making a dance popular

[dragon3085]

This is a just a little thing I've noticed over the past 4.5 years I've been dancing and I'm curious if anybody has noticed it as well. Basically I've seen that if enough people do a dance at that same time either in a club or at the studio its possible to generate intrest in that dance even if up to that point nobody seemed intrested. For example, we don't have a lot of folks in the studio that like/liked west coast swing. But me and some other advanced student have been quietly working on ours and now there about 12 of us total including our instructors that dance it at practice partys and when we have our country night at the clubs. All of sudden all the other students want to learn it now. Its like it reached a critical mass in terms of number of people doing it and now everyone thinks that if that many people are doing it, it must be cool and they need to learn it to. Keep in mind up to this point most have showed no intrest what so ever. I'm trying to get enough hustlers going to see if repeat this, so far I'm having success, They see 10 people doing hustle and now all of sudden there are more requests for hustle group classes.

Anybody else noticed this?

Pat

[pygmalion]

Yes, dragon3085, I noticed the same thing. A couple years ago, I discovered the peabody (an early twentieth century kind of bouncy foxtrot/quickstep dance). Everybody thought I was nuts to learn it. But after I did a (Very good, if I must say so myself) exhibition of it, a bunch of other people signed up to learn it. Hmm... People are very easily influenced. 8)

[Spitfire]

I think that out here ECS, WCS and NC2S may get a boost from what is done at the local C&W clubs since these dances are often done to C&W music and these clubs are public establishments that are often patronized by people who initially are unfamilar with these dances and upon observation take an interest; this is what got me started. :wink:

[pygmalion]

Hi spitfire! Nothing to contribute to the thread. I'm just glad to see you back. 8) :wink:

[Spitfire]

Hi spitfire! Nothing to contribute to the thread. I'm just glad to see you back. 8) :wink:

Thanks Jenn. My lack of activity here had less to do with my surgery then just plain not having anything on my mind; I was on this computer as much as usual while recovering. In fact the first thing I did when I got home (It was as an outpatient) was sending out emails to friends and family to let them know all went well. This weekend I'll dance for the first time in three weeks. :D 8)

[SDsalsaguy]

I've found two (often related) elements relative to popularity:

(1) Opportunity. (There need to be venues conducive to the dance at hand, be it social clubs or studio dances.)

(2) Inspiration. – While the numbers "game" you mention certainly plays into this, I also think that the skill of those involved also plays a role. Seeing good dancers doing something can be quite motivating, perhaps even more so than seeing a throng of beginners muddling through a new dance. Since you say that you and your group are more advanced students it sounds like you have both prongs of the inspiration front in play for you.