13
« on: March 30, 2012, 01:33:55 AM »
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.
