The Importance of Consistency as a Community Builder

If you are thinking about starting up your own dance community, there is one thing you need to understand before anything else.

Before anyone comes to your events or dance classes, they ask one quiet question in their head.

"Is it still happening tonight?"

The vast majority of people will not call to find out. They will not dig through your page to check. If they are not sure, they just stay home. The empty chair was never about the event. It was about the doubt.

I run Parish Nights, a country swing dance night in Lafayette. Every Friday, same place, same time, we are open. No exceptions unless there's an emergency. And the longer we kept that promise, the more something changed. People stopped wondering if we were open. They just knew. And when people know, they show up.

If you want to build an event that lasts, this is the heart of it. Be reliable. Make sure no one ever has to ask if you are open.

(Chung Thang in the Charizard Suit with fellow UL Ballroom Dance members )

I met some of the best people of my life in that room. People who showed up every week. People who cheered for each other. People who did not care if you messed up a step, because they had messed it up too. That club was not really about dancing. It was about belonging. It was a place where you could walk in alone and leave feeling like you were part of something.

I did not know it at the time, but that room is where the idea for Parish Nights was born. I did not have a name for it yet. I did not have a plan. But the feeling stuck with me. The feeling of a warm, fun place where a nervous beginner could show up, be welcomed, and find their people. Years later, that feeling became Parish Nights.

So if you are reading this and you feel nervous about coming to dance, I get it. I really do. I was that person. I walked in shy, scared, and sure I did not belong. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.

You do not need to know how to dance. You do not need to bring a partner. You do not need to be confident yet. You just need to show up. The rest will come, one step at a time.

Ready for fun Friday Nights?
(Young Adults Ages 18-30s)

Newcomers are welcome!