra Dancing at the beginning of last fall. Everyone was welcoming, and though I was a poor dancer at the start, I kept going as many weeks as I could, dipping into my refund check until I had no more funds. To me, going out to dance was a priority—a time for me to let go and just have fun with strangers. I mean, live music and a room full of awesome people? Why wouldn’t I be hooked?”

Left to Right: Eric Dang, Fern Kurek, Rebecca Dow, Kyle Lappin. Seen in back: Live band. Photo by Shari Shaki

Portland Intown Contra Dance told me they are willing to host an SMCC dancing club at a discounted price, or for free. If anybody is interested in starting a contra dancing club after reading this article, please contact me at my school email: kyleslappin@smccme.edu, using the keyword “Contra” in the subject line. We will have a contra dancing club formed in no time! Stay loose and stay golden.