Messages

sure! whatever works! :)

The Rumba Demo for BW Ball was "Flashing Lights" by Kanye West. :)


(random side note: does anyone have any vids of the bachata/rumba demos? I still haven't seen them all.)

[heel size/length:]

Just a bit of input/observations from an innocent staff member/dancer who had epic door duty halfway through the event:

- heel size/length: The hardest part of monitoring this was 1) lack of lighting and a pink translucent ruler. I can't begin to tell you how many times I had to estimate appropriate shoe attire lengthwise. Since there was ample room for dancing in places NOT on the floor, the rule changed to you may only dance on the floor if your shoes are appropriate, otherwise you will have to be asked to dance on the carpet. However, this was given to staff halfway through the event. Perhaps some heads up sooner would have worked but things happen. Also, the event was being monitored on the floor as well and any situations were cleared up as fast as possible. An idea I came up with (which can be easily done with a bit of spare time and basic art class knowledge) is to create a sort of scale where the base is flat but has a hole in it that is the size of a nickel. Attached to the side is a two-sided ruler. Any questionable heel size/length can simply step into the scale. If the shoe fits, wear it. No questions asked. If not, have a backup. This idea is simply in the brainstorming phase, but perhaps it's something that can be discussed both here and at meetings. As far as soles are concerned, the store I buy all my dance attire at has a fairly legit sized plank of wood from a professional ballroom dance floor that customers can use to rub their shoes on, spin, tap, whatever to assure that their shoe is appropriate for classes and able to do what they need them to do. Surprisingly, some dance shoes do have rubber soles which do leave marks. So one can buy said shoe, thinking that it is appropriate for dancing (technically it is) and come to find out it's no bueno. Perhaps we have a plank of wood similar to the floor that we can use for this purpose as well?


-Appropriate dress attire: Sadly, it's difficult to notice every little thing.... and let's be honest, some people think it's cute to slip on by, even though it just makes it hard on everyone else. For me, I tried my best to honestly check all appropriate attire and was pretty impressed with how hard everyone worked to make their attire as classy as possible. While some things may waver at times, the staff and frequent returning guests uphold the mindset that BW Ball is a classy, yet entertaining, affair. A step above prom, but not so strict and stuffy. We DO want you all to enjoy yourselves and be as comfortable as possible without looking like a scrub. There's only so much we can do. The rest comes down to someone's personal view of "classy vs trashy".
Also, I can't tell you how many times I had to stop people from entering, explain their situation and either hear "i wore this previously at (insert event here) and I did fine/it worked perfectly." or had pulled people aside only to have no one watching them OR the front door and have them slip by. (.... really? I appreciate your excitement to have fun at the event, but come on.) It's a challenge.

- Misc.: While I was overjoyed at the idea of having the assistance of the rovers, I at times felt slightly overwhelmed. Having a group of 5-6 people at the entrance and ONLY manning the "enter" door was a little too much, and everyone would get caught up on that one person who had that one dress code issue, thus stopping the flow of getting people in and out efficiently. I think there should be ropes that define an "entrance" and "exit" with proper signage. Also, perhaps scattering that lovely chunk of people down the hallway (seeing as how we had ample space to do so) to stand watch and be on standby/relief should an instance occur. The biggest issue is that, upon arrival, people just zip on in, assuming that because they're dressed up and at the con that they don't have to stop and pass a security check. Just to be clear, there are certain points rovers/staff are checking upon arrival: VALID BADGE, APPROPRIATE ATTIRE (both formal and cosplay), APPROPRIATE SHOES (length, style, heel width), and some even check for additional oddities (illegal substances, weapons, etc). It's impossible to do this in the span of 15-30 seconds and still manage traffic control. Perhaps some stations are in order?
Idea: Station 1: Entrance - badge/person check. Do you have a valid badge? Are you attempting to smuggle illegal substances/items in? -----> Basically officiating official "con rules" and not being so BW Ball specific? Rovers are best at this, I think.
        Station 2: Attire/Shoe Check: Is your attire/cosplay appropriate? (We had an issue with Pedobear trying to sneak in.....) Are you shoes meeting appropriate guidelines for dancing safely and securely (not just for YOU but for potential partners as well)? ------> BW Ball staff can handle this and there won't be any communication issues.
        Station 3: Special Issues (any and all): If it didn't get resolved between the last two stations, kick it here. A BW Ball Head/2nd or higher staff will be there to assist you and have the final say.
        Station 4: Stamp Zone: If you've passed all of these checkpoints, you get a handstamp that signals that you are all clear and can enter/exit happily. To obtain one, you get a ticket from the attire/shoe station and you hand it over to the person at the door.

While all of this sounds stiff and almost micromanaged, it helps clear up confusion and can give a clear definition of what is and is not ok for the ball. From there, if it still seems sketchy once people are on the floor, it's gonna be on the person themselves because staff can honestly say they've done everything possible to prevent it.
In the end, it's really down to effective communication with everyone.

Thoughts? Especially from my fellow staffers. :)

Hotel Name: Hyatt Place
Would You Book Next Year: Sure!
Pros: Perfect location! Right across the street from the con and right next to parkside hall (perfect, since i was on staff for BW Ball and had to bounce between there and J Ballroom). Staff was friendly, welcoming and super helpful. Also remotely quiet with not a lot of partying. Perfect place to rest after giving late night ballroom dance lessons. :)
Cons: No microwave, which kinda sucked if I had something I wanted to reheat and take with me to lessons (since con food is expensive and I was pretty much working all day). Parking seemed a little crazy, so I just ended up parking in the open lot across the street from the SJCC and paid $7 each day.
Special Notes to Share: Overall, it was a good experience. Room service was superb and always left the room smelling good and fresh. It was nice to know I had new fluffy sheets and a comfy bed to flop into once lessons were over. They even had a cute little "living room" in our room set up. It was cute. :)

[DESPERATE NEED FOR A ROOM!]

Hello everyone!! Hopefully someone can help me out!
DESPERATE NEED FOR A ROOM!
Name: Christina, but I go by Stina. I'm 26 y/o. This is my 3rd Fanime. I'm currently staff for BW Ball and will be instructing/performing for the weekend. My partner/bf Anthony will also be attending. He's 21. This is his 2nd Fanime and he will be volunteering on BW Ball staff but is not an "official" staffer. Because of this, we are unable to get a staff room with our fellow BW Ballers and have to go about looking for a place to stay.
Hotel Info: Somewhere safe and close to the convention center. We will be checking in on Thursday evening/night (that's our last day of finals) and leaving Monday morning.  We have a very minimal amount of funding so we're trying to keep a budget between $50 to at most $90 for each of us, but depending on the people and situation, we are willing to negotiate. We are also willing to throw down for food/drink/snack in exchange for a place or lower hotel costs.
Requirements: Not picky on who to room with, down for co-ed. Our entire time spent at Fanime will be teaching dance and performing, with our schedules starting at around 9am until late the next morning. Our two longest days will be Saturday and Sunday. Because of this, we would really appreciate having a bed since our bodies will be killing us and waking up stiff the next morning to teach dance all day won't be fun at all. All we would be doing in the room is bathing and sleeping.... possibly grabbing a bite to eat if there's time. We would appreciate people who are chill and relaxed and can respect the need for sleep. We'll do our best not to wake you upon entering and leaving. Also, we will be bringing formal attire and dance costumes and would love to have respect for that since those get expensive and we do use them outside of Fanime (we're personal dance teachers as well).
Misc.: I'm slightly messy, but am respectful and keep my junk in its own corner, Anthony is completely neat and organized. We're both very respectful of people and their personal space/objects. We don't smoke and socially drink.... but it's rare and only if one of us isn't driving. We don't mind drinking in the room, but please don't do it if you're underage. As staff, if reflects badly on us and we would be held accountable. We're pretty chill and laid back. We love to explore and have fun and will have a bit of downtime during the con to grab food, explore , and hang out if you so desire. We're just grateful for someone willing to help us out.  
Contact: The best way to reach me is either through facebook (Christina Stevenson) or by e-mail: [email protected]. If you're interested or have any questions, please shoot me a message from either of those two.

Thanks for reading! Hopefully we'll be a good match! :)


Thanks Everyone! It's been taken care of! :)