14 Mar
2023
14 Mar
'23
2:57 p.m.
I think we're doing about all we can to get them there at 7, but I'm eager
for ideas. Here's maybe too much detail on what we do, and the result,
thoughts welcome, especially if you get better results. But, we used to
get worse, so this may be about as much as we can expect.
Our website (contraknights.org) and socials (Contra Knights on FB, IG,
Discord, all linked from the website if you want to check them out) say the
doors open at 6:30 and the dance runs 7-10:30, starts with a lesson for new
dancers, and has open dancing starting around 7:30. It requests new
dancers to show up in time to start dancing at 7:00, and in one place uses
boldface and the word "sharp". I want to encourage experienced dancers to
come at 7 but not require it, as some in our student group weren't coming
at all when we presented the dance as starting at 7 and then spent 30
minutes in the lesson. They told us that was why. Now some come at 7:30
or even 8, but with a good attitude, and enough show up at 7.
Perhaps more importantly, when we talk to dancers about bringing new
people, we emphasize the need to bring them in time to start at 7. We
especially do this after dances when we have a big bunch come in at 7:30 or
later and confuse the dance (we're small, so four newbies showing up at
7:30 might be 20% of the group). We do this in the Discord server for the
student club and in discussion in the break and after. On socials for the
open dance, I'll sometimes say, be sure to bring those newbies in time for
the lesson at 7. The organizers are divided about whether to encourage a
newbie to come late if the alternative is not coming at all. I think the
answer is one or two, yes, bigger groups, no. A larger dance can absorb a
bigger group of newbies. One newbie per minor set is a good rule of thumb
for rapid integration into the dance. Since we start out with half
newbies, more walking in after the workshop is a real challenge to us.
We do encourage experienced dancers to dance with newbies, especially
early. Again, if we require it, some of the experienced dancers won't
come, as this means they'll never get to dance with each other, given our
50%.
Of course, it always has to be said positively and inclusively, as in, so
WE'll all feel comfortable and dance well together when the regular dancing
starts at 7:30, never, so THEY don't mess us up! A reason doesn't need to
be given, but in conversational contexts like social media I think it helps
sometimes. It's rare to be in a context where no newbies can hear!
This gets about a third to half the newbies actually there at 7, and most
by 7:15 or so. Some still walk in late. A decent number of people who
have been at least once also come at 7, and by 7:30 about half our
experienced dancers are dancing in the workshop. They know (and we tell
them, again informally) that their participation in the workshop helps the
newbies learn faster, especially the swing, and makes the dance better.
Our ads say, "Join us for high-energy dancing", "inclusive community",
and
"beginners welcome". We had "all dances taught" and others in the
past but
simplified it. I think that if you emphasize the teaching and simplicity
too much, you're telegraphing that it isn't easy (shades of a bank
president saying, "we're fully capitalized" out of the blue last week! what
more terrifying words can you hear from your bank?). People go to social
events for fun and social interaction, so we try to emphasize those. We
also have a friendly cartoon that visually telegraphs the joy of dancing
together as the centerpiece of all our ads. I think photographs have a
harder time doing this, except perhaps the very best.
Here's the text in one of our Facebook events:
[picture with cartoon, encouraging words, and website]
[when-where-etc in standard FB event format]
This event is for EVERYONE: beginner, experienced, old, and young. Click
GOING!
Celebrate St. Patrick's with LIVE MUSIC by McIntyre and calling by Joe
Harrington! McIntyre is Lisa McIntyre on guitar, George Houston on
percussion, Terry Henson on bass, and Sharon Hartmann on hot Irish fiddle.
We'll be in the new Winter Park Ballroom Dance Company, just 15 minutes
from UCF and right next to Jeremiah's Italian Ice (we'll go there after).
Bring friends or come alone and make some. Wear some GREEN! (But absolutely
no pinching allowed!)
What is contra? Where do I park? See: https://contraknights.org/
<https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcontraknights.org%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2YjzgCqg-ubXd4uuYz16feGxpwB2WwLhc7eD_mgeOPidAX7zCoKAL9B9o&h=AT3Y93q_3NGKMQmfyvGwGSt5zy9UKkw8AjDMS0QehY8MVFZXIy1S0a-RrR9sibKy2JCiKCq0lD5fezTgamBHRHxI1W0nymFmVNlu287t-LdtHQ7Xwahn_vwrq68q&__tn__=q&c[0]=AT3nOUOzdcFcBIC1vSnvhz2dLVsi_-pPPe4gc4ghgLdTDyYzRxI5knKziJH8lddLkVtskc8MUwbzQ4gGXhuVClHzfoGPVLoemKS6D1zwz1eC6EY0NjET35swoBxGCuPrLKA>
for videos, a parking map, and more.
No partner or experience required. Dances start easy and get more
challenging as the evening progresses. Beginners should definitely come for
the lesson before the dance starts.
SCHEDULE:
6:30 Doors open
7:00 Beginner lesson (everyone can join)
7:30-10:30 Dance!
Admission is $15. Students are FREE!
Contra dance is great exercise and loads of fun besides, so bring a water
bottle and dress for cardio!
Click "Going" and we'll see you there!
Feedback welcome!
--jh--
On Tue, Mar 14, 2023 at 9:29 AM Sandy Seiler via Organizers <
organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Could you specifically address my question of how to
get new dancers to
show up on time for the lesson? I think it would be ok to advertise the
event as starting at 7:00 with lesson (or basic moves instruction) in the
first half hour. I feel like when new people come at 7:00 and experienced
arrive at 7:30 that already sets the newbies up as "a tribe apart". We
need to get as many as possible there at 7:00 to integrate and socialize.
Thoughts?
On Tue, Mar 14, 2023 at 6:50 AM Mary Collins <nativedae(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Alexander- oops...while we are not specifically
gender free, we strive
for it in a very very conservative group of older dancers. I am scheduled
to meet with our web person soon and will adress verbage. Thanks for this
info.
On Mon, Mar 13, 2023, 4:34 PM Alexandra Deis-Lauby <adeislauby(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
> Mary,
>
> Is the Buffalo dance gender free? The website tells callers to use
> gents and ladies. If the dance is in fact gender free, then the website
> needs updating. If you are advertising the dance as gender free but use
> gents and ladies, that would certainly not encourage me to return if I were
> a new dancer.
>
>
>
> On Mar 13, 2023, at 3:54 PM, Mary Collins via Organizers <
> organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Watching this as we have the same issue. We are (I believe) the 2nd
> largest city in NYS and have the most pitiful turnout.
>
> I think you have some good ideas here.
>
> One comment: we often or even always speak about our dance not only
> gender free, no partner necessary to bring, but also as no lessons needed,
> each dance being taught and "walked through". Then we advertise "the
> lesson" b4 the dance. If words matter (and I think we agree they do) the
> this is a huge contradiction.
>
> I say to people these sets of words & phrasing: easy, walking to music,
> Only 8 steps, no need to bring partner but a friend is fun, dances are
> taught, practiced (stole from country line dance & swing) and then they are
> prompted once the music starts. We offer basic move instruction rather than
> lesson.
>
> I don't really know if these changes help, hinder or have no effect. I
> only know that not having a friend anchor for the first few dances would
> have resulted in my not coming back. The lesson too. But that's just my
> perception.
>
> We give out "get in free" cards and encourage ppl to share theirs with a
> friend. I also encourage people who say "I told my friends...", to next
> dance offer to pick them up or meet b4 and come together.
>
> We also encourage experienced dancers to partner with new dancers.
>
> I am anxious to hear other's ideas.
>
> Mary "from Buffalo", not.
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 13, 2023, 12:49 PM Sandy Seiler via Organizers <
> organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> Newbies are not returning my thoughts...
>> Why? not feeling welcome?, feeling intimidated/too hard? Coming late
>> to lesson and being lost/confused during dance? Lack of feeling of
>> mastery/learning? Need follow up lesson since we only dance 1x/month? One
>> month is a long time to wait for another lesson. Not enough younger
>> dancers like themselves?
>> Ideas:
>> 1. Use beginner friendly buttons
>> 2. Ask experienced dancers to dance with beginners for first 2 dances
>> at least. Board members lead by example.
>> 3. Encourage experienced dancers to come for the beginner lesson to
>> welcome/socialize with new dancers.
>> 4. Have caller or one of us give out free passes (pass for next dance)
>> at the lesson so we don't have to remember to do it at the table. We gave
>> out 15 free passes to new dancers in Feb and did not get any to return in
>> March. (March dance was on 2nd sat instead of our normal 3rd sat and it's
>> spring break. Feb attendance 61, March 38 (paid dancers, not including 3
>> listeners). Also there was a local magazine article about LBDA in February
>> and we had our most experienced and popular contra dance band (Kaw Creek)
>> playing.
>> 5. Our Lesson is at 7:00, Dance 7:30. Should we use start time 7:00 in
>> advertising bc experienced dancers will figure it out and adjust to coming
>> at 7:30 more easily than new people knowing they need to come at 7:00 for
>> the lesson. New people attending and being on time for 7:00 lesson is
>> important for a smooth dance so do we need to advertise that way? Want
>> experienced dancers to be there to meet and socialize with them so they can
>> be better integrated into the community and not feel so awkward. I have
>> suggested this to our board before, but was told that would be manipulative
>> toward experienced dancers who would be upset that they came too early and
>> wasted their time. That feels like a very unwelcoming attitude, and I
>> would like to encourage all our dancers to consider that 7:00 is our start
>> time because beginners are important and we need to be there to greet them
>> and socialize.
>> 6. Schedule a 1 hour lesson or series of lessons led by experienced
>> callers Lisa and or Jill and a couple new callers... before the dance? On
>> a different day? Through Parks and Rec this summer?
>> 7. New dancers are far outnumbering experienced dancers. Need to do
>> advanced dance to pull back in some dancers who drifted away after the
>> pandemic. Contact individually by phone/email?
>>
>> And then getting younger people to attend is a whole other but strongly
>> related topic we need to address more effectively. We are not getting
>> enough young people at dances. It appears to me that when a young person
>> comes they often decide to not return because there aren't enough people in
>> their age group.
>>
>> Please tell me if you like/encourage these ideas I have come up with so
>> far and add others.
>> Especially I want to know how to get new people to come on time for the
>> lesson.
>> Is it ok to advertise dance for 7:00 even though first 30 minutes is
>> lesson? It's frustrating for our callers and then they don't get a full
>> lesson which is not good for anyone.
>>
>>
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