Re: [Organizers] Transition to ungendered dances

Hi Stan and other folks, Montpelier, VT, organizer here. We are in the process of transitioning to larks & ravens terms, and we'll be 100% larks & ravens by January 2020. This was a consensus decision made by the organizing committee in alignment with a LOT of feedback from the community. The committee started discussing a switch to gender-neutral terms in summer 2018, prompted by a thoughtful and impassioned letter from Aaron Marcus, a long-time Montpelier dancer and well-known musician who is also transgender. We planned a three-dance trial period for March 2019, with all three dances that month being larks & ravens. We started publicizing the trial at the end of December 2018, so dancers had lots of advance notice. We distributed surveys at those dances and asked for dancer feedback on the terms, and we welcomed additional feedback in person or by email. We also collected feedback at our first gents & ladies dance in April. You can see the results of the surveys here: https://www.facebook.com/montpeliercontradance/posts/2252984048081250. We also printed the charts and graphs on big posters and hung them up in our hall for all to review. Starting in July 2019, we are having most dances be called larks & ravens, and a few gents & ladies, tapering off (4 L&R, 3 G&L in the first three months, 5-6 L&R, 1-2 G&L in the second three months). The idea was to try and retain folks who might still be skeptical, and give them more opportunities to try it out. On reflection, I would have been in favor of a "cold-turkey" switch, but this way is OK, too, and was the compromise that all committee members could agree on. Attendance: We had very high attendance at the March trial dances. March is often a peak month for us, though, so it's hard to point to cause and effect. Anecdotally, right now, it seems like numbers are about the same as usual. We will be able to share some statistics comparing attendance to previous years at the end of the year. There are definitely queer dancers who were not coming before who show up to larks & ravens dances now. We would be happy to send you our surveys or share any other information that might be helpful. Just let us know. Thanks, Dana On Fri, Aug 9, 2019 at 10:17 AM Tampa Friends Of Old-Time Dance via Organizers <organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: -- Dana Dwinell-Yardley graphic design & layout Montpelier, Vermont 802-505-6639 danadwya(a)gmail.com pronouns: she/her/hers