We have had a continuous promotion here in San Diego where we give all first time dancers a free pass for the NEXT time they come. This has worked pretty well for us, and we do get people bringing those passes back for the second time free - and sometimes they use them to bring a free guest. It's an incentive for them to come back - and I think that if someone dances twice they may have a chance the second time when it is isn't as overwhelming to relax and to really really enjoy it. Overall we have kept this promotion going for about 2 years? now and feel it is successful enough to continue.
Martha
On Apr 8, 2014, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
>
> 2. "First Time Dancers Get in Free" Promotion (William Loving)
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2014 12:18:30 -0400
> From: William Loving <contact(a)dedicationtechnologies.com>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Creating a CDSS dance depository
> Message-ID:
> <425CC12F-4863-4A1B-B160-AC2D82D42924(a)dedicationtechnologies.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> "First Time Dancers get in Free" Promotion Results:
>
> For five weeks this winter we ran a special promotion at the Downtown Amherst dance that all First Time Contra dancers get in free. The results were impressive:
>
> Jan 29 -12
> Feb 26 - 10
> Mar 5 - 20
> Mar 19 - 8
> Mar 29 - 9
>
> Total new dancers: 59 Avg: 11.8 Median: 10
> Overall attendance was normal meaning the variations in "Free" numbers was not affected by the band as far as I could tell.
>
> Many of the new dancers said they would be back and in fact I saw quite a few of them both at subsequent dances in Amherst and at Greenfield. Some came early in the promotion and then brought friends the following week. Our organizing committee has discussed various options to draw new dancers, primarily "First Time Free" and "Second Time Free". The "Second Time Free" option gives you more feedback about how many returnees you are actually getting; the "First Time Free" simply lowers the bar to the ground and is harder to resist (friend to friend). (We also included the option for anyone who might have tried contra once or twice a long time ago to be considered "First Time" but I don't know that anyone came in saying that.)
>
> Our series averages 75-85 total each week with a range of 60-160 depending on the band. The median is definitely under 100 but has gradually increased over the last almost four years.
>
> I think the promotion was a tremendous success and we're having an ongoing discussion about whether to try "Second Time Free" for a while or just implement "First Time Free" periodically. For programming reasons, I don't think it makes sense to have it for every dance, especially dances that will be extremely full, such as if Elixir or PeM play or if it's a techno contra (which has other issues for beginning dancers). However, we might pick a month or a block of dates and do it again periodically.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Will
>
> Will Loving
> Founder & Programming Director
> Downtown Amherst Contra Dance
> http://amherstcontra.org
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>>
>>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 116, Issue 5
> ***************************************
Hi all
I have a question about two different styles of techno contra. The
question is mostly directed at folks who have done both, since I'm
curious about whether you have a preference and if so, why. Some techno
contras have continuous music -- the dancers just drop in or out at the
bottom whenever they feel like it, and the caller treats the night like
one long medley. The other kind is more like a regular contra. The
caller teaches a dance, the music starts, the dance runs for however
long it runs, and then it stops and folks re-partner for the next one.
As a dancer, which style do you prefer? How about as a caller?
Kalia
> Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2013 18:01:13 -0800
> From: Alan Winston <winston(a)slac.stanford.edu>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Fw: Creating a CDSS dance depository
> Message-ID: <52A918E9.6090708(a)slac.stanford.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> On 12/11/2013 5:35 PM, Chris Lahey wrote:
>> You're absolutely right that something like that could go up fairly
>> quickly. I'm just afraid that it would take away from the possibility
>> of something much more useful, though harder to obtain. I don't think
>> it's forking the discussion to discuss whether this is a good idea.
> Fair enough.
>
> I've witnessed a number of volunteer web things things that never got
> off the ground at all because the requirements snowballed to the point
> where it would be really hard to get started. I've now come around to
> the position that sometimes, given limited time and resources, and when
> one isn't working on life-critical projects, it's worth figuring out
> what the minimum effort to do something useful would be, with the idea
> that once something is useful it will be easier to find more resources,
> and if you get bogged down you've at least got something useful.
>
> So that's my bias in this discussion.
>
> -- Alan
Good point Alan.
It would be worth asking CDSS whether they are interested in officially supporting this effort in some way, perhaps even with resources - an intern??
Also it is worth thinking about the purpose of this database. I see two different distinctly different important ones:
- one is to provide a comprehensive historical archive of dances.
- the other is to provide good information to new callers to help them become better callers. I believe that Contra Dancing is going to get to be more popular and as a result there is going to be the need for more callers. A good database with demos, notations, etc. would help.
Compatibility with Caller's Companion would be valuable for this purpose.
Tica Tica Timing was written by our own Dean Snipes here in Charlotte NC. Glad to see it spreading across the country. It's a great dance.
Sent from my iPhone
> On Apr 4, 2014, at 12:00 PM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
>
> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
> callers(a)sharedweight.net
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> callers-request(a)sharedweight.net
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> callers-owner(a)sharedweight.net
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Looking for 2 dances (tallygal007)
> 2. Re: Looking for 2 dances (Linda Leslie)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 13:19:36 -0400
> From: tallygal007 <tallygal007(a)yahoo.com>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Looking for 2 dances
> Message-ID: <523ue89a7ai1cql18lpqbj0f.1396545576389(a)email.android.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> Would someone care to share with me the following 2 dances:
>
> Tika Tika Timing by Ron Buchanan and
> Old Time Elixir #2 by Linda Leslie
>
> Thank you!
>
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2014 13:29:08 -0400
> From: Linda Leslie <laleslierjg(a)comcast.net>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for 2 dances
> Message-ID: <C10E1B51-DE47-45EF-B9AD-CEEE978B13C5(a)comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed;
> delsp=yes
>
> Happy to give you the dance! I have Tika Tika Timing as being written
> by Dean Snipes...and not sure who wrote the dance first..
> Linda
>
> Old Time Elixir #2
> Linda Leslie
> Type: Contra
> Formation: Becket-CW
> Level: Easy
> Music: Ross? Reel, Frenchies
>
> A1 -----------
> Circle left three-quarters
> Neighbor Swing
> A2 -----------
> Right and left Through (or promenade)
> Ladies Chain (to partner)
> B1 -----------
> Ring Balance, Pet Twirl
> Ring Balance, Pet Twirl
> B2 -----------
> Partner Balance and Swing (look of the left diagonal for new cpl)
>
> Other Notes: Same dance written by Dean Snipes, and called Tica Tica
> Timing not sure who wrote their first.
>
>
>> On Apr 3, 2014, at 1:19 PM, tallygal007 wrote:
>>
>> Would someone care to share with me the following 2 dances:
>>
>> Tika Tika Timing by Ron Buchanan and
>> Old Time Elixir #2 by Linda Leslie
>>
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 116, Issue 1
> ***************************************
Hi All,
As probably most of you guessed, I errently sent my aunt's address. It
was intended for my family members. The perils of trying to do something
too quickly...
Sorry,
~erik hoffman
Would someone care to share with me the following 2 dances:
Tika Tika Timing by Ron Buchanan and
Old Time Elixir #2 by Linda Leslie
Thank you!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
