Celebrity status in Colorado

Just returned from my first trip to Colorado for a gig with TinaMania, the show in which I dance professionally. I didn't get to see much of Colorado, but the Denver airport is pretty spectacular. Our gig was in Fort Collins, about an hour's drive from the airport. This was a gig for the city of Fort Collins, a benefit for a senior center I believe. We were the only act, so we did two 45 minute sets and the audience LOVED us. Many of them asked us to sign their posters. This was the first time anyone has asked for my autograph and it was fun. Takesia (the other back up dancer), and I both had the same response when we were asked. You want MY autograph? Our first thought was that somehow they had mistaken us for Kiesha (Tina Turner) although that would be virtually impossible if we'd had time to think about it. The audience was wonderful, dispite the fact that we were a half an hour late and stunned by the effects of the altitude. We'd been warned, but still found ourselves gasping for air when we started working hard. We were told, and we believe it, drink a lot of water in high altitudes if you're planning on exerting yourself!

Keeping the dance community alive: part II

One way or another, a dance community has to attract beginners or it will die. Sometimes the dance is simply so compelling that new people see it and just want to do it. Argentine Tango is a good example of this. In my opinion, it is the most difficult of all partner dances. Hard to learn and hard to retain, it requires a huge time commitment in order to do it well enough to enjoy it. The community is not welcoming of beginners to say the least. Beginners are expected to prove themselves by their continued work before they are acknowledged by the experienced dancers. Yet they keep coming because the dance itself is so exciting. Sometimes a similar dance can woo dancers away from an established dance. West Coast Swing was once hugely popular. The rise of Lindy Hop didn't kill West Coast Swing, but the community shrank considerably as many dancers decided that Lindy was a whole lot more fun. Lindy became so popular the community became complacent and nearly lost it's beginner momentum a few years ago when beginner classes were floundering all over the bay area. We can thank Hep Jen's move from Seattle to the Bay Area for rescuing our dwindling beginner appeal by offering free classes at Lindy in the Park to curious passerbys, an idea that worked miracles to keep the dance alive and thriving. Cudos to Hep Jen with her friendly and welcoming energy!

Lifetimes of Dance Communities

A discussion with friends today brought up the subject of how to keep a dance community from dying. I remember when Country Western Dancing was popular. There were clubs everywhere and I taught a lot of C/W. All of a sudden there wasn't enough interest to keep the formally thriving clubs alive, and one by one they closed. Now the closest clubs to my area (Oakland) are Fremont and Concord. Even the gay community's stalwart Rawhide II closed and the popular dance is now relegated to twice a week in SF. What happened? It seemed like it was here to stay. My guess is not enough beginners. A dance community has to nurture it's beginners to stay alive. More about this in the next entry.