2025 Covid Policy Update and Survey Results

This fall we ran a survey about covid precautions, so that we can keep our policies in line with our community's needs as much as possible. As it has been two years since our previous survey, we wanted current information to back our decisions.

Updated Policy

In short, our policy will not be changing much. We will continue to alternate mask-required and mask-optional evening dances: 1st Sundays will still be mask-optional, and 3rd Sundays will still be mask-required.

In 2025 we will be adding some 4th Sunday afternoon dances and these will alternate as well, starting with mask-required in January.

About the Survey

The survey was open in September 2024, available digitally and also on paper at two dances (one mask-required and one mask-optional). We posted about it on our blog, on social media, included it in our email announcements, and announced it on the mic at both September dances.

We got 130 responses, and manually input the paper responses into the digital form so the charts reflect all the data we received.

Digging into the results

As you might expect given our choice to continue alternating mask-required and mask-optional, our community continues to be very split. There looks to be a contingent of folks on both sides who only attend the dances with their preferred policy. While the mask-optional-preferring group seems to be slightly larger, the mask-required group is significant as well. This lines up with our attendance data, which doesn't seem to have a noticeable change depending on mask policy.

In the interest of transparency, here are the survey results. The wide range of text answers really brings color to the responses, showing how vastly different our community members' experiences and needs are.

We're interested in more than just attendance. If we changed any of the above, how would this affect your safety, comfort, and/or enjoyment?

It is neither comfortable nor enjoyable to wear a mask. After I wear a mask for about an hour dancing becomes a physical challenge. I get exercise, but it isn't enjoyable. Moreover the social aspect is ruined. I can't see facial expressions.. At times, I don't even know with whom I am dancing. it is almost like dancing with an automaton.
I'd prefer not to have masks required at any dances given the current low risk of COVID and the discomfort of masks while dancing vigorously, and the availability of an updated vaccine as of now.
I am fine either way, just not sure I am physically able to dance with a mask. I am new to this
Would be a lot more comfortable at a masks-required dance. Especially at times when COVID is on the rise, e.g. very much right now.
It probably wouldn't change my personal feelings. I usually mask at dances because BIDA attendance is pretty high and levels haven't gotten very low. It might make me less excited to come if my more cautious friends stopped coming.
I can't contra in a mask when it's very hot, I get lightheaded and dizzy
I have no special safety risks, though I know others do. My comfort and enjoyment are higher with masks-required events, have not yet attended an optional one.
I would not feel as comfortable or safe if we dropped masking or stopped alternating. I might feel differently if the hall had different ventilation.
As an immunocompromised person, the mask-required dances are so important to me and make me feel like I can participate without worrying nearly as much about covid transmission. Removing the mask requirement would be a huge loss and I think I would only feel safe attending if local wastewater data was showing transmission rates much much lower than current levels.
I would be less comfortable attending more dances while fewer folks are making and there is less good ventilation.
I always mask to dance and feel extra good and safe when it’s a masked dance but I understand that folks aren’t as into masking these days anymore. I’d enjoy keeping things the way they are currently with alternating mask optional and mask required
I will always feel safer if everyone is masked and thus more comfortable.
Less masks = less enjoyment and less accessible to vulnerable members of our community
I would enjoy the dance much less if masks were required
I would be more flexible in my attendance and/or enjoy it more, as I much prefer mask-optional dances. I travel from decently far.
I enjoy mask optional dances more but I understand the need for increased safety during covid surges
While I moderately prefer all dances be mask optional, it only strongly impacts my decision to go or not when it is really hot. In which case if it is masked I won't attend. I find really hot (particularly humid) weather makes contras not fun. If I'm on the fence about going to a particular dance, it being masked might make me choose against.
I think dancing without masks is much more comfortable and enjoyable, so that is what i prefer
Love covid safety with masks but can no longer stand the tmj pain or difficulty breathing while doing heavy exercise though an n95 with asthma - unfortunately mixed feelings as is life - not attending large dances during covid spikes rather than wearing an n95 is currently my move.
Masks are not important to me personally. But I would want them if there were a serious resurgence. If a new strain became deadly, I would not dance regardless of masking policy.
My safety and comfort would be improved by requiring masks at all dances
Dispensing with mask-required dances would decrease my comfort a small amount and decrease my enjoyment a small amount (because I think it would keep away people I enjoy dancing with). I assume it would also decrease my safety by some amount.
I find wearing a mask substantially reduces my enjoyment of a dance. I find it uncomfortable to dance in and that it makes it challenging to socialize.
Increase my comfort & enjoyment
I would attend less during COVID spikes if dances were all mask optional because I wouldn’t feel safe or comfortable with the enhanced risk.
If more dances were mask required, I would feel safe and welcome at the dance and in the community again.
I prefer dancing without a mask, and will mask in some cases where I think it is worth it given my upcoming plans.
I would feel far less on edge if masks were always required and if that was strictly kept up.
I would feel safer and have more fun if masks were required. I feel differently about weekends like Beantown where testing is required
I am unwilling to dance masked. It is uncomfortable. It reduces social connection. I prefer to attend dances where other people are not masked too, so it is a negative that many people at BIDA mask even during mask optional events.
I prefer mask-optional, but it's not a strong preference.
I'm much more comfortable when folks are masked
I prefer mask optional for all dances.
I find mask-required dances much more enjoyable, because I don’t have to worry about catching COVID, flu, colds, etc nearly as much. Mask-required dances also significantly protect my long-term health: I am low-risk for an acute COVID infection, but I am still very concerned about long COVID risks (especially cumulative after multiple infections).
Adding masks would make dancing harder, but not impossible. Still, I never go to the masked one.
I’m one of the always mask wearers and I appreciate that by and large, the culture is that it’s my business. I’ve had folks ask me about it in what felt like a judgmental way twice, and I wish there were a way to make that happen less, but it hasn’t been enough of a problem to keep me away from the dance or make me second guess my choice to wear a mask— it just gives me information that informs who I am and am not willing to dance with in the future. I think that the alternating between mask optional and mask required is part of what makes the space largely indifferent to my mask wearing, but I would keep wearing my mask even if all events became mask optional and that would not keep me away.
While I personally attend events with either mask policy, I have friends who only attend mask required events and I would miss dancing with them.
Evidence of updated vaccine in lue of mask, during holiday season
I'd prefer mask-optional dances
Enjoyment and social connection, meet new people, comfort
I would choose to attend based on the local epidemiology and would take whatever precautions felt right to me at the time. Right now I don’t usually attend masked dances because it’s harder to dance esp with small kids in tow. This is based on the 2024 situation where we have broad population immunity - should another pandemic arise or a vastly different sars cov-2 variant I might make different choices.
Feel less comfortable, especially in winter months
I live far away so can’t come to every dance, but because there’s so many people at dances usually I feel much more comfortable when I see lots of people / everyone masking up. Particularly going into cold and flu season, it just makes me nervous to be in a large indoor crowd without much ventilation where everyone’s breathing hard and getting in lots of different people’s faces. I love contra dancing and I love being able to be unmasked, but it just feels like every dance has the potential to be a spreader event without masks.
it would just feel rational to not have a dance where the mask is required. It doesn’t save any lives at this point to require everyone to wear a mask at one event, given the masking and vaccination levels around Boston. forcing a mask at this point is not based on public health.
I feel like many dances, BIDA included, has fallen down on previous promises to observe numbers and make decisions based on science. It reduces my trust in the organizers, and makes me wonder what other safety measures they cut corners or don't take seriously.
At the moment, with the infection rate rather low, I am comfortable dancing with people who are not wearing a mask. I am not able to dance with a tight mask.
It would not. My rate of attendance is more about availability than the covid policy.
I would enjoy it more because I have a hard time doing physical activity with a mask on
About 1 in 33 people in the US have COVID right now. Wearing masks keeps everyone safe-especially folks with disabilities and/or a compromised immune system. Getting sick is also expensive and a lot of folks want afford to miss work due to illnesses. The safest thing to do is always require masks amd have hand sanitizer available. Ideally there would be a few big air filters and better outdoor/indoor air exchange. Masks aren't comfortable for anyone but the discomfort of wearing one is small next to long COVID, critical illness, and endangering other humans.
If you switched to never requiring masks, I would be significantly less comfortable and more conflicted about going. My household has relaxed our precautions in a number of other areas, but are still masking in crowded public spaces, and a dance hall still feels like one of higher risk crowded public places, especially as numbers are going up again this fall. It makes me really happy that there are still some dances with masks required. I am not personally high risk, but a number of people I'm close to are, including in my household, and it feels welcoming and responsible to have some dances that are mask-required.
"I really appreciate seeing covid cautious friends who I only get to dance with at mask required dances!
I really prefer mask required just because then I know the people attending are willing to put any thought into covid at all. "
If masks were required at all dances, I would be less comfortable because it's just hard to dance in a mask! I would rather make a personal decision about my own risk tolerance at each dance (and would not attend if sick of course).
If you stopped requiring masks at any of your dances, I would feel unsafe and disregarded by my community. I am asthmatic and high-risk for covid complications. It would send a frustrating message to me about other peoples' comfort over SAFETY being prioritized by BIDA, especially since covid cases haven't gone down this summer the way that they usually do, and especially since BIDA is typically so very crowded.
I take other precautions re COVID, so masks are just an annoyance that I'd rather avoid.
Right now, cases are "very high" in Massachusetts. In the winter, cases are expected to peak again. I'd like to see the the masking policy based on the level of covid and a BIDA statement that explains that policy. Right now seems a good time for requiring masking, since cases in all of our social circles are high.
I'm fine with whatever policy, I just don't want to dance in a mask.
I feel safe & comfortable without masks and tend to have a more enjoyable experience. Coming from farther away, I don't typically make a longer trip for a mask-required dance anymore.
I would prefer mask-optional dances. KN-95 masks are proven to be extremely effective even if you’re the only one wearing one. They kept me safe all through an unmasked college semester when everyone around me was getting sick. People who are more concerned about safety can wear masks. I trust our community (unlike many) won’t judge them for it.
I enjoy mask-optional dances slightly less than mask-required dances, but it's a very slight difference
I am OK with masks or not.
I would appreciate the option to dance mask-free when that feels safe--it didn't feel safe last Sunday, but the humidity also made masking quite unpleasant. When covid numbers are very high, I might appreciate a mask requirement, but of course it's hard to nail down a threshold for that.
My opinion is that covid is in the past for most people and it is easier to build community without masks.
I am disabled. BIDA is one of the only community spaces where I can connect with community in larger numbers, and participate in a hobby that brings me great joy, belonging, and connectedness, while not worry as much about regularly risking my health. I want very badly to be more involved in dance, to volunteer, show up regularly, and contribute in meaningful ways. If you dropped masking, it would put my health at risk, and I would no longer have access to your events as an attendee or a volunteer. I would be losing access to my community. Id only be able to maybe attend during low waste water times, which is only for like 2 months in the spring. :(
Mask required is the only way I would be comfortable being there. Please keep vulnerable people safe! COVID is not over and it's still causing long term harm.
Knowing that your mask-required dances are high-filtration-mask-required makes me feel very safe & I wish that more "mask-required" events made the distinction of "high-filtration" vs just "masked"! I feel very safe at dances/larger events where masks are required; I think it's great that you are still requiring masks at half of your dances. Seeing events change to 100% mask-optional has made me feel isolated, unwelcome, and unsafe; even though attendees are well-meaning and don't want to get anybody sick/are acting in good faith, the nature of asymptomatic spread means that there is still heightened risk.
I personally think that the country at-large has become extremely lackadaisical with COVID concerns, especially considering that we're (both locally and nationally) on track for having as many cases this coming January of active COVID as we did in January 2022. I agree with a lot of people that I enjoy (and prefer) the experience of dancing un-masked, but considering how high cases are, I think it's wildly unsafe to not require masking or some other risk-mitigation. I personally will probably continue to dance every dance with a mask, but certainly feel more comfortable and mask-required events.
I find masks a mild annoyance, but not a barrier to me until it gets hot. Once it is hot it becomes challenging.
More comfort, less saftey. I'll take it
"It would make BIDA less inclusive,
I would be disappointed"
Masks are required for my masks are required for my comfort and enjoyment.
I feel safer at mask-required dances.
I would rather be attending events that have a covid safety story, and for a one-night dance, masking is the obvious story. Having the whole room masked increases my sense of comfort, even while masking decreases my physical comfort. It's a worthy tradeoff.
Simply put, I enjoyed masked dances less. It is uncomfortable and both conversation & nonverbal social cues can get lost.
Enjoyment increased a bit, esp. when it's hot. Safety no change (tho I realize my friends would attend less). Comfort no change.
I'm fine with mask optional.
I’d personally enjoy it more if masks were not required, though it’s worth it to me to sacrifice some enjoyment sometimes for other folks to be same to stand who otherwise wouldn’t, as it is now.
not much, I like masked dances
Right now, it's kinda high. I feel safer wearing a mask. I appreciate everyone else is wearing one.
for me: mask=safety=comfort=enjoyment
fine
I would feel less safe
I like alternatig weeks. Good to have options. A masked row/line could also work
I would probably only attend required masked dances, so this question less relevant for me.
One of the best things about being at a contra dance is seeing the smiling faces. Masks spoils that."
I would prefer half & half. Required if Deer Island Count is >1000copies/ml
No change. I would just wear when I'd come
I like that there are still dances that encourage masking but I would come either way.
I would enjoy it more
I prefer mask. I am somewhat immune comprimised
Mask optional is too risky for me!
Covid is still very dangerous. Masks aren't perfect, but they provide some protection and raise community awareness.
I don not feel unsafe without masks. Masks are so HOT
Wouldn't come without masks, do not feel safe
more enjoyment
First dance after summer break feels good to do mask required.
Enjoyment UP. Comfort UP, Safety the same
It is difficult to breathe using masks, especially withe it is hot. Masks ruin social interactions
I would come more often
Masks optional (not required) is my STRONG preference. Much more connection, joy and comfort.
Especially during waltzes"
I like the current system, even though I’m sure it’s an extra burden for the organizers. And a frequent cause of complaints from both sides.

Any other comments?

Thank you for caring about this and being concerned about it
Thank you for BIDA.
Relative newbie, but hoping to start attending regularly, and covid safety does matter to me
Thank you for all your thought going into this!
Thank you for surveying the community about this!
Thanks for asking for our input! I appreciate the way you’ve handled COVID so far
I think the effort to provide good ventilation is also important. I'll feel more comfortable after I get my next booster.
"Thank you for surveying!
If requiring masks, masks can be donated from the community for anyone who can't afford or forgets to bring. "
Thanks for doing this!
I think the half and half is a good compromise
I expect I will continue wearing a mask all the time at BIDA regardless of the mask policy.
Though my own feelings about masking are pretty negative, at the same time, I recognize we have dancers who prefer or exclusively attend mask-required dances and don't want them to be excluded from our community. I would like BIDA to continue to have mask-required dances, but I think it's OK if there are fewer of them than mask-optional ones.
As someone who does not attend mask optional dances/events, I have felt very left out of the community every time there's been special dances or events that are mask optional. I miss being able to fully participate in the BIDA community and wish that at least some of the special events were mask required.
I am more likely to come if it's mask optional esp when it's warm (though I'm not sure it actually makes as big of a difference as I'm maybe implying through my frequency answers)
I think the current setup is great. My attendance at BIDA would increase to every time, if BIDA requires masks this winter while Greenfield dances do not (I’m not optimistic that any will reintroduce masking, but you never know). I will regularly attend whichever mask-required dance is nearest, during the winter surge.
Should you choose to only offer mask-optional dances (I hope not!), please consider trying offering a mask-required line at your dances. While not as good as the entire dance being mask-required, it is still safer than having 50+ people breathe heavily directly into my face during swings — my mask can only do so much! If that line is consistently too short, then I understand doing away with it… but it would be helpful to try.
Thank you for polling your community while making this decision!"
I’m grateful to BIDA for collecting all of our opinions and especially for standing strong in the face of salty Facebook comments that appear on mask required dances. Thank you for being reasonable and sticking to your decisions that are based on facts and community surveys and not patting a few loud people make you second guess yourselves (publicly at least). Y’all rock and I have faith in you making compassionate decisions!
Thank you for being amazing organizers and doing the work needed (even if it isn't fun). I think it's very unfortunate for those of us who are either immunocompromised or simply can't get the vaccine, to not really be able to participate.
Even if public opinion is that 'covid has passed' or that it's simply not a big deal, public opinion is rarely guided by facts but rather perception.
I feel like it is Bidas responsibility to do what is best for the community and not what is easiest, because as it stands the board can look up COVID rates, and make informed decisions based on them.
It's the responsibility of the leaders to lead, and not just rely on the 'most people think it's fine'/'lets not rock the boat' philosophy that's been used in the past.
That philosophy does not aged well, and the marginalized voices are being dismissed.
There was pushback with larks and ravens, but it was the right choice (some people left but those people prioritized their preferences for the needs of others).
There was pushback with talking about race in dance, sexism and predatory behavior in dance, why are the leaders of Bida not siding with those who are immunocompromised but rather siding with the members of the community who care more about the discomfort of a mask over the health of their fellow dancers.
Finally, the dance hall is always completely packed, admission seems an all time high, why is the concern that we might discourage dancers even a consideration?
What maybe a 10-20% go from an over packed house to a packed house?"
The more that a dance attracts people from many different locations (special events etc) it feels more that it should be mask required
just stop with the required masking. please. it’s gotten silly. dancing is a physical activity where you get really warm and sweaty and a mask just makes it pretty miserable. so since we’re not saving lives or anything with this, please remove the once a month requirement
I see that "mask" in this survey means only a tight-fitting mask. I would ask BIDA to consider whether a high-quality mask is always necessary. I am not able to dance (breathe properly) with a tight mask, but would be happy to attend a mask-required dance where a surgeons mask is allowed. I realize it is not as effective, but in an environment of lower virus, I would suggest that it is good enough, and it would enable people like me to attend more often. If the virus increases too much, then back to the higher quality mask requirement until it subsides.
Thank you for asking folks what they'd like. That said, most folks are ableist at baseline-we just are. So we are going to focus on what we want over what disabled folks need. We should change that by centering the needs of disabled and other marginalized folks. Doing so not only makes us more inclusive, but also it makes things better for those of us without disabilities in the long run. We are all o ly one bad illness or accident from disability at any time anyhow.
I feel less strongly about one-off special events - I'd love it if they were mask required, but when they aren't, I would probably still go (wearing my own mask, per usual). A riskier one-off event feels different than attending multiple riskier dances a month regularly.
Thanks for continuing to be aware that there is a pandemic, and try to make people safe. I appreciate it.
Thank you for all you do for the dance!
Thank you for collecting this data. I hope this inspires other dance organizations to survey their communities as well.
I like BIDA being inclusive, but I'm not interested in dancing in a mask. I'm not pushing for any particular change, just trying to give information.
I like that BIDA has some masked and some mask optional dances, although it doesn't affect my personal attendance much.
No one should stop you from wearing a mask. Stay home if you're sick. Have masked dances sometimes to accommodate the immunocompromised and the hypochondriac.
My preference is basically "responsive to Covid numbers", but setting the threshold for when to require masks seems perhaps impossibly subjective. I appreciate you volunteer committee members and all the work you do!
Most of what constrains my dancing is schedule, not masking — at this point I figure I can’t control anyone else’s behavior and can only mask or avoid dancing altogether when it feels too risky to me to do so.
Thanks for taking feedback <3
This is the only dance I can go to, please don't take this away. Please help me protect myself and my loved ones from spreading a preventable disease that can impact your brain and your whole body forever.
I appreciate how thoughtful you all are being about COVID protocols!
The primary constraint on my attendance is schedule and location, not COVID policy: the far end of Cambridge is too far away when I have to go to work the next morning. I realize it's a great location for many other people, not asking for a change there. I'm just saying that my attendance responses are not well correlated with my feelings about the COVID policy.
I am currently masking for all large indoor dances, and BIDA - especially with 2024 crowd levels - absolutely counts. That said, I've been willing to go to mask-optional dances and events that don't otherwise have a covid safety story. So I don't want to make demands of BIDA.
If eliminating mask-required dances entirely doesn't seem right for the community, perhaps they become special events scheduled once in a while.
I rarely mask anywhere anymore, unless the event requests/requires it.
Many of my friends appreciate the masked dances & I like to dance with them.
I also should request that you check where your responses are coming from, because when I shared the info about this survey, one friend responded with ""Fill it out often."""
Thank you for keeping our community safe!
Thank you
Thank you for having mask required dances every month! Though I only like to attend mask required dances, I understand BIDA is a diverse group and I can skip dance dates without masks
Should also require vaccination
More Will Mentor! More challenging contras please
Dimming the lights is fun. but dancing half the dance in the dark is depressing
I like the current policy, even if it means that I don't attend every time. For the comfort of others
Prefer no mask. Continue to impress safety
BIDA may be the only event still sometimes requiring mask. It has been 4.5 years since the pandemic arrived
Thanks!
There is not a strong public health rationale for requiring masks and it takea away from both physical comfort and connection to others!
Not a strong preference, but definitely attend more mask optional ones than mask required. My preference would be mostly mask optional, but considering hosting a mask required based on surges or if there happen to be 3 dances in a month
I’m more constrained by my life (time, energy, etc) . The mask policy does not stop me from going or not going. But I really like that people now have a choice.

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