Published on August 16, 2025 1:50 AM GMT

BIDA has now finished its second year alternatingbetween mask-optional and mask-required dances. What effect doesthis have on attendance?

I tried to look at this in January2024, but with only eleven dances it was hard to say. Now that wehave four times as many, we can get a better sense:

This is only regular dances, no special events. So no family dances,double dances, or Elixir'slast dance (which had a session of couples dancing).

Overall, the mask-required dances averaged 166 people (median 160)while the mask-optional dances averaged 190 (median 184).

This is consistent with the surveyresults: 23% of respondents reported attending every time, risingto 35% in a hypothetical where the dance stopped ever requiring masks.Similarly, 67% reported attending at least monthly, falling to 58% ina hypothetical where the dance started always required masks.

Total attendance is not the only thing that matters, though, and oneimportant benefit of holding both categories of dance is that peoplewho are only willing to come to mask required or mask optional dancescan do that.