Go with Playford. It may be a shallow learning curve for both of you. Doing things together and oxytocin - and all that.
Avoid anything with the word zesty in it.
As a keen ceilidhnaut I regard contra as more sedate but that may be the way we do contra in the UK.
We do French & Breton and the Breton Hanter Dros, and Andros are easy on the body (think snakes/sedate farendole) though some like Kost ar c'Hoat require a plenty of agility.
Once a year there is a Swedish dance we go to and they do a sedate farendole that I describe as a limping dance - having said that most Swedish and French nights involve a lot of partner: watltz, schottishe, polka etc but if you don't mind waiting for the slower farendoles and maybe a Rondo - worth a thought.