I can only say from the Sheperdstown, WV experience, bring on the college kids. We have had a dance going for some twenty five years now, as part of a regional cycle with Bluemont, VA taking one week, Frederick, MD the next, a Friday night at Glen Echo in DC, etc. With the kids from the local college showing up, we have had to run sound for the main group of dancers upstairs, and a satellite sound system downstairs, just to keep the Fire Marshall happy. The kids are having a ball, and seem anxious to fit in. They now represent about 40% of our regulars, and are bringing in other youngsters all the way from DC. The downstairs system lets them practice with their peers and a couple of our better dancers, and then try the main hall upstairs. We also have a bracelet system in which there are 250 bracelets, which allow you into the main hall, when you leave to go downstairs you leave your bracelet so that someone else can enter. It seems to work well, and across all age lines.

Funny story before I go... At the Glen Echo Friday Night Open Band we noticed a distinct lack of fiddlers at a dance where there have been as many as 22. The word was passed through the Band " There are now more banjos than fiddlers." A hiss of shock passed through the band... Shortly thereafter utter disaster struck... The word was passed, "Now there are more accordians than banjos...aaiieeeee!"