It is a truth universally acknowledged among dance organisers that most young people in possession of both free time and £20 buy their tickets at the last minute.
The advice given to promoters is not to panic but to keep on advertising with increasing frenzy until the night is upon us and the band is tuning up. Like magic the youngsters will appear, waving their phones and asking about bank transfers.
We are also counselled to directly email and text the desired guests during the last week before the event, which is a very good idea. I wish someone had texted me about a St. Patrick’s Day event I wanted to go to, for I forgot all about it and booked a Polish lesson instead.
Until then, I just write messages on Facebook and WhatsApp and send adverts to parish bulletins and hope that word of mouth will bring enthusiastic new people. This is very effective, and even got us a new waltzing teacher—rarer than a hen’s tooth and prized above rubies.
Of course, I have my work cut out for me, for not only do I want to attract a certain crowd, I want to dissuade other kinds of crowds, e.g. people who wear naked dresses or baulk at the Prayer to St. Michael or ask the men to dance or smoke marijuana behind the building like the Chair in Catholic Theology who just came to mind. (Nota bene: The building was in another country, and the Chair is still there, too.)
Here is the list of inducements I posted on Facebook:
Why should you go to the Eastertide Dance?
You will find that everyone there is either a friend or a friend-of-a-friend.
You will be part of a living tradition! Ceilidh dancing has been practised in Scotland for hundreds of years and the waltz for 200!
Meanwhile, traditional social dancing has seen a resurgence in the TLM community in both America and the European continent, so the skills you develop at the dance are portable!
You will be supporting Scotland’s live music heritage, for we always pay a stipend to the musicians.
You will be at a uniquely Catholic dancing event, taking part in our prayer to St. Michael and hymn to Our Lady.
You will be supporting a family-friendly event, for we offer discounts to families bringing teenagers.
You will be playing a role in bringing back the old-fashioned “parish dance,” complete with its old-school roles.
You will be offered coffee, tea, wine, beer and cake as refreshments!
I am trying to think of other laudable features for another hard sell, which is difficult because I had me at “everyone there is either a friend or the friend-of-a-friend.” First, the “what-if-I-don’t-know-anyone” worry is completely eliminated and, second, it’s lovely to have so many people I know all gathered in one space.
However, if I were the “friend-of-a-friend”, I would like the welcoming atmosphere, and young men asking me to dance, or (if a young man myself) the dance card that makes asking girls to dance rather easier. If over 35, I would be relieved to see the other people over 35 and, if under 25, delighted to see such a handsome crowd of my peers. I think I would also appreciate the short waltzing lesson and, even more, the ceilidh callers.
If new to Scotland, I would definitely appreciate the authenticity of the piper, the ceilidh music and Auld Lang Syne at the end.
As a Catholic, I would be comforted by the Prayer to St. Michael at the beginning, the Regina Caeli at the end, and the priest briefly dropping by to eat the cake. I think it would also be thrilling to be able to use “So what’s your parish?” as the icebreaker so familiar to our ancestors–or, if converts or children of converts, our ancestors in faith.
The Eastertide Dance is, of course, on Easter Friday, April 10, 2026 from 7:30 PM to 11 PM (with an hour at the end for the kind to clean up and wash the dishes). If you would like more information, send me a message!