Chiming in briefly from Ottawa.

We usually have about 110 paid attendees and our first four dancers were all in the 80s.  A big hit for us. Our last dance was better but 'tis worrying. Especially if a bigger trend.

We don't think it's related to the talent as we have a diverse lineup that isn't unlike other years.

And while the political situation is on the mind of many up here, my doubt is that is having an effect.

We too are thinking of writing a carefully worded email to our community encouraging them to come out more often + bring friends (+ tips on how to do that effectively as we already encourage bringing firiends but doing that is an art). We were thinking of sending the email (if we do) over the holidays along with some youtube clips of the dances.

We're also starting to push other outreach strategies we haven't used in a while.

Glad you brought this up Marie-Michele and looking forward to more voices on this subject as it's such an important one!

Emily





On Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 10:02 AM, via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
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Today's Topics:

   1. Lower attendance this year?
      (Marie-Mich?le Fournier via Organizers)
   2. Re: Lower attendance this year? (Paul Pindris via Organizers)
   3. Re: Lower attendance this year? (David Kirchner via Organizers)
   4. Re: Lower attendance this year? (Dan Pearl via Organizers)
   5. Re: Lower attendance this year? (Mary Collins via Organizers)


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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2016 08:17:34 -0500
From: Marie-Mich?le Fournier via Organizers
        <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Shared Weight Organizers <Organizers@sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Organizers] Lower attendance this year?
Message-ID:
        <CADbbneZQ_QVp+xTzcg=NZP8jztPhvBX8koL+=WpCrrPtL=0xjw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Hi all,
    Both Montreal and Ottawa have seen lower attendance this fall and we
got word that it's similar in Brooklyn. Are any other local dances seeing
this too? Any idea what might be causing this? Since it happens to both
Canadian and American cities I doubt it's the political climate.
Thanks,
Marie
ContraMontreal
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2016 08:25:00 -0500
From: Paul Pindris via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Marie-Mich?le Fournier <mariemichele.fournier@gmail.com>
Cc: Shared Weight Organizers <Organizers@sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Organizers] Lower attendance this year?
Message-ID:
        <CAFwDPfi+CW0c6EniQC-+d3oEJ_O-4jXbeENj0mMmtM=jSBOTfQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

This is astonishing information, as attendance at my dance in Deerfield, NH
is down as much as 50% from its peak last season. The reason or reasons are
unclear. If the poor attendance continues it potentially jeopardizes the
long-term viability of this decades-old event.

Paul Pindris
Deerfield, NH

On Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 8:17 AM, Marie-Mich?le Fournier via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Hi all,
>     Both Montreal and Ottawa have seen lower attendance this fall and we
> got word that it's similar in Brooklyn. Are any other local dances seeing
> this too? Any idea what might be causing this? Since it happens to both
> Canadian and American cities I doubt it's the political climate.
> Thanks,
> Marie
> ContraMontreal
>
> _______________________________________________
> Organizers mailing list
> Organizers@lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/organizers-sharedweight.net
>
>
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2016 07:55:01 -0600
From: David Kirchner via Organizers
        <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Shared Weight Organizers <Organizers@sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Organizers] Lower attendance this year?
Message-ID:
        <CACj4M6WHeCh_DuZfXPGb_fq-O=6Hf+8=cjLoQvMLX-uahFOiSg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Attendance is holding reasonably steady here in Minneapolis-St. Paul. I
think we've had a long-term decline from where we were 6-7 years ago, but
certainly nothing like a 50% drop in a year's time. - David

On Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 7:25 AM, Paul Pindris via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> This is astonishing information, as attendance at my dance in Deerfield,
> NH is down as much as 50% from its peak last season. The reason or reasons
> are unclear. If the poor attendance continues it potentially jeopardizes
> the long-term viability of this decades-old event.
>
> Paul Pindris
> Deerfield, NH
>
> On Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 8:17 AM, Marie-Mich?le Fournier via Organizers <
> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>     Both Montreal and Ottawa have seen lower attendance this fall and we
>> got word that it's similar in Brooklyn. Are any other local dances seeing
>> this too? Any idea what might be causing this? Since it happens to both
>> Canadian and American cities I doubt it's the political climate.
>> Thanks,
>> Marie
>> ContraMontreal
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Organizers mailing list
>> Organizers@lists.sharedweight.net
>> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/organizers-sharedweight.net
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Organizers mailing list
> Organizers@lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/organizers-sharedweight.net
>
>
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2016 13:55:29 +0000 (UTC)
From: Dan Pearl via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
To: "organizers@lists.sharedweight.net"
        <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Organizers] Lower attendance this year?
Message-ID: <1266869830.725605.1481032529080@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

My home dance on Thursdays in Concord MA has been way below average since the summer.?

I heard that the Amherst MA is needing to revise its pay schedule down due to reduced income.
The Canadian data puts a torpedo in my previous theory that this is a Trump-related effect.
Could it be that there are too many dances for the population?? Is this Great Contra Collapse of 2016?







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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2016 10:02:01 -0500
From: Mary Collins via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Paul Pindris <moonlightgraham2@gmail.com>
Cc: Shared Weight Organizers <Organizers@sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Organizers] Lower attendance this year?
Message-ID:
        <CAB0qS-znr7dW+VkjzZzjnaT0cRq1atqmvBhpBvwQx0cr_LTOng@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Buffalo attendance has been down as well, however the last dance was up a
bit.  Many of our long-time good dancers are not coming.  A suggestion has
been made that the board contact them individually to discuss their MIA
status, we have not made a decision as how to approach this as yet.

I do know that in some cases there are "opposing" great events on our dance
nights and we loose our out-of-towners (those that travel to our dance) to
those.  There have been some family illnesses, travel etc. that have
effected us as well.

One question that has come up among organizers and I wonder if others have
had similar thoughts...is a particular band or caller keeping folks away?
thoughts?

Mary Collins, QCCD.org

?Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass ... it's about learning
to dance in the rain!? ~ Unknown

On Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 8:25 AM, Paul Pindris via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> This is astonishing information, as attendance at my dance in Deerfield,
> NH is down as much as 50% from its peak last season. The reason or reasons
> are unclear. If the poor attendance continues it potentially jeopardizes
> the long-term viability of this decades-old event.
>
> Paul Pindris
> Deerfield, NH
>
> On Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 8:17 AM, Marie-Mich?le Fournier via Organizers <
> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>     Both Montreal and Ottawa have seen lower attendance this fall and we
>> got word that it's similar in Brooklyn. Are any other local dances seeing
>> this too? Any idea what might be causing this? Since it happens to both
>> Canadian and American cities I doubt it's the political climate.
>> Thanks,
>> Marie
>> ContraMontreal
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Organizers mailing list
>> Organizers@lists.sharedweight.net
>> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/organizers-sharedweight.net
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Organizers mailing list
> Organizers@lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/organizers-sharedweight.net
>
>
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