Flutterby™! : Dance Epidemic

The Onion: CDC Warns Once-Eradicated Jitterbug Spreading Across Country At Rate Not Seen Since 1940s

So by my calculations this suggests that the square dancing revival is due any minute now... But some health news about a few square dance callers, and the fact that the last two weeks have had me calling more than my usual, also have me thinking a bit about economics.

I've long said that the perfect business space is one where your business is established and there's room for one and a half participants in the market: Room to grow, not enough room for someone else to start up in it.

But in some kinds of markets there's a macro-economic effect, popularity induces demand. And, of course, pricing has a big impact.

Square dancing likely won't be anything but a hobby to me, unless I can build enough of a scene that there are still dancers around who want to keep me coming out to play when I hit retirement age, but it in this space where local callers are making $500 for a one night stand on many weekend nights (I'm still working on that level of comfort with brand new dancers), and $150 or so for two or three hours work (plus transit time) for an evening.

And if I were willing to give any more time to this particular hobby, I could drop into that space as current callers drop out.

However, that's not enough money to drag me out for the money, and I believe that if I do that, then I'll just end up calling for those groups that are slowly withering away, and in 5-10 years the market will dry up entirely.

So there's this weird space where the North Bay needs two or three more up-and coming callers, there's maybe the space in the market to absorb them, but if they step into that space, then square dancing is gonna wither and fade.

Not a fully-formed thought, just the sort of thing I ponder.