We are pretty lenient about this. The fact these people have some interest in finding out who we are and what we do is like free publicity.
The musicians play for us at far below what they get in other venues - so we try to accommodate friends and family. If someone just happens to like the music and comes just to listen - we do charge them - explaining we need to be able to pay the band.
Always encourage someone to come in and see what we do - we might even coax them into one dance to give them a small sample. We work hard to get the word out - so we try not to discourage anyone who shows interest. In this case we usually have one or more dancers who will sit with them at times to explain everything and help them understand the difference in the watching experience vs the participation experience.
Yes - let parents in - we will even create a special group rate if they bring a lot of students (especially if they contact us in advance).
Basically - if we are not turning people away due to overcrowding, it costs us nothing to make these exceptions and they all have potential long term benefits.
Mac McKeever
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Jane Ewing via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
To: organizers@lists.sharedweight.net
Sent: Wednesday, June 8, 2016 8:41 AM
Subject: [Organizers] spectator - charge or not?