Contra Dance

I had a ton of fun at the contra dance. I wasn't very good at it, but it was still a great experience. I'm usually very uncomfortable doing dances of any sort, but at the contra dance, it just didn't matter if you were good or not. Just as long as you participated and had fun, you did a good job. That's so hugely different from the typical mainstream dance scene, where the sexiest moves and the best looking people are the highlights of the night. I think that if I could get a good group of friends together, I would definitely go to another contra dance. It would be a little weird if I went by myself, but as long as I know a few other people it would be really fun to go again. The benefits to participatory music is that it's a great chance for bonding with friends and for making new friends. It provides a way for people to step out of their comfort zones and do things that they usually wouldn't. It also gives everyone a chance to experience those awesome flow states, along with just a sense of belonging. This applies to social movements as well. When everyone is working together, things move along smoothly and things get done. There's no combativeness, no competition, everyone is just working toward the same goal. Participatory music helps to instill the values of teamwork and inclusiveness that help to create powerful social movements.