Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn. The event was held at the Plymouth Masonic Hall on Nov. 29 and was attended by a number of area residents, including Linda Grosscup of Livonia who has been contra dancing for a year and a half and belongs to the Oakland County chapter. It's a very social activity and it's a lot of fun. You don't have the same partner all the time. Contra dancing dates back to the 1700's.
Dancers face one another in opposing lines.
Traditional contra dances are the Virginia Reel, square and circle dances. And there's no need to bring a partner according to Missavage. It's a lot of singles. It's a lot of divorced folks and a lot of couples, as well. Missavage, who started contra dancing in 1981 and calling in 1990, said there are traditional contra dances held in Ann Arbor, Lansing, Kalamazoo and metro Detroit.