[Organizers] Price

Hello, I'm new to this discussion board. I chair a group of 6 of us who organize the monthly Lenox Contra Dance, in Lenox, MA. (LenoxContraDance.org) Chris invited me to join when I was chatting with him at the Snowball in Peterborough, NH this past weekend. Price: Through last December we were charging $8- $10, dancer's choice, with $5 for "students"... which also gets extended to children, though I don't think we charge at all for young children. We're not trying too hard to define some of these categories because it's too rigid and we don't care that much. Starting with our dance this month (January) we've gone to a straight $10 (our hall rental took a bit of a jump with the new year, and another increase is scheduled for July.) I don't believe we had any complaints about the $10 price. We also have a residential facility in our area for adults who are making their way back into society, and we let both the residents and staff who accompany them in for the $5, but we don't advertise this. That's really just a community service. Just recently, as one of several efforts we're making to encourage new dancers, we've started advertising "New Dancers, 2nd dance free!". When someone shows up and says they're a new dancer, or the person at the door doesn't recognize them and asks if they are, and they answer "Yes", they write their name down on a list that we keep in the cash box. The next time they come all they need to do is say that this is their free dance, we find their name on the list and cross it off. We started doing this two dances ago, so we haven't seen any impacts as yet, but we've got about 16 people on the new dancer list. (If a new thread is started for welcoming new dancers, I'll add this, and other things we're doing.) Our objectives are primarily to keep the dance a bit more than solvent so we can carry some cash over to summer dances, which tend to run at a loss; to make our fixed expenses (hall, minimal insurance through CDSS, and snacks); and then to pay performers well. We have a formula for dividing up the gate to include each of these factors, and it seems to work pretty well. It would be nice to think that the money isn't important, but it is. A strong, healthy dance draws experienced and committed dancers as well as offering an opportunity for new dancers, encourages new performers as well as attracting solid performers, and provides a service to both the dance community and the area. The culture of our dance is still very much about our community and we don't turn someone away over money. But it is important to attend to it. Stephen Moore Lenox Contra Dance, Lenox, MA