It is with both sadness and relief that I tell you my Dec. 6 dance
will be my last social line and partner dance for the foreseeable
future. While my Thursday classes, particularly for beginners remains
strong, attendance at my weekend dances has consistently fallen. I have
beaten myself up about it, wondering why. I can think of a million
reasons: gas increases, the economy, weather, other interests,
competing dances and events, as well as that I'm simply not providing
the sort of experience dancers are looking for. That last one is a hard
one for me, as I have always tried my best to play for everyone, play
requests, mix it up for lines and couples, country and noncountry. It's
hard to know for sure. But I feel the public has spoken. Perhaps there
simply aren't enough dancers out there to warrant the number of dance
venues out there. Maybe people only want to dance once or twice a month
on the weekends. It's sad. I remember crowds of up to 200 people at the
Rockingham Ballroom, near that number at the Loudon Country Hall,
probably about that many at the White Buffalo. All gone, RIP. Perhaps
line dancing is coming to the end of its life cycle in my area.
Nevertheless, my love for line dancing has not diminished. I got into teaching because I wanted people to know about the dances I had learned and loved so much. I got into hosting dances to keep things going at the Mill. I wanted to be able to dance and have fun and have others join me. I will continue my Thursday class/dance at the Mill, which will no longer be affiliated with the Elliot Wellness Center. I will simply host a night of lessons and dancing on Thursdays as I have been, with beginners from 7 to 8 p.m., followed by an advanced beginner or intermediate lesson and then open dancing, but probably only until 9:30. I'll keep it at $8 a night, and still offer the reduced price of $50 for those who want to pay for a full seven-week session in advance. Beginners are my biggest hope, if we're to keep this line dancing thing going!
I will continue to patronize the Gregoires and Don Carleton, who have dances and lessons at the Mill, and hope you do too. I will give my support to everyone I can get to in the immediate vicinity. If we don't support those who are left, we will soon have nowhere but our own living rooms and basements to dance in. If you don't live near me, remember how important it is to support your local instructors and dance halls.
So, I hope I will go out with a blast and not a whimper. It would be my best Christmas present to see a crowd at my last dance. I hope you come.
Saturday, Dec. 6, 7 p.m.
Mill A-Round Dance Center, 250 Commercial St., Manchester NH
$10, BYOB
Thank you to everyone who ever came to one of my dances. Most sincere thanks to those of you who have hung in there with me in the past year. You know who you are. I love you guys.
Ginger Kozlowski
Nevertheless, my love for line dancing has not diminished. I got into teaching because I wanted people to know about the dances I had learned and loved so much. I got into hosting dances to keep things going at the Mill. I wanted to be able to dance and have fun and have others join me. I will continue my Thursday class/dance at the Mill, which will no longer be affiliated with the Elliot Wellness Center. I will simply host a night of lessons and dancing on Thursdays as I have been, with beginners from 7 to 8 p.m., followed by an advanced beginner or intermediate lesson and then open dancing, but probably only until 9:30. I'll keep it at $8 a night, and still offer the reduced price of $50 for those who want to pay for a full seven-week session in advance. Beginners are my biggest hope, if we're to keep this line dancing thing going!
I will continue to patronize the Gregoires and Don Carleton, who have dances and lessons at the Mill, and hope you do too. I will give my support to everyone I can get to in the immediate vicinity. If we don't support those who are left, we will soon have nowhere but our own living rooms and basements to dance in. If you don't live near me, remember how important it is to support your local instructors and dance halls.
So, I hope I will go out with a blast and not a whimper. It would be my best Christmas present to see a crowd at my last dance. I hope you come.
Saturday, Dec. 6, 7 p.m.
Mill A-Round Dance Center, 250 Commercial St., Manchester NH
$10, BYOB
Thank you to everyone who ever came to one of my dances. Most sincere thanks to those of you who have hung in there with me in the past year. You know who you are. I love you guys.
Ginger Kozlowski