As I look at my home dance club and at club dancers from all our ABA clubs, I am reminded that our dance community is growing older, and I am concerned about the continuation 
of our way of dancing in the future. I don’t know what the average age of our ABA dance club members would be, but my guess is it would have to be well into the 50’s, if not older. Over the next 10 – 20 years, as the average age increases if not brought downward by new blood, then we will have a membership that will slow down, dance less, and travel less. Unless we are all doing things now to reach out to the younger people and get them involved in our clubs, we will see our way of dancing slowly disappear. That would be sad, not as much for the aging dancers as for the younger people who may be denied the opportunity for pleasure, exercise, and friendships we have all been blessed to experience over the years.
How do you get the younger crowd into your clubs? First and foremost, every club should be offering free or inexpensive dance lessons. Very few people can pick up the dance entirely on their own and I believe most people enjoy dancing more when they learn initially how to do it right. We need to develop or accept opportunities to demonstrate our dance whenever we can in environments of younger people, such as colleges. When you are successful in getting new young people into your club for a visit, be sure they’re made to feel welcome. Ask them to dance, volunteer to help them learn the steps and beginning moves, introduce them to the established members. Find ways to make your dance parties more exciting by occasionally doing something different like having a skit, doing dance demos. Jam sessions and, especially, snowball dances encourage everyone to get out on the dance floor. Encourage them to come back and bring their friends. If their initial experiences are good, chances are good they’ll be back. After they’ve been around awhile, get them committed by getting them involved in the club, perhaps by working on a committee putting on your annual event or special dance parties. If your club is not doing these things, I encourage you to get the effort started.
The future of our dance depends upon it.
Best Regards,
Jim Laux
President – American Bop Association