Good one Clive !!!!! Make sure you publicize that one and I hope to see more kids at your dance next month. I was just thinking today that maybe all the dance schools should have FREE lessons for anyone under the age of 25, as a regular thing. That may encourage current students to bring their kids and their kids friends along to try it out and they may find they like it. If it doesn't cost them to give it a try then they have nothing to loose except their time spent in the company of older rockers.
I started dancing Rock n'Roll when I was 17, there was no-one else in the club my age and I was dancing with whoevers husband was free to dance with (and many thanks to them). I am now 28 and still find no-one my age at dances and I do find this rather disheartening.
I am very passionate about my rockin and would be dancing all the time if I had a partner or other rockers to go with. I would be very interested in making friends with rockers my age but there just doesn't seem to be many/any around. With a lack of younger rockers I have never found myself a partner and not being anywhere near Melbourne there are a lack of venues to attend also and then comes the question.. do I travel hours to a dance to sit on a table by myself, knowing no-one or having no-one to dance with? Bit costly and a bit of a sad idea to me.
I long for other people my age to get into it, once the music gets into your system you are a slave forever! Long Live ROCK N' ROLL!!!
Hi Rockin Sweetheart,
I too am 28 and love love love to rock'n'roll and find it hard to find people of the same age group.. where abouts are you? I am currently in nthn NSW and my friend/dance partner just moved down to Melbourne and I am currently planning on moving down there too..
I was lucky enough to have him up here but now I have little choice but to dance with other womens husbands again from my club...
I can't wait to get down there and be able to enjoy the scene alot more, I live and breath Rock'n'Roll life :music, dancing, cute outfits and cars so to get back to the city would be awesome...
it would be great to hang with other gals and guys that share the same passions.
Great initiative, Clive. Northside Rock is a great dance venue in Melbourne with live rock n roll music. Now all families & their children have more incentive to keep it rockin' at Northside.
Parkville,Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Australia
Posts
23
Re: Getting young people into Rock n Roll
Originally Posted by Cliver
OK...here's some incentive ...in keeping with getting behind & helping....
At most/all dances currently there's an admission fee for children/teenagers....as of NOW...today...that fee is waved at Northside Rock @ The Heritage in Epping...previously we had a fee ($7) & a 'Family' fee of $40.00 (2 adults plus 2 or more children...we have one family come ..2 adults & 6 children...they only paid the family fee)....but now that is waived...ANY Child/teenager accompanied by their parent WILL be admitted FREE OF CHARGE.....so this means there no burden cost to the parents to bring their youngsters along.....we hope this is a positive help to bring in some new people......
Clive R Northside Rock
Well done clive, You see the bigpicture clearly and start the ball rolling, furlan club also do not charge kids, adrian will not be charging kids, i hope little maria follows suit as i will talk to her, what do you think little maria?
All the people discussing young people in rock and roll, check out the Road Ratz and you will understand what young people like. Instead of poodle skirts, its tight jeans nearly off, tattoos, singlets, check shirts and canvas shoes. You have to get on the right page and get some Sponge Bob's tighty whities and make sure at least 6 inches of them are on show.
For my 2 bobs worth, dare I say it. The rock and roll uniform is daggy to young people. Image matters to them. Even some dance styles look daggy to the young.
An extreme makeover needs to be added to the shopping list.
When promoting the sport to the young, dress in a more contempory way, there is plenty of opportunity for them to discover the dressing up aspects later on. Win them over first. I rest my case.
Figgy is in reality, kids today don't see R&R as we see it. "Road Ratz" as Figgy said is a prime example, and if you ever get the chance, a band called "Planet Janet" these guys & girls attire would make you raise your eyebrows, the music although very modern is mostly very danceable, as long as you can stomach dancing in some dirty dingy pub full of inebriated people with a dance floor painted with yesterdays and today's beer & booze.
I was elated to see Clive waive the entry cost, this is a positive & I notice there are feelers out for younger teachers, this I feel, is the secret, teaching today is not like it used to be, it's more into psychology, reading the student and lots of friendly guidance, an holistic approach. Teachers should have at least a TAE to have any idea of how to set out holistic lesson plans.
Good stuff guys plenty of great ideas on this thread, sounds like some action is about to eventuate
I hope the remuneration thing doesn't get in the way
You took the words right out of my mouth Maryann! Was just talking about this thread the other day, and said the same thing! When I was young, I was 'dragged' along to rock n roll, and as soon as I was old enough, I went only to rockabilly! Think i was about 15 when I started going! Now as the mother of two teenagers, neither of them like rock n roll as they find the music too slow! My son who is 14 prefers Psychobilly & punk, while my daughter who is 17 prefers rockabilly.
We proved beyond a doubt the pulling power of rockabilly (done in a more modern style) at my daughters bands recent CD launch, as there was a huge crowd, many of them 'young' people, and a lot if them 'outsiders'! They have converted many people, who were surprised how much they enjoyed it! Most of the young people said later on that they loved how the rockabilly people dressed, and that it was 'cool'!! That's how we get them to keep coming back!
If we can get them started young in rock n roll, and allow them to move over to rockabilly when they are in their teens, you will probably get them back into rock n roll later on!
Just my two cents worth!
Jenni
Hi guys!
I agree with Roulette, when i started dancing last year, i tried to encourage a few of my friends (all around 19/20 yrs of age) to join me. They came to classes and a few social dances and i found that they loved the outfits. It was the dress up part of it that they loved the most.
Sadly it was the time that they couldn't spare with study commitments etc..
It was also the money and travel factor. Some of them didnt have jobs or cars at the time, which made it rather difficult for them to attend the events. They would have to leave early to catch the transport and in the end it wasnt worth their while coming.
Also i found that it was the contact with other people of different age groups. My friends were not used to this interaction and they were feeling guilty saying no to many fellow dancers that were older than them. Even when i dance i find that a range of people get me up to encourage me to continue dancing, not that i needed it , and i think this scared my friends as they did not know them and these people were not necessarily from our class. However they still admit that it was great fun.
I think it is great that prices are being reduced for kids. Any little bit helps. Good luck everyone and keep on raking in those great ideas.
Cheers Caitlin
This is the scene I envisage for the under 30's.
Dancing to "The baseballs" and other bands to Rockabilly, Rock 'n' Roll and swing versions of modern songs and 70's -90's classic tracks.
Clothes that look current but have a retro feel.
Teachers that look so "cool" everyone wants to join in with them.
The cup day fundraiser is the start of a push towards bringing Rock 'n' roll to the broader community and to the younger generation.
There is a thread for "free teacher training for under 30"s " but any one can get involved in planning, promotion, designing clothes, selecting music, assisting teachers etyc.
The teachers will be giving free classes in Primary Schools, Secondary schools and uni's.
The will rock up in a classic car, they will have great looking outfits, the music will be a blend of current mixed in with great classics.
Before they even go into schools there will be a marketing Campaign to arouse the interest of the younger generation.
We are fortunate that the movie Captain America is coming out.
Apparently the price of Classic cars has skyrocketed because they have recreated the era so beautifully everyone wants one.
I need all the help I can get.
Please get involved and we can make it happen together.
Great idea Clive. It won't get the >15's but it will raise the interest of the younger kids who may continue later. Most of the old buggers like me are quite happy the way it is, but the folk who will benefit most are those who are making money from R and R (Yeah I know, I know. There's bugger all money to be made for the work, but it's nice to get some financial reward doing something you love and we all appreciate it so please don't turn this into a flame thread.) and what you are doing is putting your money wher your mouth is.
We will definately continue to attend Northside Rock.
I hope all this enthusiasm continues and we all keep talking about how to promote rock n roll and rockabilly (or any form of partner dancing in general) to younger kids and the general population as well, not just to benefit the dance classes, and teachers, but to benefit ALL of us as the more people who attend dances, the more venues that will continue to thrive, the more bands that will continue to get work and so the more choices for all of us dancers, so a win win situation for ALL of us.
The popularity of dancing should get a boost from the remake of Footloose and if "Dancing with the Stars" and "So you think you can dance" tv shows can make a go of it, then there must be the interest out there, we just have to let people know about it and do some publicity and marketing for our rock n roll / rockabilly scene.
So Adrian is heading in the right direction, but it can't be a one person show and needs some funds raised for some publicity / marketing, and several people to get behind it all to work out how best to spread the word. Cup Day festival will be a great start so lets all keep the motivation going and get a group together, so let Adrian know if you're keen to help.
And to Caitlyn, and the other young ones who have replied, get in contact if ever you want to join some rockers for a night out, we'd love to have you join in anytime, and I'm sure there's many on this list who will save you a seat at their table and keep you dancing.
Parkville,Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Australia
Posts
23
Re: Getting young people into Rock n Roll
Originally Posted by joceb
Good one Clive !!!!! Make sure you publicize that one and I hope to see more kids at your dance next month. I was just thinking today that maybe all the dance schools should have FREE lessons for anyone under the age of 25, as a regular thing. That may encourage current students to bring their kids and their kids friends along to try it out and they may find they like it. If it doesn't cost them to give it a try then they have nothing to loose except their time spent in the company of older rockers.
I thoroughly agree on this point, if dance school teachers are only in it for the money, then theey are not looking at the big picture and they will recoup the money in the long haul. kids who do go through this process for free will be the biggest and cheapest advertising for the dance schools as they will promote and recruit their friends and others. they will do the work instead of the teachers. they will promote more younger kids as it is in their interest. problem solved. take a risk and give ground to gain ground. dance teachers need to let go of the idea of the $ sign think with the heart. the dance teachers themselves would not spend their own money when they were young to dance. Win them over for free with the heart and you will have for life. Wisdom and Karma will prevail, Think like a kid and one will know the way for it to work
Not wanting to upset anyone here but in my opinion I think you have the wrong idea completely..
I am 28 and I love Rock n Roll because of the 50's music and the 50's fashion, if you change it to jeans and t-shirt then wheres the fun in that? You might aswell go just anywhere
Perhaps I am a one off for my age but the love of the dance goes with the love of the era, the music, the clothes, cars, hairstyles, if we take this away then it is no longer Rock n Roll.
I love the feel of walking into a dance hall and feeling like you stepped back in time, there is something about the music of that era that stirs something within my soul (and my feet) that no modern music does- I have no interest in modern music.
If dances turn into modernised events I will no longer be interested in Rock n Roll as it will no longer be Rock n Roll
I'm with you Rocking sweetheart and talking around I can assure you that you are not one of a kind. Many agree with you, and quite strongly too. Can you just imagine the 50, 60 and 70 year olds wearing jeans an inch above their arses and green hair and the crap we would cop from the GenY's?
Rock and roll is an era (the 50's era) the same as swing, calypso, disco and hip hop and whatever the current phase is. Trying to change the scene to suit to suit GenY's is just too much and the entire thing will die. If they want to follow the 50's era, it's up to them to follow the styles, not for us to become pseudo Gen Y's. I didn't like hanging out with my parents and their daggy clothes in the 50's and I sure don't want to start emulating the 20, 30 year olds fashions today.
While the initial idea seemed OK these proposed changes are too extreme and it just won't work. The mind boggles at thought.
Hi Rockers & Rockettes,
WHile I love the Rock 'n' Roll era I try to picture the reaction some dance teachers would have going into Broady High wearing a Poodle skirt or points.
And playing Rock Around The Clock.
I don't know how many kids would flock to that image.
However picture some really cool looking teachers wearing clothing designed by kids that appeal to kids with a retro look.
I think more would be attracted to that image.
Imagine listening to music that is current and then slowly mixing it in with great classics.
Once they get into the edge of the scene I believe it will slowly draw them in.
Try to force feed our look and our music and I ask any parents does that work?
With anything.
I'm not preaching the modernisation of Rock 'n' Roll.
I just think we need to reach them where they are now and slowly bring them
into this scene.
Well Adrian, if you think that that will work you're in the ideal position to start wearing retro clothing and using modern music at your classes. It'll be an interesting exercise. Good luck.
Hi Cirrus,
somehow at 50 and overweight I don't think I would look good in that sought
of gear.
The people in my class are over 45 and they come to me because it's
what they expect.
I think when we go out there to try and create interest we need to
be flexible.
I don't know if it will work.
It's a theory that needs testing.
All I know is most under 30's that come to my classes leave after 1 or 2 weeks.
And I don't see that many at dances so we need to try something different.
That's my whole point, Adrian. Most thirty somethings are seeking instant gratification and as you know that isn't possible with Rock and Roll. It takes time and effort and a simple change in the dance environment just won't do it.
I guess it all boils down to the fact that nothing ever lasts forever. Not even our planet will do that. Just as early music and dancing has an almost elite following (and I love the music of the 15th / 16th century so am part of this elite) the same will happen with the music and dancing of the mid 20th century. New generations like to re-invent the wheel, just as we did and many, many, many generations before us did. We can't hold them back, nor should we try to.
People will continue to follow Rock and Roll tomorrow just as they do the Minuet and Baroque today, but this following will also become elitist. Not good news for dance teachers, but there will be new dances and teachers will need to adapt rather that the other way around.
Well, that's what I think anyway. It's an interesting discussion and I did have a good day thank you and hope you also enjoyed yours.
Cirrus you just hit on it! the R & R dance instructors need to take a leaf out of Swing Patrols activities, now Scott & Claudia took a great concept and now have an unimaginable amount of teachers instructing around the globe, to a mixture of very young to very old dancers, Swing is big on the dance agenda, people want to do it!.
Now remember when Scott & Claudia won the Vic R&R championship in about 94, I think, they have progressed from this humble beginning, to something really huge, and with the right type of audience, I figure swing at the rate it is going will never die, neither should it.
The great Frankie Manning spent untold years teaching Savoy Swing the dance he perfected in the 30s, he died recently aged in his mid 90s & was still teaching, I believe, till the day he die. Some of his teaching tapes which I have, show him as a very easy going subtle guy probably an very Holistic teacher before his time.
Swing Patrol took the action to the Schools & the Uni's, reduced the rates to accommodate students then picked the best dancers to use as teachers it took a little time, but the ball is rolling.
Using rentals as teachers is not in their vocabulary.
I hate going to lessons where prescriptive teaching is the norm.
Swing patrols young teachers understand the easy going mythology of instructing to us our children & our grand-kids.
It would be well worth the effort to follow this trail of success it's tried and proven.
Well just when I thought that I was the only person north of the divide that liked Swing Patrol and gjo267 has made my day. I shudder to think just how many hours I 'waste' watching youtubes of these folk dance. My favourite is the "Swing Patrol & Jive Aces Olympic Bid".
You will be pleased to know that your post has made me waste another hour searching for more vids and wishing I was fifty years younger and it's the only thing that would ever make me wish that.
Re: Getting young people into Rock n Roll
Originally Posted by Rockin Sweetheart
Re: Getting young people into Rock n Roll
Re: Getting young people into Rock n Roll
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