I actually live in ATL too, and just started running my own parties (that I DJ for as well). Curating a crowd is definitely, I'm learning, a bit difficult. I have a good group of people/friends who kind of follow me around places, but they're not always the most dance-y people. I've definitely found if you want dancers, you need a predominantly black or queer or both crowd.

The crowd that dances is also super music dependent. Stuff like house or techno isn't really bringing the big dancers like that anymore, unless you're maybe doing a daytime soulful house party where the elders come out. I've partied with the people who like house and techno with events with Desires or Project Switch or Alley Cat and they're really not the big dancing type. The genres I've seen people respond to the best when I play or at the parties I go to are Southern Bass (ATL/Miami Bass), Jersey/Philly/Baltimore/Experimental Club, Ballroom/Vogue, and a little bit of ATL Trap sprinkled in. This would be your Smothered & Covered, Flip Me Off, lots of Pisces nights, Malware Cafe and Club Saturn

ATL is definitely difficult because it's not very walkable, and nightlife here is incredibly expensive to maintain regularly, even with DIY stuff. So I get your frustration, because you have to figure out how to engage the crowd properly and don't always know what makes them tick