1) A possible way round this is to get groups of youngsters to join together, they also will feel less like the sole new dancer. Also don't dwell too much on age differences, I have as much to talk about to the 50+ team members as I do with the younger ones, sometimes more.

2) The quality of dancing seems to be a recurring factor, funnily enough more practises is not always the solution to poor dancing. Our team practises the few weeks between Easter and Whitsun, and the new dancers start a few weeks early. I cant imagine any of the team wanting to practise throughout the year, if they did, the dancing would become a chore, and this would be reflected in how the dancing looks in performances.

4) Its good to have musicians who are / have been dancers. They generally play to the dance a lot better than even pro musicians who dont dance. The rhythm and feel is just different.