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Rule of thumb on the heels would be that they point of contact with the floor needs to be wider than the width of a nickel.  For safety reason and to preserve the dance floor also. 

What is Love - Haddaway (Hustle)

Sugar Rush - AKB48 (Cha Cha maybe) from Wreck it Ralph

:D

Alyxiane,

You can find the 2011 and 2010 playlists at http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,16384.0.html 

For the 2012 playlist you can find that at http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,17507.0.html

We will see what we can do to improve signage and directions to the location of the Black and White Ball.  We did plan on having black and white balloon clusters that would lead the way from in front of the Civic Center to the entrance of Parkside Hall.  There were a few things that we didn't factor into place like wind, trees, clusters being moved, balloons blowing away, etc... but we will be all that much better prepared next year! :)  Thanks for all the feedback though.  Glad everyone liked the new venue.  Keep the feedback coming.

Oh and if you want to leave feedback about the Black and White Ball in general and not just the dance floor, they have set up a general feedback forum so all feedback for FanimeCon 2012 can be contained in one place.  Here is the link to it, http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,17422.180.html  Thanks again!

- Jim

Hello everyone,

So there were some interests in the songs that were played at the Black and White Ball this year so I am posting up the playlist here.  Please remember that the playlist is usually set a month or so before the Ball to give staff time to edit and even out sound if needed.  If you would like to make requests for 2013 you can do so at the following thread http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,16594.0.html.  Thanks!

Artist; Song; Dance

1. Hollywood Movie Strings; Blue Roses (from The Glass Menagerie); Waltz
2. Trio Los Panchos; Se Llama Fujiyama; Rumba
3. Soulhead; Step to the New World; West Coast Swing
4. Chaka; Ashita e no Melody; Hustle
5. DBSK; Holding Back the Tears; Nightclub Two Step
6. Mosaki, Osamil; Dream Believer (Prince of Tennis); East Coast Swing
7. Kyappu to Bin; Ometto Samba (Prince of Tennis); Samba
8. Hollywood Movie Strings; Miss Moorhead's Tango; American Tango
9. The Three Cats; Hong Kong Cha Cha; Cha Cha
10. Chica Boom; Yuku Sadness Stole Two Waves; Salsa
11. Caillat, Colbie; Kiss the Girl; Rumba
12. Jones, Norah; Come Away with Me; Waltz
13. Duwende; Remember the Time; West Coast Swing
14. Kobayashi, Akira; Akira de Bossa Nova; Merengue
15. Goulet, Robert; You've Got a Friend in Me; Foxtrot
16. Taeyang; I'll Be There; Hustle
17. Hamasaki, Ayumi; Walking Proud; Nightclub Two Step
18. Matsumoto, Iyo; Boyfriend A Go Go; East Coast Swing
19. Orquestra de la Luzl Salsa Es Me Energia; Salsa
20. Electro Dub Tango; La Bohemia; Argentine Tango
21. Puffy AmiYumi; Don't Bring Me Down; West Coast Swing
22. Wakeshima, Kanon; Kuroneko to Pianist no Tango; American Tango
23. Yukimura, Izumi; Mambo Italiano; Cha Cha
24. Sugawara, Yoichi; I Really Don't Want to Know; Waltz
25. 4 to the Bar; Make Me Sweat; Rumba
26. Alisa Yuriko; Everlasting Love; East Coast Swing
27. MissTer; Super Lover; Hustle
28. W-inds; Be As One; Nightclub Two Step
29. Izumi Yukimura; Ain't Cha Cha Coming Out T-Tonight; Salsa
30. Dreams Come True; Ikitai No Wa Mountain Mountain; Foxtrot
31. Casa Musica; The Inner Light; Waltz (Mixer)
32. Casa Musica; Ilia's Theme (Star Trek); Waltz (Mixer)
33. Spirited Away; Chihiro no Waltz; Waltz (Mixer)
34. Crystal Kay; Candy; West Coast Swing
35. Lehrer, Tom; Masochism Tango; American Tango
36. Belafonte, Harry; Jump in the Line; Merengue
37. Se7en; Better Together; Hustle
38. Gotye; Somebody That I Used to Know; Rumba
39. Hyuna ft Joon Hyung; Change; West Coast Swing
40. Arashi; Love Station; Cha Cha
41. Chelo; Cha Cha; Samba
42. Gotan Project; Diferente; Argentine Tango
43. Orquestra De La Luz; Super Mario Brothers; Salsa
44. Koumi, Hirose; Groovy!; West Coast Swing
45. Ito, Yuna, Love is Groovy Groovy; Merengue
46. Anuhea; Crown Royal; Nightclub Two Step
47. Home Made Kazoku; Shall We Burei!; East Coast Swing
48. Us3; Cantaloop; Cha Cha
49. Anka, Paul; Heaven; Foxtrot
50. Wheesung; Insomnia; Hustle
51. Koda Kumi and Soulhead; D.D.D.; West Coast Swing
52. Hollywood Movie Strings; Opening The from The Great Mouse Detective; Tango
53. Stevie Wonder; Sunshine of My Life; Rumba
54. Malice Mizer; Brise; East Coast Swing (Mixer)
55. Swing Girls; In the Mood; East Coast Swing (Mixer)
56. Swing Girls; Sing Sing Sing; East Coast Swing (Mixer)
57. Makashima, Kiko; Oborozukio Inori; Waltz
58. FictionJunction Yuuka - Aikoi (Tsubasa Chronicle); Cha Cha
59. Tsukiyo Koi Kaze; The Moon's Night Wind of Love; Rumba
60. Kaito Hatsune, Miku; Cantarella; Tango
61. Yoko; Empezo la Fiesta; Salsa
62. DBSK; Stand By You; Nightclub Two Step
63. Suguru. Matsutani; Bolero Variation I; Waltz
64. Jessie J; Domino; West Coast Swing
65. Ikimono-Gakai; Miso Soup; East Coast Swing
66. Sister Mayo; Love Tropicana; Hustle
67. Uematsu, Nobuo & Los Mambo Panchos; Mabo de Chocobo; Cha Cha
68. Sinatra, Frank; My Kind of Town; Foxtrot
69. Portuondo, Omara; Killing Me Softly; Rumba
70. Muraki, Kaori and New Japan Philharmonic; Tango en Skai; American Tango
71. The Gospellers; Towa Ni; Nightclub Two Step
72. Orquestra De la Luz; Acaba Ya; Salsa
73. Soulhead; You Can Do That; West Coast Swing
74. Clara C; Offbeat; Foxtrot
75. Dreams Come True; Kessen Wa Kinyoubi; Cha Cha
76. 102 Strings; Jiyuu No Daichi; Waltz
77. Itokibo; Into the Sky; East Coast Swing
78. Soulhead; Get Up; Hustle
79. Yoko; Este Ritmo Original; Salsa
80. Crystal Kay; Kataomoi; West Coast Swing
81. Ono, Lisa; Besame Mucho; Rumba
82. Kyoko; Katamrity; East Coast Swing
83. Kim Jaejoong; Protect You; Nightclub Two Step
84. El Desquite; Gallo Ciego; Argentine Tango
85. G-Dragon; This Love, Cha Cha
86. Fitzgerald, Ella; Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea; Foxtrot
87. JLS; Teach Me How To Dance; Hustle
88. Okubo, Hiroshi; Baby Universe; East Coast Swing
89. Family Computer; Medley of Super Mario Brothers; Salsa
90. Melvin, Harold and the Blue Notes; If You Don't Know Me By Now; Waltz
91. Ishii, Akemi; Cha Cha Cha; Cha Cha
92. Chemistry; A Better Tomorrow; Nightclub Two Step
93. Malice Mizer; Gekka no Yasoukyoku; American Tango
94. Haida, Katsuhiko; Eien no Tsukikage; Rumba
95. Shakira; Waka Waka; Merengue
96. Rodolfo Guerra Y Su Sincopata Latina; Mueve El Cuerpo; Cha Cha
97. Michael Franti & Spearhead; Say Hey; Samba
98. Se7en; Run; West Coast Swing
99. Manuel & the Music of the Mountains; Sunshine Secret; Waltz
100. Mario Party 3; Spiny Desert; Salsa
101. Trio de los Hermanos Moreno; Se Llama Fujiyama; Rumba
102. The Peanuts; Chakkiri Cha Cha Cha; Cha Cha
103. Ros, Edmundo; La Cumparsita; American Tango
104. Lemar; Me U & The Music; Hustle
105. Conte, Steve; Call Me Call Me; Nightclub Two Step
106. L'Arc en Ciel; It's The End; East Coast Swing
107. Fun; We Are Young; End Theme

http://ibekorra.tumblr.com/post/23544760755/hey-guys-sorry-about-the-lack-of-updates-im

would this be alright? The dress has a diagonal opening. I can try to stitch this up if it's not alright or wear another dress.

Dress should be fine as long as the slit starts no higher than 3 inches from the knee.  I do recommend that you may want to take the bottom of the dress up a bit.  You may trip on the dress during a dance or someone can step on it too.  So please keep that in mind. 

- Jim

Hi Jim,

Can people ask questions on this thread too? One that comes to mind at the moment is rules regarding exit/re-entry (ex: bathroom). Once you step outside, will you be able to re-enter easily or will you have to get back in line?

Anyways, looking fwd to the ball this year, as always. My schedule didn't allow me to help you guys out, but I'm sure you are running a tight ship. =)

-Tony

Tony,

I am working on the situation of restrooms. Trying to work it out where there is a designated door that people can go in and out of to go to the restroom and get water if needed without having to jump back in line... And I am working on that line too... trying to get it so there is no line.  :P  I won't know final details until the weekend of FanimeCon but rest assured we are all working on it. :D  Looking forward to seeing you at the ball and maybe a couple of lessons Tony.

- Jim

Would this be an acceptable cosplay costume to wear during the Ball?
http://moe.animecharactersdatabase.com/images/2371/Shizuo_Heiwajima.png
I wont use the glasses or any props of course.

That will be fine.

- Jim

To clarapark96,

Is it possible to post a link or picture of what they look like?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-BROWN-KNEE-HIGH-PLATFORM-WEDGE-STRETCH-BOOTS-/190675881148?pt=US_Women_s_Shoes&var=&hash=item2c652b0cbc

The boots would only work if they were part of a cosplay. My concern is that the soles of the feet would mark up the dance floor and although they may be comfy to walk around, they may not be the best shoes to dance in. 

- Jim

If I were to wear a dress similar to this style: http://i.imgur.com/gHGuq.jpg (sheer dress but shorter dress underneath), and the inner dress was obviously higher than 2" above the knees, would I be able to pass or would I need something like tights? Or would the dress just not fly at all?

Sake-nya,

The solid part of the dress is the part of the dress that we are concerned with.  That part of the dress should not go higher than 2-3 inches above the knee.  As for the idea of tights underneath that takes away from the elegance of the dress code.  So my suggestion would be to have the dress lengthen or have a different type of dress.  If we were to let the sheer part of the dress pass, that means other people who may have a dress that is shorter than the one you have pictured, could just add a sheer piece of cloth to lengthen the dress and that does not work. 

- Jim

My boyfriend has all black shiny tennis shoes which can appear like formal wear shoes. Would they be okay? And his pants are long black pants which I have hemmed for him to go to about heel length, so his shoes will only really have the tip exposed. His laces and whatever the flap is called won't be showing. And his shoes are more low rise compared to these.

http://www.geeksneakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/nike-dunk-high-supreme-qk-octagon-pack2.jpg

Xichisex,

As Okach has mentioned, dress code checks will be done in full this year at the ball and sneakers of any kind will not be allowed into the ball. I understand that the shoe may not be visible and it may be dark where no one notices but to keep with the formal theme, we will ask that anyone who has tennis shoes to please have a pair of dress shoes that they can change into.

- Jim

Ok I have a question and its the question thats been bugging my date for weeks because of what happened at last years ball to one of her friends.

Opened toed shoes? Are they forbidden or not?

Open toed shoes are fine as long as they are formal and they adhere to the heel rule.  Which is that the heel can be no higher than 4 inches and the point of the heel cannot be smaller than the size of a nickel.  Sandles, flip flops, Birkenstock, crocks, etc are not allowed in at BWBall and shoes must be worn at all times during the dance.  It would help if your date could send in a picture of her shoes and I can give you a more definite answer.  I hope that helps.

- Jim

As the saying goes, Fanime is for fans, by fans.  Everyone is going to have their specific interests and things they want to do at FanimeCon and we would love to accommodate everyone's wishes but that doesn't always happen.  We do try to look at the schedule and see if there are any conflicts between events.  Some cases, they are small so it doesnt really register with people.  Other schedule conflicts are bigger and we have tried to work with the two or three departments involved but it still does take a lot of work and time, and in some cases, we may not be able to adjust things to fit things in. 

With that said, we try to make sure that there is something for everyone here at FanimeCon and will take your feedback under advisement.  Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at FanimeCon.

- Jim

hi jim
ur bored but its okay
cant wait for the ball :D

<3

LoL!  Far from bored here.  Anxious and excited for BWBall.  Looking forward to FanimeCon weekend.

- Jim

[What is the Black & White Ball?]

The FanimeCon Black & White Ball FAQ

This FAQ is subject to change.  The most recent information will come from a member of the Black & White Ball at the events handled by the Ball, such as classes, the Ball, or Stage Zero demos.  The purpose of this FAQ is to address questions that have come up over the last three years of the Ball's existence, that are not necessarily stated anywhere else.  While this FAQ may address information that has been posted formally (i.e. Dress Code, instructional videos, responses by Ball members on any message board) it is intended to be a clarification rather than a substitute.  Please address feedback to the FAQ as a response to the FAQ where posted, or as an email to the Ball at [email protected].

What is the Black & White Ball?
The FanimeCon Black & White Ball is a semi-formal dance offered by the Extravaganzas Department of FanimeCon that takes place on Sunday night for all registered attendees.  As of 2012, the Ball and its associated dance lessons are being held in both The J Ballroom in the San Jose Convention Center as well as Parkside Hall, please check the fanime.com website and your guide at FanimeCon for more details. 

What do I need to know about partner dancing?
Glad you asked.  We prefer that you follow normal dance etiquette:
1)    Feel free to ask a partner.  Feel free to turn down a partner, but if you decline, please do not ask for or accept a dance for the duration of the song that is playing.
2)   Look where you're going.  Look where you're going.  Look where you're going.  You probably will not like getting stepped on or run into.  Apologize if you do it.
3)   Follow the line of dance if a travelling dance such as waltz or foxtrot is played.  Stand in the middle of the floor, point your finger at the edge of the floor, and turn your body to the left.  Line of dance is the path your finger traces along the edge of the floor.  Please dance as close to the edge of the floor as you can.
4)   If you are doing a dance that does not travel (i.e. swing) to a song marked as a travel dance (i.. waltz) please dance closer to the center of the floor so as to allow waltzers to move around the outside of the floor.
5)   Please get off the floor if you are not dancing. 

Semi-formal?
A dress code is enforced as a condition of entry to the Ball.  The code can be found on the main Black & White Ball event webpage linked in the main FanimeCon portal.

Why is a dress code necessary?
Among other things, the Ball was envisioned to be a dance that had slightly more structure to allow it to be friendly to families.  The use of a dress code supports that idea.  Other considerations include cleaner music (i.e. no profanity) and having the members of the Ball roam around the floor available for dances, and to break up individual dances.  This is of course in addition to normal Con etiquette such as civility to fellow Congoers, good personal hygiene and being aware of your surroundings.
The dress code is also there to promote safety.  We restrict shoes to dressy type and with certain types of heels.  We also do not want the floor to be marked up by the soles of shoes.   Please scrape the pavement with the soles of your shoes to check if you're not sure if it'll leave a mark.  For those who are dressing as gentlemen, we prefer that you try to find at least a leather dressy looking shoe.  The leather loafer style of shoe (i.e. Toms) are acceptable, but leather sneakers are iffy depending on how it's styled.   Canvas shoes and other materials are not encouraged.

Why are individual dances broken up?   
The Ball was envisioned also to promote partner dancing.  We offer 24 hours of instruction during the convention for that purpose in a wide variety of styles.  We have gone to the expense of providing a real dance floor that is used at ballroom and swing dance competitions.  We offer semi-private lessons Friday and Saturday evenings for those people who don't have time during the day to take lessons, or prefer a little more concentrated instruction.  We avail you the opportunity to learn about partner dancing and provide an experience comparable to what you would find at conventions devoted to partner dancing.  While we regret discouraging your full creative expression, bear in mind that your actions on the floor interfere with those people who are willing to put in the time and effort to learn and dance.  There are other dances at the FanimeCon that can accommodate your likes.  Please feel free to release your inhibitions at them.

Who are the members of the Ball?
We are a group of people who teach a variety of styles of partner dancing.  Some of us are students learning, or fully involved in dance, some are hobbyists, some who teach dance for a living, some who compete at dance competitions.  Since we are diverse in appearance and expression, we have taken to wearing teal armbands while participating at the Con to identify ourselves.

Count on a friendly tap on the shoulder and someone in an armband saying to you "Please don't do that." or "Would you like to dance?" depending on the situation.

Can I request specific music at the Ball?  If not where can I make my request?
Let's break this up into a couple of parts:
Requests can be posted in the appropriate thread on the FanimeCon forums, where our music people can take a look at it, and give it a go/no on inclusion into the playlist.  We have the final say in all music requests.  Requests cannot be taken at the Con.  The reason why is because we display slides that show the name of the song and the type of dances that can be done to it because we encourage partner dancing.  Slides have to be done before the Con.
As for your genre, we try to pick out songs that we can actually partner dance to.  We have provided two years worth of playlists on the FanimeCon forums.  If you take a look at them you will notice a wide range of genres from Asian Pop to 8-bit game music themes.  What we look for overall is a readily distinguishable beat, melody characteristics for the styles of dance we have in mind, and a speed suitable to dancing by novice dancers; with a couple of advanced dance suitable songs for those of us who want to try it.  Something like dubstep at the current time may not be suitable while some house songs may be tailor made for some dances like hustle.

What if I do not like the music that was played at the Ball?
We regret that your enjoyment of the Ball was severely hampered by the overrepresentation of a certain genre/artist/instrument in the playlist.  We try for diversity and danceability.  The playlist is reviewed by all the members of the Black & White Ball for repetition and possible boredom.  Bear in mind that the playlist has to cover 17 different styles of dance, some of which are mutually exclusive in regards to other styles concerning music.  It is also entirely possible that you caught the portion of the playlist that covered a subsection of dance that you may not have liked.  If you do have feedback about the playlist, please post it in the FanimeCon Forums; please be as specific as you can in regards to music so that we can fix it for the next year.

If I have a comment or concern how do I get in touch with someone in charge?
Our apologies for your unpleasant experiences at the Ball – we put forth a lot of effort throughout the year to optimize the Ball experience.  The primary Point of Contact is the head of the Black & White Ball, who will draw attention to himself during Stage Zero, the classes, and the Ball itself.  Feel free to come up and chat.  Please be respectful.  Please be calm and describe what happened and why you didn't like it.  If you couldn't put your finger on it till after the Ball, please feel free to post on the FanimeCon forums; and the Facebook group in the appropriate feedback thread.  If you feel a little more discretion is required, post a note stating that you prefer privacy and we'll accommodate you.

Hi everyone,

Ok I am going to have to clarify on a comment I made earlier, I apologize about the confusion.  In regards to the boots, if they are part of a cosplay then they will be allowed in, however, the heel on the boot still cannot come to a point smaller than the size of a nickel and the bottom of the boot cannot be rubber soled.  If the boot is not part of a cosplay, it will not be allowed into the ballroom.

My earlier comment was partly due to me not checking if the boot was part of a cosplay or not.  The concerns that I have with boots are that they are hard to dance in if you plan to dance for an extended amount of time and they can cause painful accidents if you step on someone toes (yes it hurts regardless if you have boots on also :P).  If you do decide to wear boots underneath your dress and they are covered up, they still will be checked.  Again, if it is part of a cosplay then it will be fine, if it is not, then it will not be allowed in.

I hope that clarifies things up a bit.  Thanks for the questions and see you guys at the Ball.

- Jim

http://www.rivithead.com/catalog/victorian-120.html
i was wondering if these shoes are alright?
If not are flats acceptable?

Serena,

Boots are not part of the dress code and therefore not going to be allowed into the ballroom.  Flats are permitted so those should be fine. 

- Jim

I was wondering if this outfit would be acceptable? x3

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs46/i/2009/231/9/b/Snow_Queen__by_Evidoes.png

The outfit looks fine but do keep in mind that you will be dancing around a lot of other people and something that long may get stepped on by other people and the fact that it may be constrictive and not allow you to move as you are dancing.  Those are just my thoughts.  But it should be ok for the BWBall.  I am not sure what shoes you are planning to wear with it, but please remember that there is a dress code for shoes also.  We had a couple of people last year who had great costumes but had to be turned away due to their shoes.

- Jim

Just a question,

I've read over the dress code and just want to be on the safe side. Would these shoes be acceptable? http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m608/PsychoticOtaku/shoes.jpg

Also wanted to make sure my dress is alright. ^^; http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m608/PsychoticOtaku/dress.jpg

Hello,

The dress looks fine for BWBall.  The shoes look good.  My only concern is the point on the heel.  If it is smaller than a nickel then it will not be allowed in.  The reason for that is because small pointed heels will cause dents in the dance floor, hurt other people's feet if you accidently step on them, and it may get caught on things too.  So it is more of a safety issue.  But other than that it looks fine.  I hope that helps.

- Jim

May not be able to make it to the Black & White Ball due to my Stage Zero commitments, but for the Black and White Ball Demonstrations on Stage Zero, I'd love to see a Tango/Argentine Tango done to something from Gotan Project.

Mr. Wendell,

I will hand the request over to my dance committee and we will see if we can make it happen. :)  Thanks for the request.  I do hope that you will be able to attend the BWBall for a little bit this year.  It is going to be bigger than ever! :)

- Jim