[Dixielandjazz] Re: Young and Old WAS Young vs. Old

[Stephen Barbone]

Rebecca Thompson wrote:

> Interesting that the "old folks" enjoyed the younger kids dancing.  I
> noticed while we were in Arizona for their festival this year, that some
> of the older couples left the dance floor when the younger ones came
> in... Or went to the other dance floor on the other side of the stage.
> Very evident they wanted to get away from the "younger" dancers.

Rebecca & Listmates

Now that's really interesting, Rebecca. I guess the folks, out West are
older in mind and body then the Eastern old folks. Some of the older folks
of both sexes in New Jersey danced with the kids as partners, which I
encouraged from the band stand, and the kids encouraged also (we talked
about it before the concert) We also had a fully integrated dance floor age
wise, with old couples and young couples. And the kids and the band
approached the concert with this "integration" as a "mission".

The only time we had the side dance area occupied was when we played slow
numbers like "If I Had You", or "I'm Confessin That I Love You" and there
was such a multitude dancing, that they couldn't all fit in front of the
band.

Perhaps the Arizona bands did not encourage mixed age partners? Or get into
it as much as Barbone Street does? Lordy, every old guy/gal with a camera
was snapping pictures of the kids too.

I hyped the concert/dance in my promos as a Dixieland/Swing Dance event and
got the kids in for "guest price" of $7 each after informing the Jazz
Society that I was bringing young people. Attendance was the highest for
this Society all year and they made money on it without having to rely on
"angels".

If old folks are going to be stand-offish with  young folks, how do we
expect to grow the fan base for OKOM? Shouldn't every jazz society, and
every jazz festival encourage a homogenization of, as well as attendance
by, various generations?  Hopefully their raison d'etre is to promote as
well as preserve OKOM.

Not only that, but as I can attest, if old folks hang around young folks,
they age more slowly and have a lot more fun than by just hanging around
the home. ;-)

Cheers,
Steve Barbone