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

[Nina Star 9]

A return of the coat check would be amazing. Lots of people set down their stuff at the edges of the room, and while I didn't see anyone who looked like they were stealing, I opted to carry all my things in a small wristlet, which got in the way while dancing. The coat check the first year of the dance made things much easier (plus, then I could check a sweater so I wouldn't freeze on the way back like I did this year, haha).


My thoughts on the ball:
Pros:
- Dance instructors wandering the dance floor. This was wonderful for those of us who could not/did not attend lessons and needed to brush up on dances/learn new dances. It certainly made me feel much more comfortable dancing knowing that there was someone who could help me.
- The screen with the type of dance. I'm not good enough at ballroom dancing/never have an opportunity to use my tiny bit of knowledge, so I can't tell what to dance when, so this was a big help.
- The location was amazing. Still a little crowded, but amazing. Beautiful setting, and it felt more spacious.
- Steady water supply for tired dancers. <3

Cons:
- It has already been addressed, but the flooring really help. My heel got stuck in a gap in the floor, and thankfully I didn't twist my ankle or anything (and a friend was within flailing distance so I managed to tap her on the shoulder and get some help with getting unstuck - I was afraid of breaking my heel off and/or twisting my ankle trying myself), but I'm sure that with all the problems, this will be improved next year.
- The music selection was fine, but I heard complaints of the suggested dance types being a little far-fetched and seemingly random at some points. I can't really personally comment on that or give any specific examples, but there were some complaints.
- Again, the music selection was fine, but the first hour or hour and a half seemed really slow, both in the activity level and the songs played. Lots of slow songs were used, and I noticed that whenver a slower song came on, most of the crowd shifted to the edges of the room. After that (I would say after the foxtrot mixer or so), when faster songs were being played, more of the crowd was on the dance floor instead of on the sides. Maybe mixing it up a bit more would be good, so there won't be long stretches of lots of people not dancing and then breaks in between higher-enegery dances.
- The tables scattered around the room were a good idea, but often ended up being taken over by a single group of friends. There really isn't much the staff can do about this, but I did feel a bit excluded from the tables and having a place to set down my drink while sitting because people claimed to have reserved the entire empty table for their friends so they didn't want me sitting there. It isn't really a big deal, just slightly annoying.


Overall, great improvements over the previous two years. I cannot wait to see what next year has in store. :D

[Mizu]

Sound. Definitely. I could hear most of the music (though just barely) and was familiar enough with most of the tunes.. but I wasn't leading. My partner could hardly pick up the beat on most songs, and the volume seemed to fluctuate quite a bit depending on which part of the room you were in. It's extremely difficult to dance when the only half of your pair that knows how can't hear the beat. Additionally, he mentioned most of the suggested dances didn't really work with the music being played. I can't comment on that, though, not being a dancer.

Coat check would have been lovely. I kept my purse with me at all times, with my jacket tied to it, which kept wanting to fall off my arm and get in the way. I hope that the people attending the event are honest, but I have had my purse stolen before so I'm a bit paranoid.

Dress code. If you say you're going to enforce it, do it. Several of my friends wanted to go but were discouraged by the dress code.. but there were so many things in there that did not make me think about a formal ball. Blue face paint? Bandanas? Naruto headbands? I know it's Fanime, but girls running around in prom dresses and ninja headbands doesn't invoke visions of elegance here.

Floor. I don't know how many times I stumbled on that crack, got my shoe caught in it, or whatever. It wasn't safe and it really bothered me. The floor wasn't really big enough to stake a claim somewhere else and avoid it, so we got stuck there a while. I'd have to say that was one of the biggest contributing factors to us leaving early.

[neil]

Two (point-five) items:

1) /me is a "dance n00b."  The lessons, though quick, seemed well aimed (at least for me), and the instructors (all of them) were gentle even when my brain periodically got full and couldn't absorb new instructions for a bit.   ;)

2) Dan kept mentioning/recommending a particular dance studio, I vaguely recall that they held events on alternating weekends (1st/3rd and 2nd/4th Fridays), and the instruction that we could email [Dan] for the address...Could someone post the address (or URL) for this info?  (I searched, honest, but I haven't found it yet...)   :-[

2.5) The cynic in me has to ask: Are the instructors affiliated with said dance studio?  (Not *necessarily* a problem, but I believe in full-disclosure.)


Thanks!
-Neil
Two-Left-Feet member #46168

[Drk-X]

Glad someone's interested.

The Dance Spectrum
1707 S. Bascom Ave
Campbell, CA

We are not affiliated with the studio. We simply recommend the parties that happen on the 2nd and 4th Fridays due to many reasons.

-The instructor is very nice and will gladly answer questions during the party. The entire family will love him.
-It's only $10 for the lesson (8:00 PM - 9:00 PM) and party (9:00 PM - 12:00 AM). Pretty good deal.
-They're beginner classes, so no prior experience is needed.
-They don't get too crowded, so you'll be able the attention you need.

I thought these conditions might appeal to most. The lessons provide a good learning atmosphere and some of the other instructors and I drop by half of the time. Let me know if anyone wants to know about other kinds of lessons and perhaps this will result in us having more able assistants for next year! :]

[neil]

The Dance Spectrum
1707 S. Bascom Ave
Campbell, CA

Ok, I'll hit them up for whatever other questions I've got.  <domo arigato gozimasu!>

-Neil
Two-Left-Feet member #46168

[Hropkey]

First off, I thought the ball was TONS of fun. It was honestly one of the highlights of the entire weekend, and I'm ever thankful I went.

Pros:
- Lessons. Very fun! I met a lot of new people, and the instructors were great.
- The ballroom was so beautiful. It just set such an amazing mood.
- Mixers. Also very fun.

Cons:
- It's been repeated over and over, but the floor. Just such a huge liability.
- The room got so cramped and small and hard to dance in by the end of the night. Someone mentioned that it's possible to get a bigger room but it costs an arm and a leg- maybe having a small admission price, like 4 dollars or something, could go towards renting a bigger room?

I personally didn't mind people not knowing the dance. If they didn't know it, I taught them; if I didn't know it, they taught me. It was simple and a great icebreaker. We ended up using the "sway somewhat awkwardly" technique they mentioned at the foxtrot class on sunday quite a bit. =P

but NO to the age limit. I'm fourteen and I've been looking forward to the ball all year. I would've been crushed if I couldn't go.

[SOawesomeness]

I liked it, it was actually one of my biggest high points of Fanime. ^^
The classes were really useful (even though I did forget... >.>;; ) and it was really good to go to because a lot of my dance partners at the ball were my partners for the lessons, I'm actually surprised they remembered me. ^^

Yeah, the floor... was really scary... >.>; Almost sprained my ankle in the little cracks...

And something about the dress code in general. After a while, no one really checked the dress code and the main page didn't really clarify what was acceptable and what wasn't. In any case, the main page made it kinda difficult to find the forums in the first place, which is where a lot of essential information is...

[SelenDragon]

Hey guys!

I LOVED my time at the ball. And I know that most of my issues have been addressed already so I'll just lightly go through them and others.

Dress code: Naruto Headbands + formal attire. As ridiculous as it seems, the idea of the BW Ball at Anime Conventions was to showcase elegant cosplay and lots of creative interpretations of a character. I know that there was a VERY strict rule on shoes, and I snuck by with my jazz sneakers.. but I do believe that solid colored shoes should be allowed. I refused to wear heels (seeing how I was in male cosplay) and I don't have dress shoes suitable for dancing (nonetheless male ones). And sticky floors + suede = BAD. I'd rather go in some bowling shoes from the AMF nearby. I prefer to wear the comfies to dance, ESPECIALLY after only about 4 hours on that floor was KILLING me in my jazz sneakers. Craig! My server outfit was fine! XPPPP My apron makes me look sexy. And more square.

Dancing and Music: I AM AN AVID FAN OF METAL MACARENA. You will not hear it anywhere else, and I love it. And since it's played at the end of the night, WHY NOT? Esp not after the 4 swings, lindyhop, fast swing. I thought I was going to die. But I saw the lindy hop and couldn't resist the rest. ^.^

I am a terrible dancer. I will freely admit that after 15 years of trained dance. (yes, it's sad.) But I was a dance FAKER. I went out to the wallflowers and taught a little idea of the steps, and messed up the steps, but I believe all of my partners had a great time. I loved VWaltz, and I can usually only do it at DickensFair, on a much smaller floor. But even through all my blundering, no one got hurt, or hit too badly, because a good lead should ALWAYS watch their surroundings. "Oh crap.. everyone closed in... okay, on three, I'm going to lead you very fast to that open space right there. Try not to fall."

Also, VWaltz for space... it's not that hard to get on the mic and say "CounterClockwise PLOX!" I think. Conga Lines are terrible. I think we should ban them from BWBALL. I would only accept them for JumpInTheLine. BTW!!!!! Craig you owe me a Mazurka! I don't care if you're dead by the end of ball!

Foxtrot Mixer.... Straight lines? WTF? I watched Dan do it, but I was still confused and I apologized to my partners afterward. And evidently other people were confused, since they piled on the floor and did their own thing. I'm used to Foxtrot mixers counterclockwise... Perhaps diagonal next year? Compromise? AND MORE MIXERS!

I'm afraid I am one of your terrible complaints about people moving quickly across the floor. I love VWaltz and move accordingly, and I don't believe I can actually tango.. though I hope I wasn't as bad as the Hollywood StarStruck Tangoers. But as a terrible dancer dancing with beginners (and I did warn them I was a faker beforehand) I was able to dance to just about everything due to my lack of beat sense. I don't think that I hurt anyone or cut off a maneuver doing what I did though. SO NO DANCE TEST OR TICKETING!!! *I also happen to slave away at Registration... and not be able to go to any of said dance lessons*

BAG CHECK PLOX.

Dance Floor... we've heard enough. I was lucky enough that when I forgot.. (which was often...) I could lift my partner or maneuver away safely. Please Circulate the air!!! Yet another reason to have more VWaltz. Counterclockwise + Fast = Fan!!!! ^.^ lulz And sore feet. (but that didn't stop me from dancing til 4am! XD)

I half wish that more experienced dancers (ie instructors, Craig, vols) were more active in choosing beginner partners... Only because I live a fairytale fantasy where the amazing dancer comes to me out of nowhere and asks me to dance... a Prince Charming fairytale... I did it myself to create that fantasy for other girls. But I understand that you guys need a break and it's fun to dance with another experienced dancer. (I <3 a good lead... because I'm a terrible one. XD)

Yup. I think that is it for now... But Sunday night was MY night of Fanime. Let's do it again next year guys!

[tkdteo]

Wow, lots of feedback from everyone.  Thank you everyone so far for their comments and suggestions.  Just a few things:

Dance instructors and assistants - As I said before you were all awesome.  Someone asked if we learned from the same dance studio, the answer is no.  We all learned from various dance instructors and places and brought all of our experiences to the Con to be shared with all.  With that said, because we all came from different backgrounds and have our own style of teaching, I am glad to see that everyone was able to pick up steps and patterns and glad to see that everyone had a blast.  There has been interest from some of the instructors on teaching different styles of dances that we didn't teach this year.

Dances - Looks like there is interest in Argentine Tango. If there is more interest in it, we can see about putting an Argentine Tango lesson into the mix.  So keeps those requests coming if you want to see an Argentine Tango lesson.

Main complaints we will look at - Floor (too sticky and it separated), coat check, volume of music (it was too loud), music selection (not everyone cared for some of the music), food (this was provided by the Fairmont and we had no control over it), dress code (being enforced and explained better), bag check (having one) and dance floor etiquette.

Please remember though, the whole weekend is put on "By the fans, for the fans."  We just want to make sure that the BWBall is appealing to everyone and want to keep it open so everyone can come and enjoy the evening.  Again, thanks for all the feedback and keep it coming. :)

- Jim
2009 BWBall 2nd

[Drk-X]

Foxtrot Mixer.... Straight lines? WTF? I watched Dan do it, but I was still confused and I apologized to my partners afterward. And evidently other people were confused, since they piled on the floor and did their own thing. I'm used to Foxtrot mixers counterclockwise... Perhaps diagonal next year? Compromise? AND MORE MIXERS!

I think I remember you now. I actually was also more in favor of one lap around the floor in line of dance for the mixers rather than the straight line across as it would have allowed for more time on the floor and more fun with patterns, though I'm guessing one of the concerns was having the flow of dancers move fast enough. I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but roughly only one third of the people who showed up to the ball actually came to the lessons and who knows how many of them attended Foxtrot. As many people noticed, there was a massive issue of people in the mixer not knowing the dance, so that is one reason I can find for the way the mixers were done.

Something Elizabeth and I are going to be during this next year will be creating dance resources that will be open to the general public. We can have them linked to and people who express interest in the ball during their planning stages can have access to etiquette, some instructional videos, a suggestion list for songs they can practice to, proper tempos, and more.

[neil]

some instructional videos

If you need a quick start (or a placeholder), maybe you can use the YouTube footage: someone posted the first 5-10 minutes for each lesson type.  (No idea who it was though, in some of them the cameraman must've been standing directly in front of me in the middle of the floor, but the only photographers I ever saw were near the door or at the end of the stage opposite the D.J. booth.)

edit, 2009-05-30: De-mangled my quote blocks

[neil]

This message is for people like me don't have a clue (read: "not Instructors").  I'm trying to put all the information in one place because it's easier than having it scattered all over.  And I tried to include all the information I myself wanted to know, so the information may be obvious to some people (read: "everybody"  ;) )

The Dance Spectrum
1707 S. Bascom Ave
Campbell, CA

The studio website is <http://www.thedancespectrum.com> and they have a calendar of events available (including the Friday evening lessons+party).

Additionally, the instructor has his own schedule online <http://www.swdance.com/current.htm> which shows (for example) that on June 8th the ballroom style will be Rumba, and the 22nd will be East Coast Swing.  (The websites disagree over whether the price is $12 or $15, I'll edit this post when I find out, but the guy at the desk told me $12...)

I'm told that the dress code is "comfortable shoes" but otherwise no special apparel is required ("jeans would be fine").  

At the time this post was written, the guy at the front desk said that normally they get 20-30 people to the Friday events, but the last few were larger at ~30.  (I warned him they may get an influx due to being mentioned at a convention in the area this past weekend.    ;D

-Neil
Two-Left-Feet member #46168, Region 6

edit 2009-05-31 - Strikeout wrong information

[OniCourseMusha]

SelenDragon:  :o  Is that you Cynthia!?

Yeah since I was doing clothe check on the attendees I did have some slight problems telling if its okay to let them in so it would be nice ot have a backup wit me.

[Drk-X]

Additionally, the instructor has his own schedule online <http://www.swdance.com/current.htm> which shows (for example) that on June 8th the ballroom style will be Rumba, and the 22nd will be East Coast Swing.  (The websites disagree over whether the price is $12 or $15, I'll edit this post when I find out, but the guy at the desk told me $12...)

I'm told that the dress code is "comfortable shoes" but otherwise no special apparel is required ("jeans would be fine"). 

At the time this post was written, the guy at the front desk said that normally they get 20-30 people to the Friday events, but the last few were larger at ~30.  (I warned him they may get an influx due to being mentioned at a convention in the area this past weekend.    ;D

-Neil
Two-Left-Feet member #46168, Region 6.

Those dates you have listed are actually for May, not June. The Rumba party, Elizabeth and I were TAs for and has long past. The East Coast Swing lessons occurred during Day One of Fanime. I'll let you guys know what the next month's social dance parties will be as soon as I find out, but they should be held on the 12th and 26th. The lessons are only $10 for sure (never cost us any more than that). I dunno why they may be listed otherwise elsewhere. o.O

Also, I mentioned specifically to the salsa class that they may be interested in Hot Salsa Fridays hosted on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of every month. They're tons of fun and include a lesson, party, fun contest with small prizes, snacks, and more.

Dance Spectrum is definitely a great place to go. Jonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya from Dancing with the Stars are both teachers there. Other places in the Bay Area that I'd personally like to recommend are Premier Ballroom in Fremont (especially for Waltz/Tango/Quickstep/Foxtrot/Viennese Waltz), Cheryl Burke Starlite Dance in Mountain View (owned by Cheryl Burke of Dancing with the Stars), and Dance Boulevard (formerly San Jose DanceSport) in South San Jose. If anyone ever wants to know more about ballroom dance, feel more than free to ask. I'm quite pleased that an interest in ballroom dance seems to have been sparked in quite a number of people. :D

Hopefully this may lead to a great amount of confident dancers at next year's event. :D

[neil]

Those dates you have listed are actually for May, not June. The Rumba party, Elizabeth and I were TAs for and has long past. The East Coast Swing lessons occurred during Day One of Fanime. I'll let you guys know what the next month's social dance parties will be as soon as I find out, but they should be held on the 12th and 26th. The lessons are only $10 for sure (never cost us any more than that). I dunno why they may be listed otherwise elsewhere. o.O

:-[  Thanks for the catch on the dates, the guy at the front desk told me Rhumba and EC Swing so I guess he was looking at the May calendar too.  (I used strikeout to the information you're saying is wrong from my previous post.)

According to their "Next Month" calendar <http://www.swdance.com/next.htm>, June should be Waltz on the 12th, and Two Step on the 26th.

I don't know what's the story with the cost, because I'm looking at their flyer and it says $12 and I asked several times about whether that was ($12/lesson + $12/party) or just $12/everything and he said $12/everything.  And their SWDance.com calendar says $15.  (I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying 'They're giving out inconsistent information.')


-Neil
Two-Left-Feet member #46168, Region 6

[saebel]

Dance Spectrum is definitely a great place to go. Jonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya from Dancing with the Stars are both teachers there. Other places in the Bay Area that I'd personally like to recommend are Premier Ballroom in Fremont (especially for Waltz/Tango/Quickstep/Foxtrot/Viennese Waltz), Cheryl Burke Starlite Dance in Mountain View (owned by Cheryl Burke of Dancing with the Stars), and Dance Boulevard (formerly San Jose DanceSport) in South San Jose. If anyone ever wants to know more about ballroom dance, feel more than free to ask. I'm quite pleased that an interest in ballroom dance seems to have been sparked in quite a number of people.

There's also the Allegro Ballroom in Emeryville (good for ballroom & latin dances), as well as a small studio in Oakland (Linden St. Dance) that offers free group classes on M, W, F, if you live in the East Bay.

If you live closer to SF, there's also the Imperial Ballroom in Redwood City.  San Jose, however, has the most ballroom studios in the Bay Area.


A couple of tips:

1) In general, try to avoid franchise ballrooms like Arthur Murray.  They tend to try to steer new students into contracts and large package deals, which tend to be very pricey.  (Or, if you do go, at least be aware that's what tends to happen.)  Non-franchise studios normally won't push you to take a ton of private lessons or anything -- you should be able to just drop in on group classes as you please.

2) I don't know if it was mentioned at the lessons, but there are two different styles of ballroom dancing taught in the US: International (Standard/Latin) and American (Smooth/Rhythm).  Usually American style is taught for social dancing, but international style is very popular on this coast, so you can't really go wrong with either.  Just FYI.

[jemz]

Please keep on the topic of feedback for the Black & White Ball. Discussions of dance studios and dance lessons not affiliated with the Black & White Ball should be discussed in a different thread.

Thanks.

[Liquid]

Yeah since I was doing clothe check on the attendees I did have some slight problems telling if its okay to let them in so it would be nice ot have a backup wit me.

Rovers were handling the clothing check as far as I knew. You should not have had to worry about this as we were checking attire at the door and also vaguely in the lines before the doors opened.

[namineartbook]

Hi!
I definately enjoyed the lessons, they were quite fun, and very useful. And I really liked the Ball being at the Fairmont (despite the flooring) because entering the hotel already gave you that elegant vibe, and it set a good tone for the rest of the ball. Same with exiting. I think the Fairmont was a great choice, well, except for the flooring. That was a bit troublesome. But otherwise, I believe that the ball was wonderful. ^.^

[OniCourseMusha]

Yeah since I was doing clothe check on the attendees I did have some slight problems telling if its okay to let them in so it would be nice ot have a backup wit me.

Rovers were handling the clothing check as far as I knew. You should not have had to worry about this as we were checking attire at the door and also vaguely in the lines before the doors opened.

Yeah I see.  I'm gonna do volunteer again next year.  In the past 2 B&W Ball I was assigned to check the clothes on the attandees while they lined up.