Yes, it's a re-hash, with a marketing twist. That I recall, I haven't seen any data from young people that says they won't show up if there is a masking policy. BIDA has a demographic with a higher percentage of young dancers than other local dances, and they still have a masking policy after their survey.
Some thoughts about a mixed masked/non-masked dance: People who show up to a mixed masked/not masked dance aren't going to reveal any information about people who don't show up to masked/not-masked dances. As an aside, it's like how restaurants used to have a no smoking section, when the rest of the restaurant was smoking. We all share the air, even when we're wearing masks on. On Tue, Jan 3, 2023, 6:21 PM Joe Harrington via Organizers < [email protected]> wrote: > While I'm happy to comply with any COVID policy in order to dance, and I > choose to wear a mask at bigger events, I question whether the contra > communities' strict policies are doing us much good, either in protecting > us medically or in getting dances going again. Consider: > > 1. Even in the most restricted states (New England, etc.), nearly everyone > is maskless nearly all the time in normal life, including most dancers. > People eat in very crowded restaurants, ride public transportation, fly on > airplanes, sit in airports, go shopping, work, attend school, do sports, go > to the gym, sing, interact with friends and family members who have been > out in the community maskless, etc., mostly without masks. > > 2. As a result of #1, covid is spreading quite effectively in our > communities, even if a few groups are still masking. > > 3. As a result of #2, protocols at a dance cannot much alter community > spread rates, even if the dance spread rate were zero. > > But, this isn't concerning most people because: > > 4. Vaccines do keep nearly every infected person out of the hospital and > reduce long covid. > > 5. For those going to the hospital or suspected to be at risk, monoclonal > and other treatments are quite effective. > > 6. As a result, the mortality of covid-19 is now down to three times that > of a bad flu season, which is way down from the mass carnage of 2020. > > It is questionable what anything but masking is doing for us: > > 7. Unmasked contra dancing, even with a vaccine and negative test, does > lead to rapid covid spread. Several camps in summer 2022 had 50+ infected > dancers, even though they were all vaccinated and all had tested negative > on arrival. The incubation period and false-negative rate are enough to > allow one or two cases through, and the vaccine no longer keeps you from > getting it, it just dramatically reduces severity. > > Since: > > 8. Even in the most conservative, vaccine-averse Southern communities, > 90+% of contra dancers at big events say they are vaccinated (per survey at > Summer Contradancers Delight Holiday in Tennessee). > > 9. Choosing to wear a mask remains an option for everyone, and is quite > effective at keeping the wearer healthy, though it is not foolproof (but > neither is life). > > And: > > 10. People have options for recreational and social activities, and many > are choosing those with fewer or no restrictions, especially young people > who don't have much personal risk from covid. > > 11. Essentially all other organized dance communities besides > contra/English/etc. are dancing without restrictions on a national level, > and have been since early 2022: Square, swing, blues, ballroom, salsa, > tango, etc. > > It may therefore be time for communities to reconsider absolute > restrictions, and instead encourage vaccination and mask-wearing as > effective ways to stop the spread of diseases like covid, but also the flu, > RSV, and other pathogens. > > People can still (and I do) choose to wear masks if they are concerned > about getting covid. The idea of reducing spread at dances would be a good > one if the rest of society were playing along. But, it isn't. When I was a > teen, I boycotted China. China didn't change. > > Communities with a large component of at-risk dancers who mask in general > life and who are vaccinated may wish to continue requiring vax+mask. In > areas with many dancers, two dances, one requiring masks and one > mask-optional, may make the most sense. > > I am especially concerned at the reduced percentage of younger dancers I > have seen at recent events. While it seemed, prepandemic, that there was a > nascent resurgence in the popularity of contra among the current > twentysomethings, few of the young dancers I used to see are showing up to > dances post-covid. When I go to swing and blues, there are lots of younger > dancers. I am certain that if we required masks at my college contra > dance, students would just go to ballroom, salsa, or swing. > > If we want to get contra going again, and especially if we want to attract > many new younger dancers, who are not worried that getting covid represents > a big risk to them and who have plenty of unrestricted options in > recreational activities, perhaps it's time not to ask, "does this policy > stop covid from transmitting at our dance," but rather, "does this policy > significantly lower the total covid risk our dancers face?" > > I argue that strict policies no longer do that, given our behavior in > society. Nonetheless, those of us who are concerned can still choose to > reduce our own risk substantially by being vaccinated and wearing a > well-fitting KN95 or better mask whenever we are in a crowd, including at > dances, without requiring it of others. I do. > > Thanks, > > --jh-- > Joe Harrington > Organizer, Greater Orlando Contra Dance > Faculty Advisor, Contra Knights, the UCF contra dancing club > contraknights.org > FB, Ig: Contra Knights > [email protected] > > _______________________________________________ > Organizers mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >
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