I had this same problem a couple years back in Chicago - un-airconditioned hall with bad circulation and an old-time band with one speed: too fast. Anyway, I ended up looking for dances where the 1s did something and then the 2s did something (Dog Branch Reel, Bob Dalsemer; The Three Hats, Tom Hinds; A Pocketful of Rye, Bob Isaacs). I noticed that dancers were more likely to dance every other dance, too, so if you pick a dance where the women stand around a lot, and then follow it with one where the men stand around a lot (for example), people might only dance one of those anyway. Maybe see if you can get some folks to go in on fruit popsicles or watermelon for the break? Watermelon seems especially summery and festive (and is usually cheap!)
Here's a couple of things I found in my box that might be fun: Radioactive Reel, by Bob Nisbet (I think I would run this for a short time and introduce it humorously.) A1: Actives do si do neighbor Actives do si do partner A2: Actives gypsy neighbor Actives gypsy partner B1: Actives go down outside, come back up, lead into center, start .... B2: hey for four. Hands Off, It's Hot in Here, by Steve Holland A1: Neighbor do si do Neighbor gypsy 1.5x A2: Men pass left to start half a hey Neighbor swing B1: Ladies cross the set Partner swing B2: Right and left thru Promenade clockwise in own group of four, three places, pass thru to next neighbor. Meg
