At 11:54 AM 5/2/2006, Rickey wrote: Your question is a little vague, but here's my NSH opinion ... I think your question is not 'can the town support two dance series' but what makes a successful dance. I mean, in Atlanta, population of 3 million or so, we have a weekly dance that varies from 80-200 people, and a 2x a month series that gets 8-12 people. Huh. In Asheville, population of about 70K, they have a weekly dance that gets around 300, a weekly dance that gets 100-120, a monthly traditional squares dance and a monthly advanced dance. Not to mention Greenville, which is only 90 minutes away, which is once or twice a month. Can a town support two dance series? Depends upon the town. The energy of the area, the number of dancers, the number of nearby dances. I'd say the more dancing in the area, the more dances it can support. However, your real question (IMNSHO) is "how do I create a successful dance series?" I'm not certain of the answer. My suspicion is that people come to a dance that their friends come to. Once you have sufficient mass of friends, the dance sustains itself and the dancers keep coming back. Of course, to get the people to come to begin with you have all the standard variables that people think about: * venue - is it enticing and inviting; conducive to dance, have atmosphere; have safe and available parking; easy to find * organization - are the dancers welcoming and inviting to new dancers (this comes from the organizers, who set the tone); does the dance happen at a consistent location and time * talent - does the sound make the band and caller hearable, without screeches; is the caller friendly, and call dances that are successful with short walk thrus; is the music lively and driving? * frills - reasonable cost; potluck/food/snacks/water; childcare; etc Check out Larry Jennings books "Zesty Contras" and "Give and Take" for wonderful and rich (and dense) articles for dance organizers. However, I must stress - dance is a social event. People come for their friends. You can have big-name bands and callers, but those are short term effects. Dancers come to an event because their friends are going. ========================================================================= Seth Tepfer: Director of Administrative Computing & Innovative Technology Oxford College of Emory University - 770-784-8487 - labst(a)emory.edu For fast and easy computer help, try... <http://help.emory.edu>http://help.emory.edu Jex Raven Eidson Tepfer - Born 6/5/05 00:52! Say hi at: http://www.jexRaven.com/ ========================================================================= "A facility for quotation covers the absence of original thought." -Dorothy L. Sayers

Version 2 (yes, by Steve Schnur and Gene Hubert) is correct. I have danced Version 1 once or twice as called by others. I find it less enjoyable. I assume it started as an attempt to slightly simplify the dance, but I could be wrong about that. There are too many unknown variables to allow a definitive answer to your question about starting a new dance series. What positive benefits to the dance community are you seeking to create? Do you want to develop a very different dance series and attract a very different core group - for example, a family dance, or one specifically welcoming beginners, in a town that already supports an advanced dance - or do you want to sponsor more events of the existing type, that will attract the same dancers? Have you talked with the organizers of the existing dance series? Will you cooperate, or compete? Do you have the support of others who will actively assist your project? ... etc. ---------------------------------------------------- Robert Jon Golder 164 Maxfield Street robertgolder(a)comcast.net New Bedford, MA 02740 (508) 999-2486 voice