You confirmed my suspicions. "Youth" isn't a monoculture that follows a single set of values. There are certainly youth communities that do strongly value gender-blind dancing, and they are probably the norm in the US Northeast, up into Canada, and perhaps many other regions. But, in some of the places where youth-plus dancing is strongest, the culture is quite different. I don't know if Hayley Smith is on this list, but there's some quite-bold, religious-traditionalist, young people dancing in large numbers, down South. I'm pretty sure I'd be having an easier time building our dance above 20 weekly participants if I were using traditional terms, including attracting and retaining more young dancers.
--jh-- On Thu, Nov 9, 2023 at 12:58 PM Heitzso via Organizers < organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > Joe, > > The young (under 30) Sautee Nacoochee contra dancers tend to dance as > gendered (not sure of my terminology) > Switching roles doesn't happen much there so it's something that would > tend to throw them. > I enjoy switching on every swing with partner and, at Sautee, I tend to > avoid that because > - my partner is likely not used to it (I ask first) > - high percentage of beginners come and I don't want to confuse them > (w/ vast majority dancing trad roles). > So, while I've done that at Sautee, it would be after the break and > with a partner who was comfortable with switching up. > > Probably more switching at Riverfalls Lodge (SC), but I haven't danced > there in awhile. > RFL used to be where all the hot college aged Asheville dancers went to > dance > and they would have been comfortable crossing up dance roles, though not > anywhere near the extent of, say, the Contracopia dancers in Philly. > Comfortable means not a big deal to switch up roles. > But, contrast w/ Philly Contracopia where maybe 20% cross role dancing at > any time. > > I haven't danced at OFB (near Asheville, NC, so not rural Georgia) since > before covid. > College where OFB dances is liberal. > I don't know what the current pattern is. I assume a little more > comfortable/likely > to cross dance than RFL. > > Joe, you know my wife, Jennifer Horrocks. Welcome to ask her or > have me reach out to SNCA or RFL organizers or friends we know who > regularly dance at OFB. This weekend is the Atlanta dance weekend. > I could ask around if you'd like for a more nuanced reply. > > -Heitzso > > Marie-Michèle, Hietzo, > > Marie-Michèle wrote: > > I haven't yet found a dance with a strong younger core where > male-presenting people almost all dance one role and female-presenting > people almost all dance the other, no matter what role names they use. > > Hietzo, do the rural Georgia dances with strong younger participation fit > this description? > > Thanks, > > --jh-- > > > > On Wed, Nov 8, 2023 at 11:15 AM Marie-Michèle Fournier via Organizers < > organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > >> I took over as main organiser in Montreal when I was in my late 30s and >> the people who decided to join the organizing committee after that were all >> my age or younger except one. Gradually after that, our age average became >> younger and younger, however part of that is unfortunately because we lost >> several older dancers. I don't know exactly what it is we did that made >> older dancers less likely to come back and younger dancers more likely to, >> except for being very strongly non-gendered, even before we switched to >> Larks and Robins after the pandemic. But I can tell you that I haven't yet >> found a dance with a strong younger core where male-presenting people >> almost all dance one role and female-presenting people almost all dance the >> other, no matter what role names they use. >> Marie-Michèle, Montréal, Québec, Canada >> >> On Wed, Nov 8, 2023 at 9:58 AM Joe Harrington via Organizers < >> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: >> >>> Is Will Loving in the house? Or anyone from the Amherst, MA, Wednesday >>> night contra? He was the ONLY person on the board over 30 in the years >>> after he founded it, and it was largely a college/post-college crowd, the >>> few times I was privileged to attend. He told me that was his formula. >>> Maybe he can give details. This was in the mid-2010s, I think. >>> >>> To me, there is a big difference between events run by and for younger >>> dancers and broad community events with a predominantly older crowd trying >>> to make up for our lame recruiting/retention efforts a few decades back, so >>> we can keep our dances from dying as we age out, or to bring some energy >>> into them, or out of some principle of inclusion. Or whatever our real >>> reasons are for focusing so heavily on recruiting younger dancers (which, >>> guilty, I do for their energy). >>> >>> --jh-- >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Wed, Nov 8, 2023 at 9:27 AM Chrissy Fowler via Organizers < >>> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: >>> >>>> Thanks Dana, for this reframing of the conversation! Shakes things up a >>>> bit in my mind. Love it. >>>> >>>> In Belfast ME, where our demographics have skewed toward a majority of >>>> dancers in teens-early 30s, we recruited board members in that age range >>>> because they already were the majority. (See >>>> https://www.belfastflyingshoes.org/board-of-directors) >>>> >>>> I’m curious what other organizers have experienced when they recruited >>>> people in teens/20s in order to increase that demographic among their >>>> dancers. >>>> >>>> Cheers, >>>> Chrissy Fowler >>>> Belfast ME >>>> >>>> >>>> <><><><><><> >>>> chrissyfowler.com <http://www.chrissyfowler.com> dance leadership >>>> westbranchwords.com <http://www.westbranchwords.com> academic >>>> transcription >>>> belfastflyingshoes.org <http://www.belfastflyingshoes.org> participatory >>>> dance & music >>>> ------------------------------ >>>> *From:* Dana Dwinell-Yardley via Organizers < >>>> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> >>>> *Sent:* Monday, November 6, 2023 11:13:16 AM >>>> *To:* A list for dance organizers <organiz...@sharedweight.net> >>>> *Subject:* [Organizers] Re: Attracting young dancers >>>> >>>> And I forgot to note that my dance is Montpelier, VT! >>>> >>>> On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 10:56 AM Dana Dwinell-Yardley < >>>> danad...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> I'm coming in late to this discussion with a thought from the Form the >>>> Ocean dance weekend in 2019. They held a community discussion at that >>>> weekend structured around the idea of starting at "Point D." As in, with >>>> big conversations in our communities, we so often churn round and round on >>>> points A, B, C: "how do we get more diversity?? we're so [white/old/middle >>>> class/etc]! but we need diversity!" >>>> >>>> What if, instead, we started at point D and bypassed those first few >>>> questions that we always start with? >>>> >>>> I would suggest that Point D for this conversation about young dancers >>>> might be: >>>> *"Our dance *already has* age diversity. How shall we be with the >>>> people already in the room?"* >>>> rather than scrambling to say "we need morrrrrrrrre young dancers!" >>>> >>>> I'm 36, an in-between sort of age in the contra dance world. I started >>>> dancing 19 years ago, when I was 17. I absolutely started dancing because >>>> it was a place to hang out with my friends. And, I could tell which adults >>>> would talk to me like I was a fellow dancer, and which ones talked to me >>>> like I was a Young Person. I still have friendships with the ones who >>>> treated me like a person to this day. >>>> >>>> Get to know your young dancers like you would get to know anyone else >>>> you don't know yet! Don't be overbearing! Be friendly, ask them to dance, >>>> learn about their lives, but also leave them alone to do their own thing >>>> and hang with their friends. Treat them like humans and not A Class of >>>> People We Need for Diversity. People can tell when they're being tokenized. >>>> >>>> (My friend group and I had an experience about 4-5 years ago at our >>>> local English dance where the dance organizers/regulars practically >>>> *pounced* on us as we walked in the door and were like "wow! young people! >>>> so nice to have young people! can we give you a discount? will you come >>>> back again? will you bring your friends?" and we were like "...um we're >>>> just here to English dance?" It was very off-putting and made us LESS >>>> likely to come back again!) >>>> >>>> I also have lots of thoughts about fostering a culture of consent, >>>> non-gendered role terms, young people on your organizing committee, etc, >>>> but I'll save them for another day! >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> Dana >>>> >>>> >>>> On Sun, Oct 29, 2023 at 10:55 AM Sandy Seiler via Organizers < >>>> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: >>>> >>>> Our community, like many others, has fewer young dancers than we would >>>> like. I am wondering how different factors influence that and what we can >>>> do. >>>> >>>> Does the night of the week matter? We dance on a Saturday night. >>>> Would Friday be better? >>>> >>>> Does frequency matter? We dance once a month? >>>> >>>> Does location matter? We have a college (University of Kansas KU) >>>> Would a dance location closer to or on campus matter? >>>> >>>> Are outreach strategies effective and what has your community found >>>> successful? >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> Sandy Seiler >>>> Lawrence, Kansas >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ > Organizers mailing list -- organizers@lists.sharedweight.net > To unsubscribe send an email to organizers-le...@lists.sharedweight.net >
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