Greg from Winnipeg. While the contra community that I have been fostering here in Winnipeg is brand new, I have seen a drop in attendance from last year. Two contra evenings I organized had 50+ people in attendance last year. dropping to 20-30 this year. For the most recent one, I booked talent, Champion fiddler Patti Kusturok, and cut the price from 13 to 10 dollars. That bumped the attendance from the 20s into the 30s, but I'm not seeing 50s anymore.

The swing dance community has seen a drop as well, though I believe that is directly linked to an increased price in a new venue. I have heard people tend to come and leave early - that it lacks a certain enthusiasm.

Funnily enough, I myself have been coming late and leaving early from some other folk dance groups I'm a part of. ... Maybe if I ponder that enough, I will come up with the solution for everyone. General malaise? But otherwise, I feel the problems are social in nature. For example, people who have been coming to groups for a long time that feel that changes in standards are not in their taste or are having trouble getting to know new members. Or perhaps its the push to innovate and make things more exciting for current members or to attract new members... like new bands, new music, new figures, new progressions, new formations, new camps, new events. I feel it tends to make folk dancing more of a pop culture fad rather than a long-standing folk tradition that people can become a part of. I mean no offense to anyone, I think we've all put a lot of much-appreciated effort into making contra enjoyable. But maybe the increase in numbers was due to our much-appreciated efforts, and it's just running out of steam? English country dancing has existed for centuries without being so self-conscious - is rapidly evolving to meet the dancers' apparent desire for new-and-exciting the answer to our problems?

Thinking out loud,

Greg