Sept. 16, 2001, 11:22 p.m. (Message 27390)
We have had much lately about getting new folks and young folks to come dancing. This weekend I played for a dance in a situation where about 1/4 folks had little or no experience but got a ticket for the dance to do something for the evening. I noticed a number of things. The MC was trying to get 4 couple sets organized. In the contra world people would be encouraged to join hands in a ring of 8. And then be told this is the set and these are the folks you dance with. It took a while to organize the sets. Several young people asked about doing round the room dances and Dashing White Sergeant. As a gesture to them Strip the willow was done but not til after intermission. A philosophical decision had to be made, does the dance organizer re-structure the program so that all the people can get up and dance at least every other dance, and perhaps irritate the expeienced folks, but perhaps entice beginners to go dancing again. Or does the dance organizer continue with the published program, do 2 or 3 easy dances and please the experienced dancers. While I don't know the correct answer I feel that an opportunity to attract newcomers was lost. Cheers, Sylvia Miskoe, Concord, NH USA
Sept. 17, 2001, 1:35 a.m. (Message 27391, in reply to message 27390)
I think it depends on how an event is advertised - if prior experience is needed that should be made clear at the time tickets or sold or even stated on the tickets - if you say it's open to everyone then you need to be prepared to rearrange the program. If I do a program I often have in mind a possible alternate easy dance for every harder dance on the program; I find that brand new people after one or two dances usually are glad to rest a bit while experienced dancers do a more difficult dance. And I have remind our experienced dancers if they want to have anyone to dance with 10 years from now they need to be patient with new people since natural attrition tends to reduce numbers :-) Dianna Houston, Texas
Sept. 17, 2001, 10:17 a.m. (Message 27392, in reply to message 27390)
Sylvia wrote: > This weekend I played for a dance in a situation where about 1/4 >folks had little or no experience but got a ticket for the dance to do >something for the evening. I would have thought that a dance open to the general public could only have a program of easy-to-join-in ceilidh type dances. The uninitiated cannot possibly enjoy our usual country dances. Whenever I have MC'd a public evetn of that kind, I have kept thigs very basic, and it has always worked. The regulars who turn up don't mind doing easy dances because the atmosphere is quite different from weekly classes, it's still an enjoyable night out. If the regulars are in the majoprity, I annonce a few dances (but very few) reserved for those that know. This gives my people the chance to do a dance the like, and gives the public a glimpse of the real thing. >Several young people asked about doing round the room dances and Dashing >White Sergeant. Which seem to be the best choice in this situation. >As a gesture to them Strip the willow was done That would not have been my choice -- did anyone enjoy doing it? >While I don't know the correct answer I feel that an opportunity to attract >newcomers was lost. Defintely (imho). Martin, in Grenoble, France. http://perso.wanadoo.fr/scots.in.france/ (dance groups, events, some new dances ...)
Sept. 17, 2001, 8:50 a.m. (Message 27393, in reply to message 27390)
We in Bristol, UK, organise a dance under the caption "Newcomers' Dance" once a year in the early spring. This gives people who have just started dancing in the autumn a chance to experience a fairly simple evening, and as every dance is talked/walked through we do get children, young people, and a few normally non-dancing partners along, and in fact, and there is a lesson here if only we would learn it, it is our best attended dance. We have also, this year for the first time, introduced a reduced rate for tickets for young persons and students. I am convinced that there is a strong element in SCD that is guilty of intellectual snobbery as far as dance simplicity vs. complexity is concerned and it will lead to the demise of SCD as a popular activity if we are not careful. We are in danger of losing the simple social pleasure, and IMHO we will fail to attract new and (more essentially) younger dancers if we are do not more consistently supply a simple but lively programme. For me a "good" dancer is not one who can execute a very large number of complicated figures to perfection, but one who can move easily to the music, with neat footwork and above all an enjoyment in so doing which is communicated to the others dancing in the set through example, body language etc and by helping and encouraging those less advanced in these skills. I know one or two technically very accomplished dancers whom I have seen sailing on through chaos, executing the dance irrespective of the fact that the rest of the set has virtually lost the plot. This is far from encouraging. Andrew.
Sept. 17, 2001, 6:31 p.m. (Message 27395, in reply to message 27390)
New Scotland (Edinburgh Uni) tend to have that problem, and last year was worse than usual in that we kept getting large groups of beginers all the way through the year. A group of us got together and put together a list of dances which were then graded for their difficulty and also for how often they had been done. This gave us a list of dances that were not known to the majority of our members, but were within the realms of dancability for new dancers. I think it did work, as we were able to keep more of our beginers than usual, and most of the "old faithful brigade" kept coming too. Seonaid
Sept. 17, 2001, 7:41 p.m. (Message 27396, in reply to message 27390)
Oooh, Seonaid, that list... I'd love to see it.
Sept. 17, 2001, 7:48 p.m. (Message 27397, in reply to message 27390)
What a *GREAT* idea! Would you consider sharing the list with us? Best, John
Sept. 18, 2001, 11:05 p.m. (Message 27432, in reply to message 27390)
Once the disk is returned from whoever has it, I'll certainly post the list (or stick it on a website if it's too big). Seonaid Marilyn wrote: (and others echoed the sentiments)