[Organizers] Re: Performer "Testing to Unmask" Policy Timing

2022-12-21 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
I'd like to suggest that, perhaps orgs should consider a second change (for those that don't already): When a positive case is reported to a dance org a few days after a dance (and thus in a contagious window) perhaps _all dancers_ should be encouraged to rapid test, and not merely people who show

[Organizers] Re: Performer "Testing to Unmask" Policy Timing

2022-12-21 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
Dances with vax+mask policy I know offhand with no reported spreads, despite a culture of "please test if you feel ill, please tell us, and we will tell dancers": Greenfield, MA BIDA, MA Concord, MA Downtown Amherst Contra, MA Rainbow Contra in Western Mass Pioneer Valley's ECD Montpelier, VT (I b

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to end COVID restrictions at most contra dances?

2023-01-03 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
Didn't we just have an email thread that listed out literally dozens of dances with n95 mask policies and zero outbreaks, while we see spread of covid at other dances? As Mac wrote, numbers are going up. They haven't actually gone down since April. It's working, and, in New England, we're seeing

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to end COVID restrictions at most contra dances?

2023-01-03 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
Ha. "Queer" not "queen", but, for some folks, may be same diff. :) J On Tue, Jan 3, 2023, 7:31 PM Julian Blechner wrote: > Didn't we just have an email thread that listed out literally dozens of > dances with n95 mask policies and zero outbreaks, while we see spread of > covid at other dances?

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to end COVID restrictions at most contra dances?

2023-01-04 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
What Perry wrote. Can we please back any medical claims contrary to established, well-reported media, with hard evidence, please? There have been many studies showing how masks protect others better than it protects you. I think most of us would prefer Shared Weight not be a place for unfounded

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to end COVID restrictions at most contra dances?

2023-01-06 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
Question for anyone with the "you will alienate someone" or "everyone has a different level of risk" mindset: In other areas of life, do you consider someone's personal preference (like not wearing a mask) the same as someone's health needs (like having a health condition, or a family member who do

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to end COVID restrictions at most contra dances?

2023-01-10 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
I'd be interested in organizers policies in terms of acquiring data. For example, most masked dances I know do a combination of: - proactively asking dancers to test if they have any symptoms (some as long as 10 days) - proactively asking dancers to report positive results - requiring tests for en

[Organizers] Re: Need ideas/feedback about how to get new dancers to return

2023-03-15 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
Lots of good suggestions from a lot of people. I think I can boil down success keeping new dancers to: 1. Listen to youth, put then on your committee, and implement their suggestions. 2. Have a written values statement, which all of your other policies follow. 3. Make it clear you want to hear fro

[Organizers] Re: Need ideas/feedback about how to get new dancers to return

2023-03-16 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
ey can make their own mistakes, without making more work for people on > the committee. If they want to make their new dance gender-free, half > squares, all open bands + open calling, or something else that might get a > lot of pushback at an existing dance, they can just go ahead and do

[Organizers] Re: Where is your home dance, etc? Need ideas/feedback about how to get new dancers to return

2023-03-16 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
they are from or where their home dance is? > > That type of information is useful or at least interesting to many of us > > Thanks > Paul Rosenberg > Albany, NY > www.homespun.biz > *Joy Through Traditional Dance & Live Fiddle Music* > 518-482-9255 > > >

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

2023-04-07 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
All of my immune-compromised friends are still masking and still not able to enjoy the things so many people are taking for granted. Hospitalizations and deaths for covid are still well above what they were a year ago. Reported cases are down, but positive test % is still very high - indicating a h

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

2023-04-07 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
> averaging 3.6/d compared to 5.4/d a year ago. > > Jeff > > On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:57 AM Julian Blechner via Organizers < > organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > >> All of my immune-compromised friends are still masking and still not able >> to enjoy the

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

2023-04-09 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
Hi Jon, Your sarcasm to Mac reads to me as rude. Mac is trying to speak up for his own health and others. There's no need to use hyperbolic sarcasm like thus. The fact is that - as conversations on this list have relayed - dances with high quality masks mandated have had zero traceable transmiss

[Organizers] Re: Dance Policy Decisions (e.g.: roles) Was: Attracting young dancers

2023-10-30 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
For what it's worth, I went to a dance where a caller chose role-name-light dances, and had this interaction with my partner, a college-age dancer who's reasonably experienced. We were just in hands four. (Small talk ensues, then unprompted:) Partner: "The second dance I got confused by something

[Organizers] Re: Dance Policy Decisions (e.g.: roles) Was: Attracting young dancers

2023-10-30 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
uot;callers choice" > for roles; can folks who want to get into whether positional calling is a > good idea for contra start a new thread? > > Jeff > > On Mon, Oct 30, 2023 at 1:01 PM Julian Blechner via Organizers < > organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: >

[Organizers] Re: Dance Policy Decisions (e.g.: roles) Was: Attracting young dancers

2023-10-30 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
I want to highlight what David is saying, here. I think it's a different standard to gauge by when a community is _trying out_ new terms. While I agree a long-term "caller's choice" doesn't best serve a community, I do think that a transition / trial period does make sense. And as long as terms ar

[Organizers] Re: Attracting young dancers

2023-11-08 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
I don't want to steal Will's spotlight, so I'll keep this short, re: Downtown Amherst Contra Dance: - we did have people in early 30s, but point still stands; he directly chose to recruit young organizers - it's hard to keep college-age organizers more than 2 or 3 years, because they usually need

[Organizers] Re: Attracting young dancers

2023-11-09 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
While any generation has variety, the trends, long-term, are compelling: https://www.statista.com/statistics/719685/american-adults-who-identify-as-homosexual-bisexual-transgender-by-generation/ Realize that in states that have passed laws making being trans illegal in one or more ways, people ar

[Organizers] new CDC wastewater tool

2023-12-14 Thread Julian Blechner via Organizers
Hi fellow organizers, Leaving this here as a resource for other dance organizers to use in evaluating sickness safety policies, especially for people who focus on CDC recommendations. https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/COVID19-currentlevels.html CDC recently added a page with trends and a state-by-stat