Topic of the Quarter
Refreshing Our Clubs with New anf Younger Dancers
by Jim Watson, Mid-Ohio Boogie Club
This is an on-going feature for our ABA newsletter. I hope it will generate interest in sharing lessons learned in while running your club, so others may benefit. I am open to both topic suggestions and feedback on any topic within the newsletter.
President Jim Laux has broached a topic dear to my heart in his last President’s Message in the issue of the ABA News, June 2006. Here is a quick recap.
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. … 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.
How do you get the younger crowd into your clubs? Does your club:
 | Offering free or inexpensive dance lessons. |
| Develop or accept opportunities to demonstrate our dance whenever we can |
| Make sure new dancers feel welcome. |
| Find ways to make your dance parties more exciting by occasionally doing something different |
| Encourage new dancers to come back and bring their friends. |
| Get new dancers, after theu have been around for a while, committed by getting them involved in the club |
There was only one reply submitted. It is an article by Cal Shaw Past President – American Bop Association. I think ebveryone should read it. It have some good ideas and asks some pointed questions.
Editor’s note: I know several clubs are concerned about the aging of their members from informal discussions I have had. A couple of clubs found that they now need to hire or request someone to do some of the physical activities previously performed by their own members. Even in my own club, I have seen some problems related to our members getting older.
The future of your dance club and our form of dance may depends upon this call for action.
Editor’s note: If you have an idea for a discussion topic, please send it along.