Feedback for the 2009 Black and White Ball and Dance Lessons during Fanime

[Liquid]

Hello, my name is Tyler Robertson. I was on Rovers staff working the B&W Ball on Sunday. I was mostly at the door to the room all night doing badge checks and trying to enforce the dress code policy (I was the one with the spiked up hair.)

First off, I just want to say that I really enjoyed working the B&W even though I didn't really have a chance to partake in the dancing. Everyone who attended looked wonderful and to me it seemed everyone was in a great mood smiley and having a fun time. However, here are some things I felt need to be improved by next year and also some neat ideas that I have.


1.) A much, much larger ballroom.
- If possible, one with a much larger dance floor and more tables and chairs as well.
- It was very crowded inside and at one point we Rovers had to hold off admission and form an entry line in order to control the inside.
- Getting around the room was at times a battle.
- The dance floor was so crowded that people were dancing off the floor and in the nearby walk ways and open areas. I almost got hit a few times while making my rounds around the outside of the room.
- Maybe something as large as Ballroom J at the SJCC? Possibly larger? We had a very rough estimate of 2,000-3,000 people attend. I don't think the room was built for that, but props to B&W organizers for getting that many people interested in showing up.
- I do like that it is NOT in the SJCC though. This makes it so that for the most part only those serious about coming to the B&W Ball show up.



2.) The floor.
- From what I had heard this was done by an outside contractor and the floor was put together from two or more different types of floor panels that were not normally made to combine. Everyone involved in B&W should know this was a huge issue and this will surely be resolved in next years B&W.
- Good job to the B&W organizers for getting an announcement out about the hazardous floor as soon as possible.



3.) A coat check and\or bag check.
- Working at the door I got asked if we had one a zillion times and I felt pretty bad for the folks who came with coats and bags not knowing there was no where to set them. I did hear we may have a coat check next year though?



4.) Signs.
- Maybe some signs pointing the way to the nearby Yamaga party and also signs showing the way to the restroom.
- I got asked about the restroom a zillion times too. Not really a huge issue. I did not mind pointing the way, but it would have made things a lot easier for our guests.
- Maybe also a large blown up sign listing the dress code near the door someplace? So if questions arise about their clothes and why we said it was not formal enough, we can just point them to the sign.



5.) Music choices.
- Old McDonald. Really? Really? :D I mean, it gave me a pretty good laugh and for fun a few of the Rovers and I started dancing at the door....but it is not a Ballroom Dancing song, lol.
- Kermit the frog?
- Chocobo song 3-4+ times. I am a huge FF fan and I know it was different version, but more then once or twice is overkill.
- The hardcore metal version of the Macarana? I give props for half the dance floor that actually remembered how to dance to it. It was too old for me to remember how to though.
- I agree with other posters about having music that actually suits a B&W Ball and the dance types that are planned for it.



6.) Food.
- Corn Dogs and Pizza. Formal B&W Ball and our patrons got served cheap greasy foods. I was very thankful that there was food though, but people had to pay for it. This causes an issue with #2 with females being forced to bring purses and then having no where to safely set them.
- An idea that I heard from some B&W attendees was maybe next year to have B&W formally catered. Rovers staff met a group of 20+ people outside on our way back to the hotel and they brought this up as an idea for next year. All of them stated they would have no quams with actually paying for tickets if it meant they had decent food awaiting them.



7.) A quieter area away from the loud music where people can rest and chat.
- Not sure who else noticed, but we had a ton of people lining the walls outside of the dance room due to a lack of a quiet resting area.
- Also many groups came outside just to stand around and talk. At times we had to clear crowds so that foot traffic wasn't being blocked.



8.) Sectioning off a part of the dance floor for serious dancers.
- Another poster mentioned issues and conflicts between people seriously dancing and others either making a mockery of dancing or not knowing the specific dance for the song. Maybe this can be resolved by roping off a portion of the floor for those who really know how to dance.



9.) Age limits.
- Someone listed an idea for an age limit. I don't agree with this, but I do have a better idea. Why not run the regular B&W till 11PM like normal and then clear out the room, clean it up, and run an age check for those 18+ or even 21+ and continue an adults only B&W into the wee hours? Not sure if that would fly, but it's just an idea.



10.) Dress code.
- You guys really need to read that BEFORE coming all the way over to the Fairmont. I felt bad letting in an entire group of people and having to turn away the one or two in the group not meeting dress code. Or having a guy come over with his girlfriend looking nice and dressed up and him trying to come in with his jeans and a t-shirt. So, if you plan to go next year, please do read the dress code carefully.



11.) Paid admission.
- This idea goes with #6. This should help get better food and people who are more serious about coming to B&W.
- Another addition to this idea is to offer lower admission prices to those who attended dance lessons.


Overall though, I had a great time and it looked like the majority of everyone enjoyed themselves too. I look forward to helping out at B&W next year as well.  ;D

[OniCourseMusha]

Hey, name is Craig.  I was one of the assistance plus I wore the Brain Age sign as part of my cosplay while I dressed up as well.

I loved this event.  So many improvement in so many ways.

Dress code: I was assigned to check people's outfit just like last year.  I like the dress code enforcement except for the shoes part.  I would like to pass people who dressed really formal except for the shoes part like tennis shoes and sneakers but I had to follow that rule.  I had to tell people in line who are not dressed up at all and did not meet up wit the dress code requirement and was heart breaking for me.  But hey this is what you get from not "reading the fine print" for not dressing up.  Can't let you in man.

Dance floor: It was nice at first until the floor kept on splitting.  It was pretty scary that i had to move my other partner to the other side to be safe.  I liked to practice on the empty side so I can practice other style of dancing if i'm not familiar wit the song or the dance style.  So the only complaint i got was the floor splitted up and it was very unsafe.  Otherwise I can feel safe dancing anywhere.

Dance line:  People complained about the line at the ball last year.  But this year, it has been improved alot!  I checked outside in the middle of the ball and towards the end.  There's no more long line to get through!

Food:  Yeah the food is overpriced at the beginning.  But hey towards the end they went down a buck each.  Fair enough?

New location:  I've talked to few people who complained that the location is too far to walk to  from the convention.  I'd tell them its not that bad of a walk since and is like walking to jack in the box.  The area is sooo beautiful and the room is just perfect to held formal ball!  Trust me it's not that bad and it's worth the walk.

Dance line:  I thought that was such a great addition to the ball.  There are so many shy people out there that why not form a line and pair up wit a random person and dance towards the across the floor.

I read people's post about regarding V Waltz being not appropriate for the area I'm gonna have to disagree.  I've been to dance space and dance floors than B&W ball which was Peer's event and Dicken's fair plus they V waltz all the time including Polka and Mazurka!  Yeah the dance floow was like crumbling, but I think the room is just fine.  It would be nice to have a bigger room next year.

The whole white arm band was good idea.  Some girls came up to me and asked.  I think it would be nice to have more assistance and I would like to refer them to the people in white arm band for variety.

Thank you for everything that the B&W ball has to offer including as part of volunteer group.  I would like to thank Jim and Eugene for making this possible and making it even more better thanx to feedback.

Suggestions:
I was thinking about having few assistance or instructor have a meet up in the fountain to take the group to the Fairmont hotel.  So people doesn't have to go out and get lost.
Well next year i'm planning on giving mini lessons for those well dressed people who are planning on going to B&W ball but never took a lesson yet on my spare time.

[Drk-X]

- Kermit the frog?

Ahahahahhaha!

Well, Rainbow Connection is actually a great song for waltz (I've actually used it myself for a performance earlier this year). It's certainly danceable, though I'll agree it's a bit out of place and the Sarah Mclachlan version is a lot nicer. (I know Kermit did the original, but the Sarah Mclachlan version has better instrumentals and it's also easier to dance to)

[darrylhw]

I love "Rainbow Connection".  It's a great waltz.  Slow with a pronounced beat and brings a smile to my face. Not the weirdest waltz I've danced too.  Oh, we should use Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters".  Awesome slow V. Waltz.

I still say that Viennese Waltz is a hazard if a line of dance (LOD) is not established.  This is kind of true for waltz, tango, and foxtrot were the basic steps require travel.  Swing, cha cha, salsa, and rumba can be danced in a more packed nightclub setting.  The trick will be to institute the traditional counterclockwise LOD. Not an easy task with the large and overly packed dance floor which we have on our hands. Maybe we should have announcements to force a LOD whenever a song which requires one starts.  We could have the instructor planted around the room to "remind" people to start moving in a counter clockwise direction.

I didn't really pay attention to the food being offered outside, but fried concession stand food isn't exactly in keeping with the B&W feel.  I don't believe that grease goes well with formal wear.  Well...except maybe some for the hair.

I understand the frustrations of many of the more experienced dancers with the antics of some attendees, but we have to remember that B&W Ball is an event which all Fanime member have the right to attend.  I would say that the idea of sectioning off a portion of the dance floor would give the wrong impression.  We don't want to walk down the slippery slope of segregating the membership.  This year was already a much improved dance compared to just even last year.  The conga lines were mercifully kept to at least songs that had a Caribbean beat. As for tango dancing, I agree that the dancers who decide on striking a pose and running in all directions in promenade was annoying, but if we want to lessen that impact, we need the LOD. At least then the running will be in the same direction.

[Liquid]

- Kermit the frog?

Ahahahahhaha!

Well, Rainbow Connection is actually a great song for waltz (I've actually used it myself for a performance earlier this year). It's certainly danceable, though I'll agree it's a bit out of place and the Sarah Mclachlan version is a lot nicer. (I know Kermit did the original, but the Sarah Mclachlan version has better instrumentals and it's also easier to dance to)

I gotta be honest, I couldn't hear the song that great...but I was there at the door and the song sounded a little funny. I stuck my head in to hear a little better and was like... "Is this??.....what the.... is this Kermit the Frog?!?!" :D

If it does fall under Waltz, then sure go ahead and play it. It was just kinda weird for me, lol.

Oh, we should use Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters".  Awesome slow V. Waltz.

Metallica is awesome, but come on... If you request people coming in serious formal attire, then you should play serious formal songs. If you want to play non-serious songs and weird stuff, then it should be a less serious dress code as well.

Maybe there should also be a normal dance. Like, a school dance type environment. Where you can play a variety of music. (Seperate from the Rave type dance.)

[Drk-X]

I still say that Viennese Waltz is a hazard if a line of dance (LOD) is not established.  This is kind of true for waltz, tango, and foxtrot were the basic steps require travel.  Swing, cha cha, salsa, and rumba can be danced in a more packed nightclub setting.  The trick will be to institute the traditional counterclockwise LOD. Not an easy task with the large and overly packed dance floor which we have on our hands. Maybe we should have announcements to force a LOD whenever a song which requires one starts.  We could have the instructor planted around the room to "remind" people to start moving in a counter clockwise direction.

Line of Dance was taught, but as mentioned, only one third of the attendees actually attended the ball (an estimate based on the total counts we got). Tango is the big one. Only one class meaning very few people had learned it. There was FAR more goofing off than legitimate tango during the tango songs, and as it was mentioned earlier, not only is it a hazard (especially to people following LOD), it can also be seen as a mockery.

If it does fall under Waltz, then sure go ahead and play it. It was just kinda weird for me, lol.

Oh, it most definitely is. You may want to compare the different versions though.

Kermit the Frog (the original): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw6rNr1X-gY&feature=related (not official, but fairly close. The only official version I could find has been muted :/)
Sarah Maclachlan's cover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4GBnpS83As

[tkdteo]

Hello everyone, Jim here. Just wanted to thank everyone for their feedback so far.  All your suggestions are being taken under serious consideration for next year.  I just wanted to respond to a few things myself.

1) Dance lessons

Good

- This year we had some really great dance instructors and they were right one with the dances.  Their time and energy helped make the BWBall a big success.  Thank you again to all the assistants for coming to help out.

Needs Work

- Commitment by the assistants.  Last year I was one of the instructors who taught lessons for the Con and was not pleased with teaching more than 4 hours in a row without a break.  This year I wanted to make sure that we go in enough lessons and had a good amount of quality instructors and assistants.  There was a lot of interest in becoming assistants but there were a good number of people who didn't show up.  I know there were a couple of people that had personal crises and that was conveyed to me and that was perfectly fine.  I just would like a bigger commitment from the assistants for next year if you decide to help out.

- Having a clock.  Reading the previous posts, having a clock to keep lessons running smooth and helping instructors stay on task is a great idea.  


2) Black and White Ball

Good

- Having the VIPs there was great! Great to see them there and it was awesome being able to dance with them! :D

- Attendance was great considering it was a little further away from the Convention Center than most other events.  I was glad to see that people made the trek over to come to the Black and White Ball.

- Attendees looked great! Looked like a lot of people were more aware of the dress code this year and everyone looked fabulous.

- Bigger Ballroom and Bigger Dance Floor.  Due to the interest from people who attended last year and the interest from people posting on forums, we knew we needed a bigger dance floor.  We put in for a bigger dance floor and it looked like it accommodated a good amount of people.  

- Water.  We wanted to make sure there was ample water for people who were dancing.  Looks like they were so that was good.

- Dance instructors and assistants were out in full force helping people dance.  Thank you again for all your time and energy.

- We tried something new this year with the demonstrations and the dance mixers.  It looks like they were both well received by everyone.  If you want more of the same things, post to the forum... let us know!  Remember, if you want changes to happen, the more feedback we get, the more likely they will be addressed for next year!  We can't do anything unless you speak up!

Needs work...

- Dance floor separating - The dance floor was ordered from an outside vendor.  The one that would have been provided by the Fairmont would have been significantly smaller than the one we had.  As for the floor separating, the BWBall staff was aware of it after the BWBall had gotten underway, but there was nothing we could do to get it back together.  It was a hazard to all the dancers on the floor and we will look into not having this type of incident to happen again next year.

- Venue being too small - It seems this event just gets bigger and bigger each year.  So we are glad to see the increase in attendance.  We do realize that there was not much room to sit and mingle because of the big dance floor and will look into what we can do about that next year.  There was some suggestions of having it back in the J.  We can look at that but please do remember the last time that we had that in there (last year) there was not enough circulation through the room and there was not enough water to go around.  Again all of these will be taken into consideration for next year.

- Music choice - Not everyone is going to like the music that is chosen.  With that said, there was a thread on forums about suggestions for music to be played at the Ball.  If you see the post up for next year's ball, please post your suggestions and (if you can) send us an mp3.  We had some good suggestions but sometimes we could not find the song.  I am hoping to have more input from Fanime goers for next year's BWBall.  

Also we were trying to stick with the theme of music from Anime, Jpop, or animated series... well trying to stay as close to that as possible this year.  With that said, it was sometimes difficult to find Ball music.  So, again, this is where your suggestions come into play.  We tried to get music people suggested, but again, sometimes that didn't work out.  Also, we wanted everyone to enjoy the ball.  So we chose a variety of music to get people out on the dance floor.  Most of the times it worked, sometimes it didn't.


3) Things to be considered for next year:

- Age restriction - Did anyone see the cute girl out on the dance floor during the mixer?!?!?!  Come on, with an age restriction we would not have seen that! I do understand why this was suggested but we want the Ball to be open to everyone who would like to attend.  We will see what we can do about this.

- Coat check - Something to take into consideration.  We will look to see if this is plausible with space, staff, and liability issues.

- Signs - "If you don't own it, don't tape it." We will look into see how we can better direct traffic.

-  Having two dance floors - It would be a great idea but again we have to look at the logistics of things and also the cost of doing that.  The other big problem is finding a place that can accommodate two dance floors. Also I do not want to segregate the Black and White Ball attendees.  We are all here to have a good time and sometimes it doesn't mesh well but I think everyone dealt with it pretty well.  Although the people trying to do the tango promenade and trying to be funny about it got a little out of hand and dangerous.

- Admission - Paid admission is an option and we will visit that later.  Not allowing people in if they have not been to a dance lesson, that is an idea but we also have to consider that people are coming to the convention to enjoy the festivities.  I would rather not force them to go to something and have them miss out on other events.  Also there are people who do know how to dance that do not need to take lessons and that would make it so they cannot come to the ball.  But your idea has been noted and we will consider it also.  

- Formalizing the event - I personally would like to keep the event fun so everyone has a good time.  However I have been made aware of the dangers of trying to dance and have things happen around you that may make it hazardous.  Conga lines, often fun but if you are snaking through the dance floor and people are really trying to dance, it can cause accidents.  Also the numbers of conga lines we had got to be a little much.  Dancing in circles with friends is fine but please remember to dance toward the center so people who are trying to move during the dance can do so freely around the outer edge of the dance floor.

That is it from me for right now.  Keep the feedback coming.  Remember, if we don't hear about it, we won't know to address it and try and fix it for next year.  In my personal opinion I saw that the Ball was a great success over the previous year.  There was a lot more interest and staff/assistants were awesome.  Bye for now.

- Jim
2009 BWBall 2nd

[unluckycharm13]

This is Elizabeth, one of the instructors. I forgot to mention that in my last post :P.

First of all, thank you to those who came to the lessons! My partner Dan and I were really excited to be here and eager to teach everyone how to dance Cha-Cha, Rumba, Salsa, and more(however, cha-cha and rumba,the latin dances, happen to be our specialty). The lessons this year seem like a HUGE improvement from last year. While I wasn't there, I heard the lessons didn't go so well.

For those who thought that the classes seemed a bit short: they were short because some classes went over time and other classes were made shorter because of this(having a clock in the room definitely would have helped.Also, on day 2, Ballroom J was unlocked later than usual causing us to go off schedule). Also, at most of the lessons, there were at least 30-40 people at one lesson. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to teach this many people who have little or no dance experience the basic step, an underarm turn, and another move of our choice(the basic and underarm turn were required to be taught) because not everybody catches on to one dance at a fast pace. As instructors, it is our job to get the basic steps and more to as many people as we can with the time constraints given. But hey, it could be that people were having so much fun that time passed by faster than usual.

As for the music, since I have heard some songs were not suitable for a formal dance, perhaps there could be a mix of formal and modern music at the ball that fits each dance. I believe the reason the modern music was there was to appeal to the younger crowd and keep them entertained to songs that were familiar to them. Not to mention, a lot of modern music works beautifully with the dances taught at the lessons.

About having a lesson or two on day zero: this sounds like a great idea. While Dan and I were there on day zero, without any notification, there was no way people were going to be able to figure out that instructors were there to help. So, for next year, perhaps we could have an open floor on day zero so people can meet the instructors/assistants and ask any questions about the B&W Ball and maybe get a lesson or two.
I understand someone mentioned having a refresher course on the dances taught before the ball. I would suggest that more people come to the open floor sessions if they had any questions regarding any dances taught. Perhaps we could have instructors/assistants not teaching beginner/intermediate lessons at this time be available to answer questions.
Please feel free to give more suggestions on how this event could be improved.
Thanks,
Elizabeth

[Wabbit98]

Jim talking to someone I know after the dance he said that it was a little dark in the room and kind of hard to see other people that were dressed in dark colors on the dance floor.  I would kind of agree with him, it was at times hard to see some people who were dressed in dark colors on the dance floor.

-Kevin

[Anna]

The instructors for the Foxtrot on Sunday were freaking awesome. I loved how they were so precise.

As for the ball, the dance floor felt pretty crowded and I didn't like how people ran into you and then gave you dirty looks. Some bumping around is bound to happen, but no need to give attitude.

[Eri Kagami]

I wouldn't mind having paid admission for the ballroom dance. Anime Central does the same thing, but the money goes to charity. I believe the cost was a $10 admission into the dance. Usually those willing to pay are those willing to dress up nice and dance appropriately. The conga line did get annoying fast and claustrophobic.

As far as the food goes, we just ate at Johnny Rocket's right across the street!

More emphasis on the coat / bag check. I think I read something on cosplay.com about a girl loosing her glasses during the dance. I also had a friend loose her badge.

I wish I could have gone to the dance workshops, but there was so much going on. I'll make a point to check it out. Although I know the steps, it would be great to have a refresher course. Too bad there's not many social dances like Peers or Gaskells down in freakin' Los Angeles. No pun intended.

[darrenfhf]

Assistant Darren here (Tuxedo, White Armband, Huge Camera, Raving Lunatic: Pick any 3)

I had an absolute blast at the dance! And judging from the smiling faces on the floor, I'm guessing that most of the people there did as well.

We should remember as we read the feedback that people are much more open to providing criticism than to praise.

And now, some of my thoughts, which have zero authority, credibility, and may go against the grain:

Mixers

Great! I had several people ask me "are there going to be more mixers?" We could probably do more than 2. And how about doing a snowball as well? ;)

Music

Some ups, some downs. I heard a few awesome songs I'd never heard before, and a few that made me go "huh?"

I agree that some of the songs were, er, "off" , but in all honesty, I've gone to ballroom dances where I've left after an hour because I didn't like the music the DJ was playing. Music is an intensely personal thing.

And to be fair, every email that we white-armband-ful-people received from the staff in the months leading up to the con included a line like "do you have any music we can use?" I know I didn't step up on this, even though I could have. I'll do better next year.

Volume

In the audio booth, we weren't in any speaker paths. Remember that in a room with hard walls, low frequency reflections are attenuated twice as much as high frequencies: Beware setting the volume based on the lows!  I'm not sure if the audio equipment was rented, scavenged, borrowed, or belongs to Fanime, but we really should have a compressor in the mix; just on the off-chance someone forgets the previous rule. :)

Hazards to Navigation and Line of Dance

I broke up or moved a few hazards in the first half of the evening with a few polite words like "Excuse me; could you please move off the floor / over to the corner / edge / center so you're not in the way?" Worked like a charm.

I mostly turned a blind eye in the second half unless the problem was egregious, because personally, I love it when things become more organic / raw / random later in the night.

Lessons

Well organized, well presented. Congrats to everyone who taught and assisted on doing a great job! Except me, of course - I suxx0r3d.  ;D

And as for the comment that "we should have a clock in the room;" let me tell you about this incredible invention called a watch. ;)

Dances

I said this last year, and I'm going to say it again this year: In my opinion, we should be teaching less dances, not more.

Those of us who have been dancing for a while tend to forget what our first few classes were like - having trouble remembering the steps for one dance, let alone eight; confusing the different dances with each other;  the sheer anxiety of asking someone to dance whilst worrying we're going to make a fool of ourselves.

Waltz and Swing: They'll get you through 90% of all the music you'll encounter as a casual dancer in the real world.

I'd suggest the mornings be "basics" (slow moving; basic steps 75%; one pattern) and the afternoon be "less basics" (a bit faster class pace; 40% basics review; three patterns.)  Do different self-contained patterns on each of the afternoons. Make the open floor an actual "practice floor" with review groups rather than new patterns or dances.

Admission / Age Limits / Dance Test

No. No. No. And, did I mention "No?"

In my opinion, this is not a ballroom dance - it's a dance at a convention where people may have taken some of the kindly provided ballroom dance lessons. Earlier in the evening, before we got totally jammed, there was enough room for people to try their new steps safely. Once the floor got packed, there's not much you can do: Beginners' don't have the floorcraft to move in those crowds; even very experienced dancers have difficulties.

And if we ever consider saying to someone "sorry, but your dance skills are not good enough - please leave the floor," then we've totally failed our mandate, because, in my opinion, the goal is to make it fun for the vast majority of the people while not making it too un-fun for the minority.

And if you read the above line and are thinking "Grrr, but when I was trying to transition from shadow telespin through promenade into pivots some n00b jerk blocked me," my response to you is the following: You could have gone to Starlight instead.

Cheers
Darren

[unluckycharm13]

I definitely agree that there should be no age limit to come to the Ball because anyone at any age can dance. Plus, people at all levels dancing together on one floor is perfectly fine with me, as long as the conga lines, people standing on the floor in large groups, and people charging around the room (which is rather dangerous to experienced and non-experienced dancers alike) does not get out of control. 
As for making a rule that one must take a lesson before the ball, this is something that we could "highly recommend" rather than enforce this rule upon guests at Fanime. Enforcing a rule like this would probably intimidate people rather than welcome them to this event.
For the mixers, perhaps there should have been a demonstration by instructors/assistants of what a mixer should look like and then let guests participate. I understand that Jim did this at a lesson, but not everyone who went to the Ball went to the lessons.
Other than that, I believe others have said what has needed to be said. That is all I have for now.
Thanks,
Elizabeth

[OniCourseMusha]

Age limit?  Oh come on this event is for everyone!

Paid addmission for that?  I just paid 55 dollars for the weekend and that's not included?? Then why not make the rave charge the attendees just to attend the rave!  What a ripoff!  Keep it free for paying for the con itself!

Dance test? So what if I didn't go to the lesson cuz I already know how to dance and you won't let me in just cuz I didn't go to the lessons.  That's pretty ridiculous!

I'm sorry I don't think these would make improve B&W ball at all or what made it great.

[Drk-X]

As for the ball, the dance floor felt pretty crowded and I didn't like how people ran into you and then gave you dirty looks. Some bumping around is bound to happen, but no need to give attitude.

Indeed. Some people obliged when I asked them to move off the floor instead of idling around, but a lot of people were very rude when I told them that they were being a hazard (once again, there is little to find amusing about charging across the floor in a hollywood tango hold). People don't care to take responsibility for their thoughtless actions until after someone gets hurt and I do not want to see that happen.

let me tell you about this incredible invention called a watch.

Poor and self-supporting college students have more things to pay for (like tuition or their car insurance) before paying for a watch. (I'm sorry, but that comment came off as condescending to me.... >.>)

[idontknow]

i don't wanna quote everyone so this is my respond to the "admission" for the ball.
i think it would be a good idea under certain circumstances. i agree that everyone already paid a lot for the convention itself but if admission was something really small like $5 it may cut out the people that simply going because "it's free" (i was one of those people myself .__.;) heck even something as small as $3 would be fine. but definately anything $10+ might not be the best for the ball. someone suggested to have the money donated to charity which might be a good idea ^_^

i've seen complaints on music selection; not only because people didn't like the music but because more experienced dancers felt that the music selection didn't qualify for the dance it was for. maybe a suggestion for this is to have a few experienced dancers on staff for whoever is in charge of music choice for the ball?

i've read something about formal dinners? if you want that you may want to find another place besides fairmont because (from what i know) fairmont is the most expensive hotel in downtown san jose. i also know that plated dinners start at approximately $30+ tax. and you also need a guest list. i think if you are planning to have plated dinners then it would be the best time to have the "paid admission" maybe instead of plated dinners you can have hordevoures (excuse my spelling). although i know that those are a bit pricey too (~$3 to $6 per piece o.o)

as for experienced vs. beginning dancers. i agree what someone said, just because you're a beginner doesn't mean you aren't allowed on the dance floor. to best honest, i think even people that are just fooling around doing stupid parody dances have every right to dance than anyone else (even though i'm not fond of it.) i'm with the idea for having two dance floors although i already know that there are complications to that. i guess that's up to the upcoming staff to decide what to do ^^;;

umm i'll rant more later! :D

[OniCourseMusha]

i don't wanna quote everyone so this is my respond to the "admission" for the ball.
i think it would be a good idea under certain circumstances. i agree that everyone already paid a lot for the convention itself but if admission was something really small like $5 it may cut out the people that simply going because "it's free" (i was one of those people myself .__.;) heck even something as small as $3 would be fine. but definately anything $10+ might not be the best for the ball. someone suggested to have the money donated to charity which might be a good idea ^_^

Well even though that price isn't that bad.  My main concern is if that event starts doing admission.  I think the other department like the rave would might want to do the same thing and so on if you guys did this and that means we might end up paying more in the future.  Donation for the B&W ball should be fine or sell other things like fans and flowers.

as for experienced vs. beginning dancers. i agree what someone said, just because you're a beginner doesn't mean you aren't allowed on the dance floor. to best honest, i think even people that are just fooling around doing stupid parody dances have every right to dance than anyone else (even though i'm not fond of it.) i'm with the idea for having two dance floors although i already know that there are complications to that. i guess that's up to the upcoming staff to decide what to do ^^;;

I think two separate dance floors sounds pretty fun and interesting except I might have hard time finding friends.

[NekoMiki]

Ming-Sum here, one of the instructors.

I see that most of the issues have been addressed, so I will only add on to a few of them.  I believe that a separate floor would be discouraging to newer dancers who might feel they are not worthy of being on the "real" floor.  If we had a bigger floor, then there should be enough room for people who wants to do their own thing in the middle while still leaving enough room on the outer edge for people traveling in the line of dance.  Perhaps it could be marked in some way.  However, if people are just standing in the middle of the floor talking to friends, then we should ask them to get off, as that is a real hazard.

Also, if it's possible, it might be nice to have a poster with the rules printed to remind the attendees of the rules of conduct.  If we can get a boombox, we can just record ourselves reading them out and playing the recording over and over again for the people standing in line before going into the ballroom.  Hopefully this will make the evening more enjoyable for everyone.

Lastly, I would like to say thank you to the heads, instructors/assistants, and all of those who attended the ball.  It was a fun-filled night that I am sure most people enjoyed.

[saebel]

Hi Jim--

I have a little more feedback - I was thinking about it yesterday, and I really loved the demos.  Great way to pump up the crowd.  Maybe the demos could be followed by a mini lesson, where just the basic of the dance shown is taught off to the side of the floor.

(This, of course, would require ample space next to the floor -- I'm picturing Meeting Room J as an example.)


Also, about the lessons:

I said this last year, and I'm going to say it again this year: In my opinion, we should be teaching less dances, not more.

Those of us who have been dancing for a while tend to forget what our first few classes were like - having trouble remembering the steps for one dance, let alone eight; confusing the different dances with each other;  the sheer anxiety of asking someone to dance whilst worrying we're going to make a fool of ourselves.

I absolutely agree with the part about being a raw beginner.  I only have a few years of experience as a TA for a beginning dance class, but all of these observations are very accurate descriptions of what I saw.  (And felt myself, when I first started.)

But, I did like there was a wide variety of dances to learn.  I don't know if waltz and swing necessarily appeal to everyone.  Giving people options is good -- it's up to them whether they want to attend just one class, or all of them.

It also shows that Fanime is serious about trying to help people learn how to ballroom dance, if they want to give it a try, and that was the part that snagged my attention (and respect).


And...

And if you read the above line and are thinking "Grrr, but when I was trying to transition from shadow telespin through promenade into pivots some n00b jerk blocked me," my response to you is the following: You could have gone to Starlight instead.

Yes!  The goal should be to spread the love of ballroom dancing, not to expect the same experience as at a real studio.  If people want to, they'll go out and see what it's like for themselves.  I thought this was a great dance, and it let everyone have fun at their own level.

[uhohsammijo]

Sammi-Jo (or Samantha... not that it matters), another assistant turned instructor. I'll do my best to not beat a dead horse as it were when it comes to certain issues.

We tried something new this year with the demonstrations and the dance mixers.  It looks like they were both well received by everyone.

1. I thought that the second mixer (Foxtrot) could have used a demonstration beforehand like we quickly showed for the waltz, that way people would at least know what it should look like before going on the dance floor and freezing.

we should be teaching less dances, not more.

2. I disagree. I think the variety of styles we taught brought in different crowds. If we limited what we were going through, I doubt as many people would show up. Besides, there were many people that I noticed kept coming back for different dances or even the same dance different days.



3. Here I go being a stickler for etiquette. There should be stricter rules when it comes to dancefloor etiquette. My apologies, but if you think that idling on the floor with your friends chatting is okay, you're mistaken. The conga line was, let's face it, intrusive. It was already a disproportionate dancefloor compared to the amount of attendees; the last thing we needed was a line of people shuffling across the area. I understand that there might be some dissent, but save the conga lines for the rave. Oooh! ORRRRR we could have a song specifically dedicated to making the entire dancefloor a conga line. Similar to how the dance styles were projected on the screen, we could just say "CONGA LINE!" and I'm sure it would be fun while not interrupting people trying to dance normally.

4. If we went with the ticket-at-lessons route, then we wouldn't have to announce what the white arm-bands mean. Also, for experienced dancers who don't need lessons, we're not jerks at the con. I'm sure if anyone made the effort to show up to Ballroom J and said "Hey y'all. I've been dancing this many years blahblahblah I've had lessons blahhhh" the reaction they'd get would be "Super duper! here's a ticket", and then they could leave and go to the con festivities.

5. I also gave a few impromptu lessons while at the dance. I didn't mind, and most people were quick to learn... but I'll admit I started to get irritated when everyone I partnered up with (who wasn't an instructor or assistant) would get on the floor and tell me they don't know anything. Yeah, I might be a mean person, but I also went to the ball to dance and enjoy myself... not to train every wallflower in basic techniques. It was sooo much easier to teach the people who had gone to at least one of the lessons the other dance styles because they had something to compare it to. "You remember that step from that dance you learned? Well here are the similarities, but this is what's different." So much easier. An hour out of the con won't kill you. Drop the controller for a spell, save your wallet from the Dealer's Room for a bit, and we all win.

A few quick NO's
+ age restrictions
+ crappy dancefloor
+ limits on what genre of music is played (this doesn't have anything to do with what dancestyle they'd apply to so long as they apply.
+ segregated dance floors. If we made attendance a bit less for "anyone", it wouldn't be an issue.

A few quick Yes's
+ Clocks. It's a formal ball. Watches just don't suit the attire more often than not. Outfits that do are few and far between (except pocketwatches! those are cool).
+ Projector with dance styles listed (regardless of whether the songs applied or not)
+ VIP's joining! how fun!
+ arm bands. If nothing else, I felt special.