Page "Contra dance" Paragraph 11

After the walk-through, the music begins and the dancers repeat that sequence some number of times before that dance ends, often 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the length of the contra lines.

Calls are normally given at least the first few times through, and often for the last.

At the end of each dance, the dancers thank their partners.

The contra dance tradition in North America is to change partners for every dance, while in the United Kingdom typically people dance with the same partner the entire evening.

One who attends an evening of contra dances in North America does not need to bring his or her own partner.

In the short break between individual dances, women and men invite each other to dance.

Booking ahead ( lining up a partner or partners ahead of time for each individual dance ), while common at some venues, is often discouraged.