POP
Dudley Laufman
or
Why Some Dances Are Having Low Attendance
In the 40's and 50's in rural New Hampshire there were regular weekly Friday
and Saturday night dances* in Marlboro, Walpole, Richmond, Keene, Swanzey,
Hancock, Bradford, Orford, Alexandria, and more. All these dances were the
"place to be" for a local crowd, pulling over 100 people each night. It was
what folks did. There were not many choices. Being a dance gypsy was not an
option.
There are currently twelve monthly "contra" dances going on in New
Hampshire. Two of them average 80-100 dancers or more each month, many
hailing from out of state. The other monthly dances in New Hampshire are
small, averaging maybe 25-30 at each one. Some of the same dancers can be
seen each week at one or another of these venues. There is also a weekly
dance, Monday nights, in Nelson that draws probably 30 dancers each week.
This is a village with a population of about 500 year round residents.
Some of us here in rural New Hampshire like the small intimate dances. But
there are others who are not happy with the economics of those
events.disappointed with the meager turnout.weary of trying to crank up
energy from ten dancers in a cavernous hall that could handle a hundred. Not
too long ago in the '70's when "contra" had become a buzz word, large crowds
of teenagers filled the town halls for monthly dances in Acworth,
Fitzwilliam, Nelson, Sanbornton, Tamworth, Durham. For those of us who
experienced those days the contra scene now might appear to be in a rather
fragile condition.
So where is everybody? Why aren't all the dances the "place to be"? Lot's
of reasons, but perhaps the biggest is the Perils of Prosperity (POP). Too
much to do, and too much money to do it with. There are lots of "places to
be" as the consumer surfs through the good times.
I know a couple who went to a contra dance never mind where or who. They
went to a cocktail/dinner party first with plenty of fortifying wine, so of
course missed the ever important half hour of instruction in the beginning.
They entered into the fray with good spirits but were at sea at the outset.
They had been looking forward to an evening of whooping, hollering, leaping
about, etc. But what they got was more a learning situation than they had
expected. They didn't give it another go.
Another couple we know went to the same dance. They had done some dancing
before and were used to the drill. Didn't mind the teaching part. Sort of
figured it as part of the fun. But you know what? They have not been seen
since. Why? Because of POP. So the next month when dance time rolls
around, this couple has to go to a wedding in Texas. The next month they've
gone scuba diving. Month after that they raked leaves all day and were too
tired. Month after that there was a play one of their kids was in. On and
on.
For the most part we are not doing anything wrong. Standing on our heads
naked spitting wooden nickels won't change anything. POP is in charge for
the time being. But have no fear, it will pass. What we need is a good old
depression to bring us back to our villages and communities to party and
dance. This will be called Dance Up Depression (DUD).
Dudley Laufman, Canterbury, New Hampshire
*These were not "contra" dances in the modern sense. One or two contras,
three at the most, squares, and round dances (foxtrots, waltzes etc). The
event was called a "Dance" not a contra dance.
--
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Next public dance:
March 26 Warner
Complete schedule on our website www.laufman.org
TWO FIDDLES
Jacqueline & Dudley Laufman
PO Box 61
Canterbury, NH 03224
603-783-4719
603-783-9578 and fax
lau...@totalnetnh.net
NEW POETRY WEBSITE
www.WindInTheTimothyPress.com
Phil G-E
>
> So where is everybody? Why aren't all the dances the "place to be"? Lot's
> of reasons, but perhaps the biggest is the Perils of Prosperity (POP). Too
> much to do, and too much money to do it with. There are lots of "places to
> be" as the consumer surfs through the good times.
>
Way out here in Goshen, Indiana where the next closest dance is and
hour and a half away, we cope with the same problem. Goshen's
population is around 29,000. We've been averaging somewhere between 40
to 50 people this season. Our first season, when we were a novelty,
saw an average of 60 plus per monthly dance. Second season was more
like 50. A major music recital hall opened last year nearby. Also, a
well-attended folk-music series moved from it's rural setting into
town. Lastly, the college where we've held more of our dances is
working on hosting more "externally produced" events. This has brought
on many more enticing conflicts of schedule for many dancers. I'm
always a bit surprised when more than 20 people show up...