Re: [Organizers] Organizers Digest, Vol 44, Issue 1

I have a question for you about developing a multi-generational dance series. I book for a series that the late Marianne Taylor ran for 22 years. It is not a predominately 'hot-shot' dance or a regional dance gypsy magnet, but we would like to attract more young dancers (read 12 - 42). I am proposing that we run a techno-dance for one of our monthly dances. I need to describe it to our current dancers and convince them to give it a try if it is going to be a success, although I have yet to attend one myself. Many organizers have the hope of building a multi-generational dance community and we have that same hope at the dance I am describing, but I wonder if that is reasonable. If organizing events that will appeal to younger dancers is going to drive away older dancers we will not be creating a tolerant, multi-generational, community. Your thoughts on describing techno to dancers who have never seen it (in a way that might intrigue them) and on the problem of developing a multi-generational dance community. Thanks, Rickey Holt, Fremont, NH ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 09:52:03 -0400 From: Jeff Kaufman <jeff(a)alum.swarthmore.edu> To: A list for dance organizers <organizers(a)sharedweight.net> Subject: Re: [Organizers] Building a multi-generational dance community Message-ID: <CAK36jCO2C93Pz5h=x1L5vHsJ2yFjbC5s0YodzWXJeJFex_QFyA(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 I'm not sure a techno dance would be a good fit for building attendance at your monthly series. The music and atmosphere are so different from what you usually feature that I don't think the enthusiasm would transfer well. If you do want to explain it to people, videos are pretty helpful. Here's one I took Saturday night at BIDA's Spark in the Dark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOf52FQRQoQ On Mon, Aug 26, 2013 at 9:39 AM, Rickey Holt <holt.e(a)comcast.net> wrote: years. multi-generational, community. ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 10:02:38 -0400 From: Dave Casserly <david.j.casserly(a)gmail.com> To: A list for dance organizers <organizers(a)sharedweight.net> Subject: Re: [Organizers] Building a multi-generational dance community Message-ID: <CAJkiw7w=GE32bAtqg7QLB=QCLB-nbOS+de6Qz_SPEcSzbw-gDQ(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi Rickey, I'm wondering why you think techno contra dances, put on by people who don't know anything about them, would attract a young crowd? It's true that techno contra dances tend to have a younger crowd, but in my view, that's largely because it's the younger crowd that puts them on and wants them in the first place. Having a techno contra simply to attract younger folks might, at most, attract some out-of-towners, but I'm not sure it's a good way to appeal to a younger crowd that will keep coming to your regular dances. As a younger dancer, the things that attract me most to a dance, other than the crowd that already attends and the band, are location and affordability. I've had leadership positions in several dances over the past decade, and the easiest way to attract young people to your dance is to locate your dance near where a bunch of young people live. Often that's in city neighborhoods that are easily accessible by transit, or at or within walking distance of college campuses. People often say that ridesharing and other ideas like that can be helpful; in my experience, they aren't very effective. Unless a lot of people I know and like are going to a dance, I'm just not going to go to it if it requires driving to get there. I agree in full with what Jeff says. I'm wondering where the idea for a techno contra comes from. Is it something the few younger dancers in your community have been clamoring for? If so, it might be worthwhile to do it, if they think they'd be able to convince their friends to come to one. Otherwise, while a techno contra might be fun, I don't think expecting it to lead to more younger dancers at your monthly dance is entirely realistic. -Dave On Mon, Aug 26, 2013 at 9:39 AM, Rickey Holt <holt.e(a)comcast.net> wrote: years. > It is not a predominately 'hot-shot' dance or a regional dance gypsy > magnet, but we would like to attract more young dancers (read 12 - > 42). I am proposing that we run a techno-dance for one of our monthly > dances. I need to describe it to our current dancers and convince them > to give it a try if it is going to be a success, although I have yet > to attend one myself. > Many > organizers have the hope of building a multi-generational dance > community and we have that same hope at the dance I am describing, but > I wonder if that is reasonable. If organizing events that will appeal > to younger dancers is going to drive away older dancers we will not be > creating a tolerant, multi-generational, community. > -- David Casserly (cell) 781 258-2761 ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Organizers mailing list Organizers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers End of Organizers Digest, Vol 44, Issue 1 ***************************************** _______________________________________________ Organizers mailing list Organizers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers