Contra dancing brings people together.

Byline: Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard

Here's an unusual recipe for world peace: "If more people contra danced, there would be less war," says Steve Goldman, a new resident of Eugene who chose his hometown-to-be in part because of its devotion to the art form.

It's a bit like square dancing in its swings and promenades, but instead of four couples making up a dancing square, contra dance is done in two long lines, with each couple eventually dancing with every other couple.

"In the course of a dance, each person gets to dance with 20 to 40 different people," Goldman says. "In the course of an evening, you could dance with everyone in the room."

Add to that the contra culture of looking deep into your partner's eyes as you dance while holding each other in a ballroom dance position, and it's easy to see why it's a pastime that leads to friendship and communication instead of exclusion and misunderstanding, Goldman believes.

Besides that, with all the aerobic exercise, he wonders who's got the energy left to be negative?

"After a full evening of contra dancing, I go home and sleep 10 hours," Goldman says. "It's a wonderful activity."

As a dance form, contra dates back about 400 years, originating in England and France - generally by incorporating the steps from French court dances into English dances - and carried to the American colonies by early settlers who gave it their own New World spin. It remained popular through the 1800s, then died out for a century or so before experiencing a resurgence throughout the country.

Goldman recently danced his way around the United States, finding contra dances to attend in at least a dozen cities as he traveled.

The Eugene Folklore Society sponsors local contra dances, which usually include a half-hour of instruction for those newer to the dance, followed by several hours of the real thing. The season runs from mid-September through mid-June.

This September, though, there also will be a special two-evening workshop for those who want to get ahead of the learning curve before the season gets in full swing.

The nonprofit, volunteer-run Eugene Folklore Society is dedicated to "furthering the understanding, appreciation and performance of traditional folk arts by providing music and dancing around the area," according to its Web site.

Besides contra dances, the group sponsors other folk-related concerts and dances, as well as potluck dinners and other arts-related events.

It also sponsors two weekend-long camps each year - the Cascade Contras Dance Camp in April at Sky Camp near Fall Creek and the Midsummer Madness Dance and Music Camp in July at Camp White Branch on the Old McKenzie Highway in the Oregon Cascades.

The group also supports the Blago Scholarship Fund that provides 15 scholarships to society members annually, not to exceed $50 each, toward the cost of dance camps, music camps or workshops.

Contra dance with the Eugene Folklore Society

Regular dances: Second and fourth Saturdays of each month from September through mid-June, in the gym at Cesar Chavez Elementary School, 1510 W. 14th Ave. 7:30 p.m. beginners' lesson with dance from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Cost is $7, with a $1 credit for those arriving before 7:30 p.m. Students with ID and society members get an additional $1 discount.

Eugene Celebration Booth: Downtown Eugene, Sept. 13-14; get information and sign up for dances, dance camps and other society events.

Special two-night contra workshop: 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sept. 17 and 24 at the Hilyard Community Center at 2580 Hilyard St. $20 per person includes admission to a regular Saturday dance. Singles and couples welcome. Phone [phone] to sign up.

Information or membership: www.efn.org/~efs/index.html