[Callers] Some contra dance history of interest:

[Michael Fuerst via Contra Callers]

In 1810, and for some years before and after, Sudbury MA (incorporated in 1639) 
was the site of a monthly barn dance. One of the local dance masters, Allen 
Ortep, composed a contra dance, where four dancers would balance in a circle, 
left foot then right foot, followed by shift/spin left one place. Allen and 
another local dance master both had interest in the same lady. To shorten a 
long story, Allen did not get the lady, and eventually stopped attending the 
Sudbury dances. His successful rival then composed a dance where four dancers 
balanced in a circle, right foot then left foot, followed by a shift/spin right 
one place, and named it petronella (spell petronella backwards to find out 
why). To honor these events, Sudbury MA was given the zipcode 01776. (Thanks to 
Don Veino for pointing out Sudbury's zipcode.)
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