Over one hundred dancers attended DREAM 2018 (Dancers Recruiting Educating and Motivating) sponsored by the NNJSDA last Saturday. Six Times Squares members attended including Susan G., Marshall B., Jeff E., Peter S., Kian K. and me. There were also three dancers from our sister club in Philadelphia, Independence Squares.
I attended two workshops. The first was given by Roy Gotta and addressed ways to talk “up” square dancing. When he gave examples of how we often talk about our activity to non-dancers, I cringed a little because that’s exactly how I talk. When he rephrased what we often say, I was amazed at how much more positive it sounded! The other session I attended was about Graduation and Graduation Ceremonies. The presenter shared an online article, Abandoning Graduation Ceremonies, that suggested that we do away with graduation ceremonies altogether as it gives new dancers a convenient opportunity to stop dancing. One club in the NNJSDA has its graduation ceremony three weeks before the last class so that the dancers have to come back to finish the lessons.