Feedback for the 2010 Black and White Ball

[tkdteo]

Thank you everyone for coming out to the dance lessons and the Black and White Ball this year.  The staff, instructors, and assistants all had a great time this weekend.  The Black and White Ball reached capacity within an hour of opening the doors and over 2000 people showed up for the 5 hour event!!!  We changed up a few things this year and we were wondering how well they worked and what everyone thought about them.  Everything from the lessons, the demonstrations on stage zero, the Black and White Ball itself, etc.  As everyone knows, Fanime is put on by fans for fans so we really want to know what you think, good or bad.  So let us know what worked and what didn't so we can make 2011 that much better.  Thanks!

- Jim
BWBall Head 2010

[Okach]

The main feedback that I got from talking to people who attended:

A) The solo dancing (Thriller, conga line, macarena) while enjoyable for the participants was a danger to people on the floor since the solo dancers were not really looking out where they were going.  It wasn't so bad for the spot dances, i.e. swing/salsa, but when the dance was a travelling dance like foxtrot, the chances of accidents went up.  One follower mentioned that she accidentally stomped on someone's foot because they rolled in during their line dance and she stepped backwards. 

B) I got blizzarded by DJ requests.  I will comment here the same way I replied during the ball:  if you have requests, we had the forum thread open for at least four months.  We don't take requests at the ball because if every 20th person who went to the ball requested a song, we would have a request list that would be longer than the actual playlist at the ball.  I might add that I loved the response I got when I mentioned that - "Well, just pick the good ones."  My civil reply was to ask how THAT would be decided.

C) We had some information gaps that luckily did not derail anything substantially. Even so, we still had questions on things that were either clearly stated here on the forum or printed out in all the media at FanimeCon.  I'm not sure how it can be addressed.

D) The volume of the music at the Ball was a little uneven.  Some songs I could hear clearly.  Some I could probably hear clearly if it was an empty ballroom with no crowd noise.  Some songs I was lucky to hear at all.  And some were a little loud.

Okay, enough of the negatives.  I got universally positive comments about the demos at Stage Zero and the B&W Ball.  The mixers worked.  I didn't receive any substantial complaints about the lessons.  The ballroom was beautiful and the floor rocked (shoutout to Frank Carricato of American Portable Dance floor, his staff and the people who worked on putting it together and broke it down after fun and games on Sunday).  The atmosphere was electric throughout the evening.

Some personal notes: Apologies to the people during the ball that I declined giving lessons to due to fatigue or lack of memory.  I tried looking for you guys but you got lost in the throng.  Apologies to the students in my classes who got mercilessly flogged by my snarkiness.  If it makes you feel better, I'm like that only with people who I'm comfortable around :).  Thanks to my fellow staff/instructors/assistants for being a bunch of nice people (Rebecca, Ming Sum, Sam, Josh, Kevin, Mark, David, Craig and Travis come to mind).  Thanks to Jim for giving me this opportunity to just be myself.  Hope I didn't horrify you :).  Finally, thanks to Alaina, my shadow in teaching and dancing this past weekend.  If I accomplished anything this past weekend, she had a large part in it.   

           

[princesskitty18]

the swing mixer was fun, altho i did get stepped on by an instructor cuz there was just WAYY too many ppl on the floor
im sad that i wasn't there for the solo dances cuz that could have been fun
but the set up of the ballroom was amazing

maybe next time there could be more mixers like the swing mixer
the waltz mixer was okay but there was a possibility that u didnt get to dance
i wish the music was a little louder because sometimes i couldn't hear it

it was fun wit the demonstrations and stuff

good job :)
i had a blast!

[Wabbit98]

The main feedback that I got from talking to people who attended:

A) The solo dancing (Thriller, conga line, macarena) while enjoyable for the participants was a danger to people on the floor since the solo dancers were not really looking out where they were going.  It wasn't so bad for the spot dances, i.e. swing/salsa, but when the dance was a travelling dance like foxtrot, the chances of accidents went up.  One follower mentioned that she accidentally stomped on someone's foot because they rolled in during their line dance and she stepped backwards.  

B) I got blizzarded by DJ requests.  I will comment here the same way I replied during the ball:  if you have requests, we had the forum thread open for at least four months.  We don't take requests at the ball because if every 20th person who went to the ball requested a song, we would have a request list that would be longer than the actual playlist at the ball.  I might add that I loved the response I got when I mentioned that - "Well, just pick the good ones."  My civil reply was to ask how THAT would be decided.

C) We had some information gaps that luckily did not derail anything substantially. Even so, we still had questions on things that were either clearly stated here on the forum or printed out in all the media at FanimeCon.  I'm not sure how it can be addressed.

D) The volume of the music at the Ball was a little uneven.  Some songs I could hear clearly.  Some I could probably hear clearly if it was an empty ballroom with no crowd noise.  Some songs I was lucky to hear at all.  And some were a little loud.

Okay, enough of the negatives.  I got universally positive comments about the demos at Stage Zero and the B&W Ball.  The mixers worked.  I didn't receive any substantial complaints about the lessons.  The ballroom was beautiful and the floor rocked (shoutout to Frank Carricato of American Portable Dance floor, his staff and the people who worked on putting it together and broke it down after fun and games on Sunday).  The atmosphere was electric throughout the evening.

Some personal notes: Apologies to the people during the ball that I declined giving lessons to due to fatigue or lack of memory.  I tried looking for you guys but you got lost in the throng.  Apologies to the students in my classes who got mercilessly flogged by my snarkiness.  If it makes you feel better, I'm like that only with people who I'm comfortable around :).  Thanks to my fellow staff/instructors/assistants for being a bunch of nice people (Rebecca, Ming Sum, Sam, Josh, Kevin, Mark, David, Craig and Travis come to mind).  Thanks to Jim for giving me this opportunity to just be myself.  Hope I didn't horrify you :).  Finally, thanks to Alaina, my shadow in teaching and dancing this past weekend.  If I accomplished anything this past weekend, she had a large part in it.    

         

Fellow assistant/instructor Kevin here to make a few comments about this years Ball before I go to bed.  This years was better than last years, with a better floor (this one did not fall apart), dance lessons were more organized (thank you David for the syllabus), and with a bigger floor we could get more people out on the dance floor at once.  Just to respond to some of Alfred's comments.

1.  If we saw this happening we tried to stop it as soon as possible, but with some many bodies out on the floor it was hard to see clearly at times.  Maybe a reminder by Jim about no conga lines, etc. would be helpful for next year.  Most the people doing this did not want to dance with partners and felt that this was more of rave type dance (don't know if I am using the right word), maybe more of a dnace where you could jump in place or form random conga lines.

2. Not much to comment here except use the forums, or use the Black and White Ball email with your requests and we will consider them, that does not mean we will play the song if we do not feel it is a danceable tune.

3. That is on print, not much we can do about that than other than remind them before the Con starts.

4. I believe the volume issue requires a rethinking of how we listen to next years playlist.  Now that we know what the room sounds like with over 900 people in it at once, and the acoustics, we will have to more particular on the sound of the beat.  Could we make the volume of the song higher, I know David tempo adjusted some songs could something similar be done for volume with having the up the volume on the sound board constantly.

Now the question becomes how can we top this year, we can't get a bigger ballroom, the Imperial is the biggest in San Jose and the floor will be the same.  So please continue with your suggestions and comments, this was a lot better than last year.  Also thanks for all the instructors that showed up that were listed to show up that was a great help.

[Mi Feng]

My first Black and White Ball, I absolutely loved it! I arrived a little late in the evening so I didn't get to experience the hole thing.
All the staff were so welcoming and enjoyable. :) I had no trouble getting in. ^^
Although, near the end the water was running low and I was getting a little dehydrated.
The Conga line was fun for myself and my friends who weren't really big on partner dancing but I'm 5'1" and ended up behind a really tall person, making in hard to maneuver.

Definitely a highlight of the con. Can't wait for next year!

[darkbluesign]

I just want to say that the B&W Ball this year was incredible. I know many people appreciated the organized dance lessons. Even for knowledgeable ballroomers, these classes were fun and enjoyable. A small suggestion, it would be nice if intermediate panels were offered (though private lessons did satisfy this) for larger groups.

I would complain that there wasn't enough room during traveling dances, but just thinking about that makes me smile. Rarely do I get the opportunity to dance on a huge dance floor like the Imperial Ballroom's and to see the dance floor completely covered in nerds dressed in crazy outfits having a good time doesn't bother me at all. I'm glad we had the opportunity to use the Imperial Ballroom and I'm also happy that we were able to fill it. I have no complaints about the space provided for the ball.

During the dance, I want to thank you guys for the water. It was nice and refreshing after an intense Salsa. The only suggestion I would have would be to have some sort of labeling device so that dancers could differentiate between their cups. I know a lot of people used anywhere from 3-5 glasses because they either lost their glass in a gathering of cups or someone else grabbed their glass by accident. Maybe if colored plastic cups were offered, or even just a large black sharpie so people can write their names, people would use less cups.


That's all I can say about the ball. I had an extraordinary time during the ball and have decided to come back next year because of the ball, so it better be just as great :P

I want to thank all the instructors for their hard work and support during the panels and the ball. Having the instructors there made the ball more formal and professional, which I greatly appreciate.

Thanks everyone for an awesome Black & White Ball and Fanime 2010!

[Relsek]

To respond to the Okach's comments:

A) I don't see how the solo dances were any more dangerous than a bunch of beginners dancing without knowing what to do. They also presented something that everyone was comfortable with and had fun doing.

B) Perhaps a poll/request box can be placed on the official fanime page so that more people contribute to choosing the songs.

C) Yes, having the lesson schedule in the printed schedule would definitely have helped. Also if it was made available as a pdf many people would be able to download it to put on their phones.

D) I didn't really have an issue with the music volumes, but the com system for making announcements definitely needs work. It was too quiet and fuzzy to understand most of the time.

I think that if some of the songs were more traditional, beginners (like myself) would have an easier time dancing to them.
Maybe there could be a designated beginners area where some of the teachers hang out instead of only roaming the dance floor giving lessons here and there.
While the demos were definitely fun to watch, I think having additional demos of just the basic steps for each type of song would help a lot of people.
The mixer was fun and in my opinion worked well. It should definitely be done again next year.

Over all though, great job. I had a blast and can't wait for next year!
-Relsek

[Okach]

Thank you for the feedback! 

@princesskitty18 - Oops, sorry!  That probably was me - my swingout was a little more out than normal because of the excitement :).   More mixers - noted.

@darkbluesign - Water, ooh right.  Forgot about the running out.  Thanks!  As for cup marking - it's useful for up to about 20-30 people, then it gets awful.  We packed the ballroom and it's supposed to hold 900.  Yowsa.  Maybe encourage people to bring their own cups/bottles with labels to save the earth?

@Relsek - Congratulations, you get my undivided attention :).

A) The dangerous comment was not made by me.  It was the exact word used by people partner dancing in or around the area of the line dances.  As to why it's dangerous on travelling dances, you have movement along both the short side and the long side of the floor crossing paths.  And on some of the line dances, you travel a significant amount side to side.  (for that matter, I saw the "Hollywood" tango and cringed).  Perhaps a "watch where you are" warning at periods in the ball would help.

Officially, the ball is for partner dancing straight up.  We offered free classes Friday through Sunday during the day and even had Saturday night classes.  You didn't even need a partner.  We played different music for the different dances and even displayed what dance was appropriate.  We had staff wearing blue armbands that you could ask to dance with at anytime.  I think I turned down only two dances the entire evening because I was going to collapse if I didn't take a break.   

Unofficially speaking as someone who's gone to a lot of dance conventions, I didn't mind the line dances - but I minded where they took place on the floor.  Usually line dances would be in the corner near the DJ booth to allow people moving around a chance to maneuver past.  Having them in the middle of the floor is a Bad Idea (TM).       

B)  Hmm...good idea.  How would a viewers' choice half hour sound?

C)  It was definitely in the pocket guide - which printed schedule were you talking about.

D)  Noted.

We did have some traditional songs, but our intent this year was to get a little more anime/j-pop into the mix.  We'll see about incorporating more traditional for next year. 

Most of the instructors ended up hanging out near the DJ booth, and people were finding us all night.  We did roam a bit because the ballroom was HUGE.

Demos - I'm wondering if we just had the instructors doing steps during the intro if that wouldn't help.  And I had basics in my demo....just not necessarily all together :P. 

[Green_Tea]

I wanted to start out saying that the B&W Ball along with the lessons was the highlight of my weekend!

Negative:

1. All of the water ran out. Luckily I brought my own bottle, but when I went to refill it there was no water. =(

2. Some people did not have the dress code enforced. There were several ladies wearing super short skirts, which I don't have a problem with if wearing that kind of thing is ok for everyone.

3. I could not hear the announcements at all.

4. People standing around on the dance floor. I didn't even really mind the people dancing in groups or the spontaneous Thriller because they were DANCING, but the standing around really got in the way of travelling.


The AWESOME:

1. The dance lessons. I attended 4 lessons including: Salsa, Argentinian Tango, Waltz, and East Coast Swing. I wanted to take the time to thank the instructors for teaching this very uncoordinated person the basics. I liked it so much my husband and I are going to start taking lessons together.

2. Good mix of music.

3. The dance floor was great and very easy to dance on. I didn't feel like I was going to trip or slide on it.

4. The demonstrations were amazing! I especially loved the West Coast Swing Demo during the Ball. It looked like the dancers had a lot of fun doing it.

5. I got dipped. Ok, I know this isn't usually a huge deal but it made my weekend. I'm a pretty tall girl (5'10) so I don't get a chance to be girly very often, but during one of the tangos I was with a lead about 4 inches shorter than me but experienced. I'm not sure how he managed it, but he dipped me back during the tango and then snapped me back to him in a way that made me feel like a Spanish princess in a cheesy romance novel. I probably could have died happy after that dance, so thanks for your hard work that made the ball possible!

[saebel]

The other staff members have already addressed most of the concerns, but Green_Tea, we did notice the ladies with the very short dresses, and will be figuring out how to improve enforcement for next year.

Mostly, I'd like to post to thank everyone who came out to our classes, especially those who came to more than one!  It was such a great feeling to see familiar faces in the crowd, and then again at the ball itself.  When someone says, "I plan to take more lessons after this," (or shows up for nearly *EVERY* single one of our lessons!) that's pretty much the best reward for our time we could get.  It was a privilege to have the chance to teach all of you something new.

And since I'm in speech mode, I'd like to thank my fellow staffers and volunteers - you guys were such a supportive group.  I have to say, the coolest thing about Fanime is: Where else could I have had the opportunity to assist and dance with an all-star level WCS dancer... all weekend long?  (Thank you, Alfred!)

Glad to have met all of you - please let us know how we can tighten things up for next year!

[kleptomaniac]

While ballroom dancing is fun, I wish there were official times (to avoid chaos) where the attendees can do the Cha Cha Slide, Thriller, etc. without worrying about hurting each other. I think it would create a nice balance between the formality of ballroom dancing and the freedom of solo dancing.

Also, this is just a small wording thing, but my friends and I feel that the demonstrations should be announced as "performances." The word, demonstration makes it sound like the audience should try following their dance steps. It's kind of intimidating. :x

[tkdteo]

Thank you everyone for your feedback so far.  Keep them coming.  :)  I just wanted to put my two cents in on things too.

First off, thank you to my 2nd who helped with everything behind the scenes, kept me sane for the past few monthes, grounded, and made sure I ate during the weekend.  You are the best!!!  Also thank you to all the instructors and assistants.  Without all their hard work and energy, the Black and White Ball would not have been possible.  I was busy running around during the weekend but they really took charge of things and really made the Black and White Ball a great success.  Alfred, Alaina, David, Kevin, Travis, Tony, Ming-Sum, Mark, Rebecca, Forest, Scott, Craig, Samantha, and Joshua.  

Thank you to all that came out to the Black and White Ball, demonstrations at stage zero, and dance lessons for your support.  You are the main reason why we have this event and the reason why it was such as big success.  I mean, we reached capacity within an hour of opening the doors and we stayed that way until the end of the night!

Addressing some of the issues that have been brought to my attention:

Solo dances: There was Thriller, the Macarena, and a conga line this year and they are fun dances.  My concern was for anyone who was trying to dance a travelling dance like a Waltz or Foxtrot.  It gets to be a danger for them because feet can get trampled on and tripped over.  There was some stomping in the Thriller dance and that can definitely hurt people if they are stomped on.  Having fun is great but the safety of everyone at the BWBall is higher on my priority list.  We will see what we can do to accommodate some of this next year.  Also the conga lines, my only worry is when it goes through the dance floor.  People are trying to dance in the middle and when that line snakes through the middle that is when it becomes a danger.  Please remember that there are other people dancing there and if you do not like the dance or know how to do the dance, please do not interrupt the other dancers.  

Music: There was a thread on the forums that started a few weeks after the BWBall in 2009.  People were able to make requests there and we tried to incorporate those songs into the playlist.  The suggestions were great and we are hoping that we get more suggestions for next year.  We went through each song that was suggested and listened to each one to see if they would fit in with the theme or the dances that were danced at the BWBall.  Staff members when through and cut music and tempo changed music to make it easier for everyone to dance to.  I will be starting a request thread for next year so start thinking about different songs to use and post them when the thread comes up.  People can email [email protected] with requests also.  

Print & Information: Our printing department at Fanime was awesome and printed 4 posters for us.  One of the posters had all the dance lessons listed as well as the time of each one and the location.  It was located right outside the hallway that leads down toward the J Ballroom where the dance lessons were held.  The schedule was also available online on the FanimeCon website under Black and White Ball.  The dances and times were also listed in the pocket guide this year.  There was one lesson that was missing in the pocket guide but that was more my fault than anything because I didn't catch it before it was too late.  I apologize for that.  But there were announcements in the pocket guide, by the place of the lessons, and on the website.  The PDF sounds like a good idea and we will see about that for next year.

Volume: I don't have the deepest voice so I apologize for not being able to hear announcements.  Also with 900 people in the room, I had the volume at its highest and people still couldn't hear.  We will see what we can do about that for next year.  The music, some if was submitted by fans, some were from staff, and other places.  The quality of the music was good but because we did not have the sound system set up so that we could test 5.5 hours of music, we couldn't really adjust everything.  That is something to be looked at next year also.

Some special thanks from me: American Portable Dance Floor - Frank and Laurie thank you so much!  The floor was great!, FanimeCon staff and volunteers - You guys really came to the rescue when help was needed.  Thank you for staying up late and helping with breakdown and thank you for helping with setup also.  Print - Thank you for the wonderful posters as well as the extra manpower for setup!  Alen - Thank you for coming out and providing photography for people.  It was a great way to have a memento of the evening.  Janet - Thank you for providing flowers for the event.  The roses were wonderful!  

Cheers,
Jim

BWBall Head 2010
BWBall 2nd 2009
BWBall Instructor 2008

[Wabbit98]

For marking water cups, I am just worried where would we get sharpies for that many people and what happens when they run out or people take them home with them.  It is not bad to keep the cup with you at your location of your items or friends such as a table or chair.  Or maybe even use a different cup each time.

As far as I know we had a rover downstairs at the Fairmont, and a rover at the door making sure the dress code was enforced, maybe that needs to be clarified for next year.

[Okach]

@kleptomaniac - Hmmm...that actually gives me ideas, which I will ruthlessly suppress for at least another couple of days ;).

As for wording, Webster's states:

Main Entry: dem·on·stra·tion
Pronunciation: \ˌde-mən-ˈstrā-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 14th century

1 : an act, process, or means of demonstrating to the intelligence: as a (1) : conclusive evidence : proof (2) : derivation 5 b : a showing of the merits of a product or service to a prospective consumer
2 : an outward expression or display
3 : a show of armed force
4 : a public display of group feelings toward a person or cause

Still a valid description based on 1) and 2), I'd say. :P

[Nina Star 9]

The B&W Ball seems to get better every year. :D Keep it up!

There were quite a few things that I liked about this year:
- The increased number of tables to sit at made it much easier to hang out with friends, take a break, or stash belongings
- The floor stayed in one piece! No more danger while wearing thin heels!
- The cups were being restocked, which was good, since I remember running out much earlier last year (and running out of water earlier last year, too)
- The table decorations were wonderful, with the little fake candles and the confetti and everything.
- All the extras, like pictures and flowers being sold, were nice touches.

There were also some improvements that could be made:
- The music. I would have prefered less popular music and more traditional music or oldies, like last year. All the popular music made it feel like a regular dance (or even like high school prom) and less like a formal ball. I think that it needed a better balance between the two.
- I really liked how last year, the firs hour or two was slower and more traditional, but then it picked up later in the night and had faster music with a few "breaks" with slower dances sprinkled throughout. This year, it seemed all over the place in regards to the types and speeds of dances, and I felt like as soon as I got dancing to something higher energy, it switched to something slower and I lost that momentum, sat back down, and then didn't feel like getting up again until another faster song. I would like it better if the songs were grouped better instead of a seemingly random energy pattern.
- The dress code enforcement was spotty at best. Girls in miniskirts, I think I saw someone in jeans, etc.
- Correct me if I'm wrong here since I got there about an hour after the doors opened, but no Tank! this year? You always play Tank!, and I was looking forward to it. (There was also a lack of Waltz for Zizi, which I'm not too upset about, but I certainly missed Tank!)

[Okach]

Tank! while fun and jazzy, doesn't really cut it as a swing song for me. 

[Nina Star 9]

I was expecting it because it seems to be played every year (almost like a tradition?), but if you don't want to play it, then that's fine~ I know that I missed it, though.

[Okach]

Eh, just my opinion on the song.  It didn't end up on the final playlist, but I didn't input on that particular song.  As for the rest, the playlist may not have been perfect, but it kept the floor busy.  I'm the first to admit that adding WCS to the dance list would skew the music a bit more towards contemporary since that's what's being played at WCS conventions.  Thanks for the input!  

[randomtwitch]

I loved the ball :) The larger floor was definitely an improvement, and I really enjoyed the dancing demonstrations. Oh, and posting what kind of dance you could do for each song was VERY helpful. However...

1) While I appreciated that there was water on-site, I wish it had been in more...secure containers, like five-gallon water coolers or something. I'm kind of a paranoid person, and with the removable tops on the water containers, I was afraid to drink the water for fear it might have been tampered with. (I know the tops were removable, because I saw one attendee remove a lid, jokingly wear it as a hat for a few minutes, then put it back on the container.)

2) I think it might be helpful if "line of dance" were included in the dance lessons. Though it doesn't matter for the stationary dances, like salsa, it'd be really helpful for the traveling dances if everyone was traveling in the same counterclockwise direction.

[pokkypok]

Ball was amazing! Oneof the highlights of the weekend :) The environment was great, as always, and I met a lot of new people! And even though I was a girl, I had no trouble asking guys to dance :)

The good:
The ballroom was absolutely beautiful this year!
The florists were such a cute idea :)
I liked how there was a variety of japanese, traditional, and popular music. It kept things fun :)
I think the solo dances definietely help some of the shyer people loosen up.
The instructors were great- I asked one to dance, and even though I wasn't that good he was understanding, nice, and even gave me a few pointers
Demos= AMAZING

Possible improvements:
My friends and I wanted a professional picture taken, but they were expensive! D: I get that it costs money, but 10$ per person?
A coat check or something would be great :)
Some food being sold would be cool
I left to go to the bathroom, and when we came back there was a line. We had left our badges inside so our friend had to run and get them. Not fun :( Maybe having a small area for people to take a breather or answer phone calls (but not leave so they dont have to rewait in line!) would be nice.
How often was water refilled? People were constantly struggling to get the last drops.
A few years ago, the instructors encouraged everyone, including people with dates/boyfriends to dance with other people. This isn't always about romance, it's about meeting new friends! I think that was a nice thing to add to the instructors speech during the lessons

Other things:
I saw some complaints about the short dress thing, but this rule was not enforced in the years before, and my friends had brought only short dresses so I appreciated them not being thrown out. Maybe you could post all the dress code rules online?