Who were Cruise Control?

Cruise Control were Judith Cooper (fiddle), Mike Green (mandola/mandolin), Holly Norton (piano/fiddle) and Robbie Thomas (guitar/mandolin/banjo). Judith and Mike are both former members of the pioneering UK contra dance band Alterations. Robbie was a founding member of Silly Wizard, and for the last 15 years has been concentrating on playing for dancing. Holly has played piano and fiddle since childhood and brings a real Texas swing to Cruise Control's music.

After two years (2004-2006) of great music and great gigs Cruise Control decided to call it a day as Judith in particular couldn't cope with the amount of travelling involved in rehearsals and gigs. Judith plans to return to playing locally in Birmingham.

Holly, Mike and Robbie have other ideas...

Robbie and Holly are still playing for contradances with Nigel Walker (fiddle/bass) in Stick Shift, Mike continues to play with the Wayfarers dance display team and they are all busy hatching plans for the future...

Contra dance is a type of folk dance for all ages and a social dance in the most literal sense. It is a great way to meet lots of new people and potentially many new friends.

When the Pilgrim Fathers emigrated to the USA, they took with them the English country dances that they were familiar with from their towns and villages. In time, many new dances were created in the USA and a separate style emerged which became known as ‘contra’. Centuries later, in the 1960s, this dance form was brought back to the UK by callers like Ralph Page.

However, in the USA during the 1970s and 1980s, a distinct change took place in the way contra dances were danced. Instead of having just one couple in each pair of couples dancing at any one time, as was common in the older contra dances, the preference developed for having everybody dancing all the time. Also, as the dance left its local community roots and gained popularity with a younger generation, there arose a demand for more challenging dances. This new style of contra dance is often referred to as “zesty”, to distinguish it from the earlier form.

Today, contra dancers expect a dance to have at least one swing allowing a few moments of ‘flirtatious ecstasy’ while they and their partner of the moment whirl around together. Other changes have included the introduction of figures from American Square and English Country Dance and a faster pace than is generally the case in UK folk dancing. Individual dances also last longer than English folk dances, and many contra dancers enjoy embellishing their dancing with extra spins and twirls.

Contra dancing is fun, and it always should be. It has been variously described as “aerobic exercise while listening to a really great concert” or "the best way to get to know a roomful of attractive people".

You do not even need to bring your own partner. In contra dancing, partners customarily change round after every dance and you will find that women are as likely to ask men to dance as men are to ask women to partner them.

As the dances are led by a caller, the only requirements for a new dancer are the desire to take part and a willingness to learn. New dancers are warmly welcomed at every dance venue and, after a few dances, a newcomer will feel both completely at home and a full part of the dance's community.

The basic movements and figures are not complex - anyone who can walk and who can tell right from left already has all the necessary basic qualifications of a skilled contra dancer!

Dress casually and in layers as you will warm up a fair amount as the evening progresses. Soft-soled, low-heeled shoes are recommended, however dance footwear can range from bare feet to workboots. The only real requirement is that the soles of dance shoes are clean and free of grit and grime that could dirty up the dancefloor.