Re: [Organizers] dance in transition

Gale, I'm not sure that I can give you good advice about building a dance series, since Mill City is still struggling. I think that I can guess which series you're talking about, but we'll leave that out for now. I can, however, talk a little bit about how I ran the series and how I handed it off to a new group of organizers. Alan's suggestion that the current organizer be the town liaison if no one else can be found is a very good one. David also made some very good points. I, too, tried a broad appeal for help in running the series last Spring. It didn't work. What did work was face to face discussion. You need to ask people to become involved directly. By making a personal request, it's much more difficult for them to turn you down. I chose people who were regulars and seemed to have a commitment to the dance and a good attitude about the community. If they do turn you down, ask them to make suggestions about others who might be interested and recruit them to help you find people who will help. Some other thoughts: If you can't afford the "flashy" talent that draws from far away, then look for the exciting up and coming talent. They're usually hungry for venues to gain experience and hone their performances. Keep an eye on the other dances in your area to see who they are hiring. Dance in as many places as you can. I found musicians through friends, at festivals and just by talking with strangers during the break in a dance. Go up and talk to musicians at the dances you attend and let them know that you organize a dance and ask to exchange contact info. Look for the people sitting in the back of the hall, playing quietly with the music to practice. You mentioned that it was a community dance but also mentioned that it was failing to draw dancers from more than an hour away. The organizer(s) needs to decide what kind of dance they want to create. The hard core dancers who would travel far for a dance are not going to do it for a community dance. Making a decision about what kind of dance it will be will go far in deciding what needs to be done to build attendance. Creating a "flashy" dance means investing (out of pocket) in a few of those bands/callers that will draw the crowds. This is financially risky, but can be done. Creating a community dance means advertising to non-dancers in the area. Schools, churches, social clubs, colleges are all fair game. It's important to remember that people attend a dance not only because they enjoy the activity, but to see and socialize with their friends. The core group of dancers are the ones who need to spread the word and bring new people to the dance. Word of mouth will be the most powerful advertisement you can get. If the dance is scheduled on a day that conflicts with another dance of the same type (either community or flashy) that is close by, then consider changing the date (no matter who was there first). If a community dance is up against a "flashy" dance on the same night, then it gives people a choice and an opportunity to dance the way they wish. But if there are two community dances close by on the same night, then both are going to suffer. Hope this has helped. Chris Weiler Goffstown, NH Gale T. Wood wrote: