Outreach – Challenges to Attracting New Members and Retention

This report summarizes my own thoughts, information from the wider square dance community, and comments made at the board meeting on January 7th 2003. Although some alternatives are expressed here, my primary purpose is to promote discussion of the issues within our community.
-Danny Lee

Decline in New Members
There has been a steady decline in new dancers at straight clubs over the last ten years. In the last few years, a similar decline seems to be occurring in the Gay Square Dance community. These issues are by no means unique to the Wilde Bunch. Nationally, callers and square dance organizations are concerned to find ways that this trend can be reversed. 

Gay square dance clubs have some advantages over traditional straight clubs:

•	No dress code – a continuous pressure to retain a strict dress code hampers the straight dance community when recruiting. Although they have reduced those requirements in certain types of event, there is still a general expectation that traditional square dance attire be worn.
•	Partners not required – most straight clubs also require dancers to dance with a predefined partner (and as their biological gender), limiting interactions.

But other factors affect all clubs:

Image – there is a significant stereotype of square dancing that is set by early experience, and this is difficult to overcome. The image suggests strict (and old-fashioned) dress code, country & western “twangy” music, and “couples”/gender-based dancing.

Age of dancers – generally, younger people are not joining the activity. As the current dancing community ages, existing dancers tend to attract people in their own age group and a perceived generational gap opens between young and old. It becomes increasingly difficult to get younger people to join established clubs (“I don’t want to dance/spend an evening with those old people”).

Dance Programs – most people join a dance organization to socialize with others, and to dance. Before the codification of the current programs by CallerLab, dance evenings were generally less formal, and the dancing simple to learn. Callers were able to introduce non-dancers to some basic steps, and build a fun evening around those concepts. A dance was simply an evening’s entertainment where people could meet. Since CallerLab defined the various dance programs, two things have happened:

•	In order to dance with any club or at any dance, you must enter a class and have formal training – non-dancers will not/cannot attend a dance evening, and expect to be included in a square without that training
•	Enthusiasts have driven their clubs to move the bar for dancing upwards. There are no clubs providing dancing at the basic level, and few that dance full-time at the mainstream level. This further delays the time when anyone wishing to dance can actually take part. In effect, we expect a non-dancer to commit to at least six months of training before being able to join a social dance evening! Contrast this with the basic waltz, two-step, or line dance, which can be learned (if not mastered) in an evening.
•	Because extensive training is now required in order for a non-dancer to start to take part, class times are long; and as a consequence, someone with a passing interest in square dance may have to wait several months before being admitted to a club in order to start training!

In summary, square dancing is becoming elitist and inaccessible to new dancers. The entry bar is now set too high, and the commitment required is too onerous for most people to undertake it. Without early rewards (in the form of basic entertainment after minimal training) fewer and fewer are likely to even try this dance form.
Decline in Retention
Some of the same factors influence retention. One of the biggest complaints is with the constant need to “angel” new classes. With the long period of training needed to reach an ‘acceptable’ level (mainstream or plus), clubs are left with relatively little time to actually dance these levels.

It should be noted that there will always be attrition, and this is why the activity needs to pay attention to continuous recruitment. Many dancers join clubs to find a social outlet that is less challenging than the regular gay bar scene. Many join as part of their ‘coming out’ process, and after developing both friendships and other community interests, they tend to reduce the amount of time that they spend dancing. Fortunately some do find square dance a compelling activity, and continue with clubs for many years. These are the dancers that are most likely to become disillusioned with the constant repetition of classes.
Issues Specific To The Wilde Bunch
One of the limiting factors for successful recruitment and retention is the current venue for the club. Although the dance floors at ASDC are undoubtedly the best available in the area, the ASDC suffers from both location and its sterile atmosphere. Generally, a venue that is close to clubs and restaurants is likely to be more attractive, in that it encourages the gay community to attend. In addition, the use of a gay club or bar venue would expose Wilde Bunch events to the wider gay community. The atmosphere would be more likely to encourage socializing both within the club itself, and with others using the facility.

The Wilde Bunch also suffers adversely from the location of the state. Whereas on the East and West coasts there are opportunities for frequent access to other clubs for dances and events, we are essentially isolated. The lack of other clubs means that the social activities of the Wilde Bunch tend to be limited to a small group. (If for example there was a gay square dance club in Santa Fe, there would be more opportunity for mixed/exchange events).

Addressing The Issues 
Advertising, demonstrations, and recruitment through friends are failing to generate much interest in our classes. What can be done to improve the situation?
Social Dances
Taking us back to an earlier time  social dances combining simple square dance and perhaps other dance forms (two-step/line/contra?) could be organized ahead of our classes. Callers/cuers could be encouraged to use more modern music at these events that would appeal to a younger audience, and dispel some of the sterotypes associated with square dance. The venue for these dances should be in town, not at the ASDC, to encourage the involvement of the local gay community. These dances will still require significant advertising, but the event can be billed more as a social dance than an intro to square dance.

Engaging new dancers will require contacting various groups in and around Albuquerque. The key is to get them to attend a social dance, rather than simply using demo squares to tempt people into attending our intro nights. For example, the UNM have at least two gay clubs/organizations. There are many others listed in local publications. 
Intro Nights
Following social dance events, intro nights concentrating on square dance and leading into our classes should be organized at a central location, not the ASDC. The intent would be to first engage interest in general at the social dances, then encourage potential dancers to join the full class after an intro night. Keeping these events in a city venue would hopefully reduce attrition at this point. 

I expect that the classes would continue at the ASDC for various logistical reasons.
Fun Dances
Given the need to keep angels engaged, and the need to address the limitations of our geographical situation, regular fun dances are essential. Few people will be encouraged to continue if we offer nothing but class nights. Again, in order to both promote attendance by club members, and to increase our visibility in the gay community, it would be better to hold these dances at gay venues in the city.

To provide variety for the club members, these dances would be an excellent opportunity to showcase either local or regional callers.
Exhibition Square
There are events (such as Pride, Gay Rodeo, Coming Out Day, and Caught In The Act) when we have an opportunity to demonstrate our hobby to others in the community. However, reliance on an ad hoc assemblage of volunteers for these events does nothing to promote our activity. Instead, I believe a well-rehearsed team can provide a fun demonstration of square dance without frightening away those that feel they “wouldn’t be able to do that”. The formation of a permanent Exhibition team would require significant commitment from a team of at least 12 dancers (to ensure that a square was available for all events). 

I would propose that the club callers be jointly asked by the board to select and train this team. The callers are best placed to select those dancers that can be trained to the appropriate level, and that will look good as a team in a show setting.  I realize that some dancers who are very enthusiastic may simply not look right in this setting, and that issue would need to be addressed sensitively. However, putting out an exhibition team that is very enthusiastic but lacks coordination will not meet the primary aim of increasing recruitment.
Other Ideas?
The board and the club in general need to concentrate on the joint issues of recruitment and retention. I am sure that many members have ideas on how to improve the current situation. We need to stimulate a continuing dialog and action plan around these issues in order to allow the club to thrive.