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[Organizers] News re. Northeast Dance Organizers Conference

by Chrissy Fowler

Greetings dance organizers, We've got a new name! Puttin' on the Dance: A Conference for Northeast Dance Organizers, Nov 11-13, 2011 near Norwich, VT We've got a new conference email address! NEDanceOrgs(a)gmail.com And, we've got other news too... 80+ of you participated in our online survey. Wow! Your feedback is invaluable information for us as we continue to plan. Thank you, thank you, one and all. Particularly helpful are specific suggestions and offers of ways you'd like to participate. Keep 'em coming! (NEDanceOrgs(a)gmail.com) Many of you have already marked your calendars for Nov. 11-13. Double Wow! We're thrilled. This is definitely going to be an invigorating weekend, giving all of us tools, inspiration, and overall support for our dance organizing efforts. Speaking of support, we've been brainstorming ways that dance groups can support their organizers by sending them to the conference. Linda had a great suggestion: Start saving now! If a monthly series were to keep a modest $15-25 from each dance's gate starting in February, you'd have a hefty chunk of cash available to fund your participation in the conference. Or, you could raise your dance admission by only $1, and set aside the extra to underwrite conference attendance. Or, set out a contribution jar at the admission table -- let your dancers know you're planning to give your organization a big boost by attending, and let them get invested in the process too. Attending will be a terrific investment into the future of your series! Also, CDSS has budgeted funds for matching scholarships, further supporting the efforts of dance groups to get their organizing team to the conference. If you have things you'd like to discuss with your fellow organizers right now, in advance of the conference, consider joining the Shared Weight listserv for Organizers. It could be a terrific 'virtual networking' tool for us dance organizer folks. (direct link to subscribe: http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers) ---> NOTE: Send questions or comments regarding the conference directly to us via NEDanceOrgs(a)gmail.com. Thanks! We'll keep in touch as other plans are firmed up. In the meantime, let us know if you have questions or suggestions. Happy organizing! Chrissy Fowler, Delia Clark & Linda Henry NEDanceOrgs(a)gmail.com (207) 338-0979

13 years, 9 months

[Organizers] NE Organizers Conference

by Chrissy Fowler

Hello Dance Organizers, Just a reminder, in case you haven't yet offered it, that we'd love your input as we plan a conference for dance organizers, November 11-13, 2011 in the Upper Valley region of NH/VT (Hanover/Norwich area.) Here's the link to the anonymous-to-us online survey, to complete *before January 15*: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/52YKGFW And, to the many folks who've already responded with good questions, interesting suggestions, valuable feedback, and more inspiration... THANK YOU! With appreciation, Chrissy Fowler (Belfast ME) Delia Clark (Taftsville VT) Linda Henry (Amherst MA) PS We'll be in touch with some individuals soon re. your specific suggestions. And we do realize that there are some unfortunate conflicts for some of you that weekend, but at this point we aren't planning to change the dates.

13 years, 10 months

[Organizers] Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend gatherings

by Chris Weiler (SW)

Hello all, Once again, it's time for the annual Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend. Once again, everyone from the SharedWeight lists is invited to join us for lunch on Saturday and Sunday. We push a bunch of tables together and talk about whatever we want. Calling, communities, music. There are always people who bring food to share, so feel free to join the potluck. The RPDL weekend is a special and unique weekend. There you can meet the key movers and shakers of the contra dance revival. Network with and learn from people who have made the dance community their passion for decades. Plus have a lot of fun with some really excellent dancers. More info: http://www.nhcountrydance.com/music/rpdlw.html Chris Weiler SharedWeight.net

13 years, 10 months

[Organizers] NE Org Conf email

by Chrissy Fowler

Hi fellow Shared Weight organizer folks, I just sent out an email to the SW Organizers list, excitedly announcing a conference for organizers in the Northeast. If you are from that region, and didn't already get a personal email from me, please click on that email's link to complete our planning survey, and also please let me (us) know if you are into the concept. Thanks! Chrissy Fowler Belfast, ME ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ website www.chrissyfowler.com dance series www.belfastflyingshoes.org telephone 207-338-0979

13 years, 10 months

[Organizers] dance organizer conference

by Chrissy Fowler

Dear dance organizers, Announcing!! A conference especially for dance organizers in the Northeast! Mark your calendars for November 11-13, 2011 --- in the Norwich VT/ Hanover NH area. We hope you share our excitement about this rare opportunity. Seldom is there such support for dance administrators, and yet, the people out there putting on the dances are sustaining our social dance traditions. (Thanks to organizers, the rest of us have a venue to call/play/dance!) That's why, with support from the Country Dance & Song Society (www.cdss.org), we are planning this weekend --- for organizers of contra/square, community/family and other traditional English and American dances to meet one another, share ideas and experiences, learn new skills and strategies for successful dances, and more. We’ll also dance, eat, and have fun with our organizer peers! In these early stages, YOUR input is essential. (We want to design a meaningful conference, with relevance & utility for as many dance groups as possible. Any feedback you have time to send will be appreciated!) Please click on the following link by January 15, 2011 to respond to a brief* survey. (It could take as few as 3 minutes to complete!) (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/52YKGFW) And... if you know other dance organizers who might be interested in this conference, please forward this message to them and/or provide us w their names and contact info. Thanks! Happy New Year to all, and we look forward to hearing from you! Sincerely, Chrissy Fowler, Belfast, ME (Belfast Flying Shoes Dance Series) Delia Clark, Taftsville, VT (Woodstock Community Contra Dance) Linda Henry, Amherst, MA (Amherst Community Contra Dance)

13 years, 10 months

[Organizers] sticky dance floor

by Deborah Comly

Hi, I have a weekend dance event coming up at a venue we don't use regularly. Last week I went to check it out, and the owner in an act of kindness and in preparation for the event, put down several coats of wax. Now, the floor is VERY sticky which is further compounded by seasonal high humidity. Does anyone have any thoughts for me as to how I might remedy the situation? I can get in early, before the event and mop the floor a few times. I don't think the venue will be used between now and our event, so there's no chance of normal traffic wearing it down... -- Deb Comly Flagstaff, AZ 928-774-5936 (home) 928-853-7985 (cell) -- Deb Comly Flagstaff, AZ 928-774-5936 (home) 928-853-7985 (cell)

14 years, 4 months

Re: [Organizers] sticky dance floor

by Dan Pearl

Washing the floor ahead of time would be time wasted. In this case, dirt is your friend, as the dirt provides a layer of lubricant between the shoes and the floor. Think of the floor as a strip of adhesive tape. Sprinkling dust on the tape reduces the tackiness to other objects. So that is what you should not do. What should you do? I would recommend that you tell people to spread the word that the floor is tacky and to select appropriate footwear. In this case, I would go with worn leather/suede or a bowling shoe. In a pinch, people can just use socks. Here is an FAQ on dance floors, but I don't recommend putting any substance on the floor: http://www.eijkhout.net/rad/dance_offnet/floor3.html Good luck!

14 years, 4 months

Re: [Organizers] Organizers Digest, Vol 21, Issue 1 (Lable for helping new people)

by Grunzweig, Noah C.

Jeff, I think including a word for dancing w/ new people in the contra lexicon is a grand idea even if 'I'm dancing w/ newbies for a bit, care to join me?' is a great way to accomplish both including beginners/new folks to the community and setting an example of welcoming for other dancers. If you are looking for a simple marketing word, try "welcoming" or "welcoming newbies" or "teaching". Might not be as funny as "herding" (which is also true and I use sparingly), but it is simple and neutral in response. I'd stick w/ asking others to join you though. Tis volunteerism to give your time to new dancers, but tis community leadership to encourage others to do the same. Noah Grunzweig -----Original Message----- From: organizers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:organizers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of organizers-request(a)sharedweight.net Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:00 PM To: organizers(a)sharedweight.net Subject: Organizers Digest, Vol 21, Issue 1 Send Organizers mailing list submissions to organizers(a)sharedweight.net To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to organizers-request(a)sharedweight.net You can reach the person managing the list at organizers-owner(a)sharedweight.net When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Organizers digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Getting left-out people into a contra dance (Jeff Kaufman) 2. Re: Getting left-out people into a contra dance (Stephen Moore) 3. Re: Getting left-out people into a contra dance (P W Marsh) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 15:54:59 -0400 From: Jeff Kaufman <jeff(a)alum.swarthmore.edu> To: organizers(a)sharedweight.net Subject: [Organizers] Getting left-out people into a contra dance Message-ID: <20100524195459.GA9405(a)melfpelt.swarpa.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At dances I'll sometimes skip out on the initial partnering to see if there's someone who didn't end up with a partner but would like one. I've done this the most at dances where I have some sort of responsibility in the group (bida, the contra dances at swarthmore), but I try to do it whenever I notice people getting left out. This works pretty well at getting people in, especially new people. The main way it doesn't work is if I get asked to dance by an experienced dancer when I intend to be doing this. I can avoid that somewhat by making myself scarce refilling water pitchers or whatever, but sometimes people who are fun to dance with and will not be having any trouble finding a partner ask me right away. I can say "I'm sorry; I'm looking for a left out newcomer to dance with" but that's kind of strange and a bit of a mouthful. I think what I need is a name for this activity. Is there one already in use somewhere else? I'd like to be able to say "sorry, not this dance, I'm [name-of-this]ing". Another advantage of a name is that even if the person I'm talking to doesn't understand me at the time beyond "jeff won't dance, need to find a different partner", if they come talk to me later I can give more detail and it will have a name attached. Jeff

14 years, 5 months

[Organizers] Getting left-out people into a contra dance

by Jeff Kaufman

At dances I'll sometimes skip out on the initial partnering to see if there's someone who didn't end up with a partner but would like one. I've done this the most at dances where I have some sort of responsibility in the group (bida, the contra dances at swarthmore), but I try to do it whenever I notice people getting left out. This works pretty well at getting people in, especially new people. The main way it doesn't work is if I get asked to dance by an experienced dancer when I intend to be doing this. I can avoid that somewhat by making myself scarce refilling water pitchers or whatever, but sometimes people who are fun to dance with and will not be having any trouble finding a partner ask me right away. I can say "I'm sorry; I'm looking for a left out newcomer to dance with" but that's kind of strange and a bit of a mouthful. I think what I need is a name for this activity. Is there one already in use somewhere else? I'd like to be able to say "sorry, not this dance, I'm [name-of-this]ing". Another advantage of a name is that even if the person I'm talking to doesn't understand me at the time beyond "jeff won't dance, need to find a different partner", if they come talk to me later I can give more detail and it will have a name attached. Jeff

14 years, 6 months

[Organizers] hints for dance series hosts

by Chrissy Fowler

Hello organizers, Someone posted the following to the Shared Weight Callers list, and I thought it was actually more relevant to the organizers. So here it is. I, for one, cannot imagine doing such a gig as a performer - at least not more than once - and am shocked that an organizer could be so utterly thoughtless. Perhaps this will start a conversation about what we, as dance organizers, ought to have as "best practices," especially for the sakes of our performers (without whom we would have no dance.) Chrissy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ website www.chrissyfowler.com dance series www.belfastflyingshoes.org > > Here is a minor episode for the "gigs from hell "annals. Imagine someone asks you to dinner. They ask you to bring the food. However, they won?t tell you where they live or what time dinner starts or what sort of food the guests might enjoy. When you try to contact them, they are out of town. > ? > I was invited to call in a neighboring state with a fine band from my state. The drive would take the better part of a day and we knew that we wouldn?t come anywhere near making gas money. However, many callers and bands are willing to do ?charity? work for new contra communities. Generally when callers/musicians travel, they like to maximize what they offer and will do afternoon music/dance workshops, often for free. When we were first booked, we offered a variety of free workshops. After a month of receiving no response, we brought this offer up again with the caller/organizer who invited us. After three more months, another prompting email query brought a response that the caller/organizer basically didn?t have time to bother. > ? > Twenty four hours before the dance, we had still not been informed of where the dance was or what time it started. The last email (2 months previous) from the "host" said they were looking for a new hall. Lack of information on where we might stay and the fact there was a potluck before the dance had us spending money on a pricey meal and motel in the tourist town. The caller/organizer would not be around due to another gig. > ? > An enterprising band member finally called a local musician and got a rough idea of where the dance was to be held. What fun?.5 generous and experienced folks, willing to lose money, driving a 2 day round trip to help a new caller/series. Nothing about the word "host" applies in this case. > ? > So, in order to turn a rant into something constructive, I have composed a bare bones "invitee" form to be sent to guest bands/callers shortly after the invitation is accepted so that new callers/organizers who care about their dance communities might meet the basic requirements of a host: > ? > Dear _________(caller,band) > Thank you for agreeing to be part of our contra experience. > ? > Our dance starts at __, with the pre-teaching starting at ____. > ? > The hall is located at___(map link) and will be open by_____. > ? > Your sound person will be_____. > ? > Usually we have about _____(number of dancers), with about ___% being experienced; of course we may have an influx of newcomers. > ? > ?Our dancers are generally (comfortable/not comfortable) with a hey/contra corners in the first half. > ? > Generally, we dance until____PM, then have a break and resume dancing until____PM. > ? > Our dancers enjoy a (waltz, polka, hambo, swing) (before, after) break and at the end of the dance. > ? > We have arranged for you to stay with ______. Their phone/email/address is_______ > Or > Below is the contact information for reasonably priced motels near the dance hall > ? > We will be able to pay you_$_______. > ? > For more information about dance logistics, you may contact me (or ___) at _____. > ? > Please let us know in advance what you will need in terms of microphones, etc. > ? > Thank you for bringing your expertise to our dancers. > ? > For additional goodwill, we suggest that the "host" get the following things right in communication/publicity: Spelling of the caller?s name and the band?s name, where they are from, the date for the gig (these things slipped by in our case). A thank you email would be frosting on the cake. > ? > Hope this helps! > > _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/210850553/direct/01/

14 years, 8 months

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