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[tkdteo]

Uhms.. i dont mean to be a drag down... but... honestly... i think that the music didnt fit some of the themes... like i remember for this waltz song some kind of japanese country artist person came on... and it didnt remotely sound like waltz at all xD... Is there no way to get more popular songs? sorry again for this lame feedback xD;

There were a few mixups in the regards to the playlist that was projected on big screen last year and the music that was playing.  We were able to fix that problem about half way through the song.  The music that was played last year was tested for danceability (if there was a steady enough beat for people to hear and dance to) as well as timing.  It just so happens that most of the Waltz music that is played in Animes are usually Viannese Waltz which is faster and harder to pick up.  The Waltz music that was played at the Ball was the slow Waltz where the music is 3/4 timing.  Without getting into more detail, we tried to find music that people could dance a slow waltz to.  The playlist of the dances and music used is posted up on the forums if you want to see if the songs have a Waltz beat. 

If you would like to request songs, we also have a thread for that on the forums.  We usually start the list early so we can compile a list, listen to the music, and cut the music.  Because of this, the list needs to finalized about a month or so before the actually Ball.  Last year we had a lot of people try to get in their requests a month or less before the ball and it was impossible for us to fit it in.  We are always looking for more music to use at the Ball so if you would like, feel free to post your requests on the thread and we will see if we can get them in.

Hope this helps. Thanks for the feedback.

- Jim

[Nyanko]

I've been going to the black and white ball since it first started, and i must say, every year it's gotten better..except last year. Hopefully we will have a bigger room for it, like in 2010, and that will solve alot. I agree that there was alot of music that felt very 'pop' like and not so much traditional-what-you-would-think b&w ball music, but this is an anime convention so having pop like anime/japanese music i expect. And i love love love that the dress code of actual FORMAL wear is enforced, it just gives it such a GREAT atmosphere. The only thing that really endlessly pissed me off was that i got hassled alot to see my shoes. Now yes, i was wearing a floor length dress (its a ball, so floor length for me ) but i got checked at the door, at the elevator, in the line indoors, at the entrance, after being done dancing, i mean really its why i got pissed and left.

I've read around on the forums here some people being upset about this as well, so i wanted to give my thought or suggestion, i think there should be a dress code checking station. Not at the door where you are right there at the ball but at the beginning, or as far to the beginning as it can be. And at that station have someone or like 3 people (any more than that it becomes a power battle) who are KEEPERS OF THE CODE with rulers in hand, who check your attire and your shoes, and if you pass they give you a stamp on the hand, like a dark stamp so it dosent sweat off or wash off while your there, so that after that other staffers can see that you were checked and cleared. No more 'lift your dress' every 5 min, or confusing between staffers if what your wearing is cool.

Seriously thats my only suggestion, just put something on us so that everyone on the planet knows our attire and shoes were cleared so the only thing the other staffers there have to worry about are rude, overly crazy, etc etc peeps. I love the ball, it's really a highlight for me, and other than that you guys are really really awesome.

[Okach]

Sorry to hear about that.  Giant bullet point for us this year is to coordinate better with the rovers so that situations like yours don't happen.

[Dr Mario]

Just wanted to say that I love the B/W Ball. Been coming to Fanime since the old days at the Santa Clara convention center and love seeing the con get bigger and bigger every year. Since you started the B/W Balls it has now become the big highlight of the con for me to go to. Love to see everyone dressed to the nines, and I have always had a very nice experience when attending. (Would say 09 is at the top of my list among the dances.) I am overjoyed at the new venue that you gentlemen have secured and can’t wait to see it decked out for us. I really do hope that the dance floor is taken care of as well, as having to stop 10 to 20 minutes every time to fix the floor really starts to add up to losing a lot of dance time, especially when you already had to wait for sometime to enter in the first place. So as I was saying, very excited about the new location.
 
Might be a little late to say this but it’s just a small thing that has bugged me about the recent B/W Balls. I’ve never had a problem with the music. Sure there are some songs that I’m not into that I take a break from the dance floor from but I’m sure some else just jumped up on the dance floor because of it. My song style of choice is Waltzes, they always have me on the floor. Really my one main gripe about the dance is the format of the latest Balls. Having a big screen that shows what type of style you should be dancing for every single song. Like I said I love to Waltz but have no idea how to Salsa or Tango, so anytime I see those types of songs I feel I should exit the dance floor and let those who know what they are doing have the floor. I know there are dances classes and trust me I would love to take some lesson but at the same time it is an anime con, and between Cosplay photo shoots, tv and movie screenings, and panel discussions, I either don’t have time, or completely forget about the lessons that are held away from the convention center. The fact that you have dance tutorials at all is a great thing so really that is not about a complaint about where and when the lesson are and just more to point is that there is just too much to do at Fanime in so little time.
 
Getting back on point most of the time I head to the ball as a single guy looking to have some fun on the dance floor. The way you have it set up with each and every song being designated as a this type of dance or that, really prevents a lot of mingling on the dance floor. Lets just take salsa for example. I bet a large portion doesn’t know that dance, and the ones that do more than likely went to one of the classes either with a partner or some friends. So when a salsa song comes on they already have their dance partner and that’s that, very little mixing happens, but lets say you put on the same song without the screen declaring “Salsa dance to this song” more people are inclined to get on the dance floor and find their own groove to the song. Even if it is a ball the object should be to have people on the dance, instead of limiting people to only the dance styles they know. Of course the music should be something fit for a ball (have the raves that perfectly cover the other end of the spectrum) but really the DJ should just play a song and let the dancers figure out for themselves what type of rhythm takes them.  Have some dedicated songs throughout the playlist that involve the choreograph numbers instead of all of them. Sometimes it’s nice to hear a fine song to slow dance to instead having to Waltz, and follow that up with some YMCA and everyone would still be having a great time with more people on the dance floor.

Anyway that’s just my two cents and feel free to take it or leave it as you guys have been doing a great job year after year. Sorry for being so long winded. Looking forward to polishing up my shoes and pressing up my lab coat. Can’t wait to see you at the Ball.

[Okach]

First of all, thanks for the thoughtful feedback.  I'll try to explain the thinking behind the slides and the music with the same care that you had for your post.

We are offering this year 24 total hours of classes covering 13 different dance styles over the course of the con, not counting the evening semi-private lessons on Friday and Saturday nights which some of our instructors are generously donating their time to teach.  The music played at the ball has to be as varied as the styles taught.  As such, to reduce the confusion for those students who have gone to one or more lessons and who'd like to exercise their newfound prowess at the Ball, we list the styles that can be danced to the particular song on the slides.  It is NOT a requirement that you have to dance only the listed styles to the song listed.  If you so choose to break out East Coast Swing with your partner during a song that has Rumba listed, the staff will not try to indicate their aesthetic displeasure in any way unless you are being a nuisance or a danger to others (i.e. crashing into people, stepping on their feet, accidentally smacking them).

So, while we would like to get tons of people up and dancing, we'd also like to reward those who came to the lessons.  It's not an easy balancing act.  

[bluebomber]

I'd like to see a policy banning swastikas and Nazi costumes from the B&W Ball, as well as the con overall. It was really offensive to see the guy dressed as a Nazi SS officer with the red swastika armband last year at the Ball.

[udonoodle]

Haha it's almost time for B&W 2012! (And I'm still thinking about 2011)
I always love the black and white ball. I thought the 2011 B&W was classy (albeit crowded), and fun.
I didn't miss the huge holes in the dance floor
So excited for this year!

I liked the "divide-the-boys-and-girls-up-and-pair-them" method (was it 2010? 2009?) of getting the ball rolling more than the "infectious-dancing-virus technique: people ask different people who ask different people" (2011) mostly because it removes the "asking" part. I was one of the first ones picked to go out, so (silly me) I went back and ask a friend, who ask another friend (but we never left our friend circle). I guess "forcing" is a good icebreaker.

[Okach]

@bluebomber - We regret that your Black & White Ball experience was an unpleasant one based on what you experienced.  There was no mention of a proposed Nazi uniform ban in any staff discussion.   

@udon - We are going with a different floor vendor this year who has assured us that we will not have panel separation...but if we do, putting it back together will be faster than jumping up and down . 

We did in fact offer both forms of mixers for both years of BWBall - the swing mixer is the "viral" one (we call it a snowball) and the waltz mixer is the paired up one (we call it a waterfall).