Cross-cultural comparisons are interesting. While MWSD is pretty standardized as a dance form, there are still cultural differences between different groups (compare gay square dance groups with straight groups, for example, or European groups with American groups. The terminology is the same, but the fluff and the between squares interaction is different.

Here are a few cross cultural comparisons of English and American “contra” (although they wouldn’t necessarily call them contra dances in England) dances.

• Colin Hume’s Advice to Americans Coming to England
• Bob Archer’s UK/USA Dance Comparison
• Several essays by Henry Morgenstein:
  • Contras & Ceilidhs
  • Dancing in America for Brits
  • Explaining Contras to Brits
  • Brits & Contras
  • Countries divided by a common language