Originally Posted by
LilyB
If it is explicitly part of the job, as you say, then it is a contractual obligation which the teacher has to fulfil (which is exactly the point David was making).
I wonder, however, whether the 'obligation to dance with the punters' extends to those punters who are not beginners? Although I appreciate that it is vitally important to the success of a venue to encourage beginners by dancing with them, is it not also in the venue's interest to maintain the loyalty of the more experienced dancers by making sure the teachers dance with them as well? Very often, the teacher is the best dancer at the venue and hence many of the better dancers at the venue would greatly appreciate a dance with him/her. If his/her time is spent dancing only with the beginners, there is very little incentive for the better dancers to regularly patronise that venue. These better dancers will then drift away to those venues where they know they are likely to find other better dancers to dance with.
I know of quite a few venues which are successful in drawing in the numbers but not the quality of dancers, because of their apparent policy of encouraging only beginners. I have personally experienced some venues where the teachers will only ask the beginners (or their crew) to dance, and after several visits of not getting a single dance from the teacher, I find little incentive to return. I am aware that I am not the only person (usually female) who feels this way. I guess it all depends on which 'punters' the venues think are worth keeping or attracting.
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