So what's the best way or ways to recruit younger dancers. We have a college community, or more than one, here. I have tried to think how to attract them but it all seems lame. The best I can come up with is a flash dance on common ground. The colleges aren't geared to our types of music or dance so it's hard to approach it from that aspect.
Ideas??? ~ When I dance, I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole, that is why I dance. ~Hans Bos~ ~ >________________________________ >From: Greg McKenzie <[email protected]> >To: Caller's discussion list <[email protected]> >Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 12:41 AM >Subject: Re: [Callers] Recruiting new dancers > >Thank You Richard for this topic. > >You did a great job of describing the situation. Word of mouth is key. All >of the other methods of "getting the word out" are ancillary at best and >should be regarded as serving to support the word of mouth effort. Flyers, >for example, are there to remind folks of what they heard from someone else >and substantiate the reference they have heard. This is one reason I think >flyers should be limited to only the vital information needed to >participate. Flyers work better when they do *not *attempt to persuade >anyone or tell them *why *they should attend. In a similar vein flyers >should also not attempt to describe or define the dance. Assume that the >reader has already heard about the dance from a friend or an acquaintance. > >Using some reverse psychology is important. If the reader thinks the flyer >is "begging" for new participants it can be a turn off. In this respect >small dances might consider setting an exclusive tone in the sense that it >is a "best kept secret" rather than a poorly attended dance. I have seen >this work for small dances in our area. When dancers "discover" a small >dance and view it as a private secret other dancers become very interested. >Some dancers will keep the secret for fear that lots of new people will >destroy the "charm" of the small dance. This also works for newcomers. > >You are absolutely correct about the role of young people. Here in Santa >Cruz, CA the area dance society has welcomed young people to become key >players in the dance community. Several are on the Board of Directors, >several are musicians at dances, and at least one is a caller. > >I don't, by the way, view this process as one of "recruiting" new dancers. >I view it as a way of opening the dance events to the wider community. That >is a different perspective. If we view the dance as a community social >event the goal shifts from one of attempting to convert newcomers into dance >enthusiasts to one of simply opening the dance to a more diverse and >interesting community of participants. An effort to "convert" people or >"get them hooked" requires too much energy and is not consistent with the >explicit message that "all are welcome" and "no experience is needed." > >- Greg McKenzie > > >On Wed, Sep 21, 2011 at 8:21 PM, Richard Hart <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Luke, >> >> While looking through old email messages, I found your query about new >> dancers and the thread of responses. I'd never read them until now (think I >> was away then), so forgive me my considerable delay in responding. I attend >> and call a number of dances in New Hampshire, and a few in Mass. and VT, as >> well. Some are fairly small, while others are much larger. Here are a few of >> my observations on this subject of attracting new dancers. >> >> 1. I have often asked new dancers how they heard about the dance and came >> to try it out. At least 95% of the time, the new dancers say that they came >> with a friend who recommended it to them. Most of the rest were existing >> dancers visiting or recently moved here from out of state, where they had >> danced before. >> >> 2. I don't know if I have ever head a new dancer say they came because of >> an ad in a newspaper, a poster in a store or library, or an announcement on >> the radio. A positive TV report, or front page newspaper report may bring a >> few, but those reports are usually few and far between. Word of mouth from >> existing satisfied dancers is really the primary way that new dancers arrive >> at out dances. >> >> 3. Because word of mouth is so important, small dances are already at a >> disadvantage because there are fewer dancers there who might bring friends. >> Children (and grandchildren) of existing dancers are sometimes the key to >> developing a group of younger dancers at a dance. This has often been the >> case here. >> >> 4. The biggest dances here are those that have attracted a lot of younger >> dancers (high school, college age, 20-somethings). Younger dancers almost >> always come with friends, or plan to meet them at the dance. Kids who are >> too young to drive will usually bring their parents or older siblings. >> Finally younger dancers always add a lot of energy to a dance. They almost >> always make a dance livelier and more attractive to other and older dances. >> It seems to be almost always the case that if you can get the younger dancer >> to come to a dance, others will follow. >> >> 5. So, how do you get the younger dancer to come to a dance, and keep them >> coming back? I think that one key is to help them think that the dance is >> THEIR dance. Let them join the band and play some of the music. Teach them >> to call, if they want to do that. Email them flyers to post at school or to >> give to friends. Ask them to design a flyer for the dance. Lower the price >> for students and kids, or make it free for those who bring a friend for the >> first time. Ask them what dances and tunes they prefer, and do those dances. >> >> 6. I think that some of our contra dances here are the first place where >> many teens speak with adults on an equal basis. It's a social situation >> where they have some control over what they do and what happens, perhaps the >> first in their lives. That is if the dance organizers allow them that >> control and also ask for their help in making the dance fun, and a success. >> If the caller or dance organizers appear more like a teacher or >> disciplinarian, they may not come back. >> >> 7. That said, we must also remind dancers, both young and old to keep >> things safe for all. Keep time with the music, and watch out for dancers who >> might be out of place, or a little slower , such as a young child, someone >> with an injury, or an older dancer. Don't talk down to the younger dances or >> single them out; simply remind everyone that we are there to have fun, and >> we must also watch out for the safety of others. That's all that's necessary >> 99% of the time. >> >> Finally, we hope to show how this has happened a number of times at one >> dance here as part of the retrospective at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy >> Weekend in January. Watch for a new website for the weekend shortly. >> >> Enough for now, >> Rich Hart. >> >> Luke Donev remarked on 4/29/2010 1:47 PM: >> >>> The post on walk-throughs for new dancers got me thinking about >>> recruiting new dancers. This straddles dance caller and dance >>> organizer, but I'd like to hear people's responses. >>> >>> I'm curious about people's experiences recruiting new dancers. I've >>> seen several dances that do a lower cost for first time dancers to try >>> to lower the barrier for entry. Has any group tried doing a coupon for >>> a discount when they come back a second time? >>> >>> I feel like the venues for dances are usually such that folks don't >>> randomly wander in. If folks show up for a first time, they've decided >>> to come (or were brought). Does knowing there is a discount for first >>> timers help make them come? When there is a discount, how often do the >>> first timers know that coming in? I'm pondering the scenario where you >>> charge full price for the first time, when they've committed to coming >>> out, and then give them a coupon to come back at a discount price >>> their second time. >>> >>> I know a lot of people who tried contra once and were hooked, and I've >>> seen people who try for a little bit and then never come back. Is it >>> worth trying to up the likelihood of a second experience, at what >>> fractional cost for the first? Or should the focus be on that first >>> experience, and making the barriers for entry as low as possible? >>> >>> If a group has the resources, then it can just say that the first two >>> dances are cheaper, but I feel like giving someone a reminder, >>> business card sized, with the website to check for more information, >>> is a nice way of having them think about the dance at least once more. >>> >>> Do callers doing one night gigs announce local dance options if they >>> know them? Or do you only talk about it with the folks who come up and >>> ask? Presumably if a caller has been brought in, the organizer of the >>> party knows the folks at the party and the local dance scene. Is it on >>> the caller or the organizer to spread information about other chances >>> to dance? And do you broadcast wide, or focus on the folks who seem >>> really in to it. I think culturally, at a societal level, we've lost >>> the sense that we can dance after our 20s at things besides weddings, >>> which is a real shame. >>> >>> -- >>> Luke Donev >>> http://www.lukedonev.com >>> [email protected] >>> ______________________________**_________________ >>> Callers mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://www.sharedweight.net/**mailman/listinfo/callers<http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers> >>> >>> >>> >> >> ______________________________**_________________ >> Callers mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://www.sharedweight.net/**mailman/listinfo/callers<http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers> >> >_______________________________________________ >Callers mailing list >[email protected] >http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > >
