Hi SW organizers & callers,
This came to our Belfast Flying Shoes email address. I've heard about Burning Man, and imagine this would be a wild undertaking. Thought I'd spread the word, to cast the net wide for Mr Stowe.
Cheers,
Chrissy Fowler
PS The Yahoo group seems to lay the vision all out (having given it a fast skim...).
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mark Stowe <mkstowegnv(a)gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Feb 25, 2010 at 10:54 AM
Subject: first contradance camp in the 20+ years of Burning Man
To: belfastflyingshoes(a)gmail.com
Dear local dance/music contact person,
I am contacting a very large number of dance and music groups in the hopes of finding the rare souls who can make a contradance camp happen at Burning Man. I would be enormously grateful if you would post the email below to your local email list/ Facebook page, and write back to me to confirm that you have posted it. (I am trying to avoid subscribing to countless lists.) Please feel free to modify it or offer me your advice. Thanks so much, and thanks for all your volunteer work.
Hi, I am organizing what will apparently be the first contradance camp in the 20+ years of Burning Man (a week of extreme art in an extreme environment - http://burningman.com). Even though there are a large number of 'burners' who are contradancers, we need to get this message out to as many people as possible in particular to be able to line up callers and musicians.
In the discussion group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/burningmancontradance/
I lay out the logistical challenges and a preliminary plan for funding and otherwise making such a camp a reality (it will be easiest if you choose 'view all' and click the arrow that will reverse the default reverse chronological order).
I would be very grateful if you could pass this email on to anyone you know who might be interested. I am sending this out to as many contradance discussion groups as I can, but I won't get 'all of them' without help. Please post to the groups you know and send me a note telling me what group(s) you have posted to.
Thanks and best wishes, Mark Stowe mkstowegnv(a)gmail.com
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Hi all,
Three things that I think have helped the dance series committees I've been part of are:
- Be geared toward the needs of performers (having a guarantee with a bonus for good attendance, considering ways to increase the appeal for them to play/call for our series - like food, dinner, housing, etc)
- Be geared toward the needs of dancers (thinking about what we as dancers love in a dance series, having an attitude of 'this will be fun!", having a broader concept of the sorts of dancers we want to attract - newbies *and* experienced folks of all ages)
- Be clear about the vision we have for the series, but willing to adapt along the way, and making it workable for ourselves as commitee members (defining roles, distributing the responsibilities, communicating as things come up, giving small stipends for committee work - which takes the edge off feeling 'burdened', enjoying the process of dance management, wlecoming and even soliciting specific volunteer contributions, etc.)
Great idea for a Shared Weight Organizers topic! Looking fwd to reading more contributions!
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast Maine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
website www.chrissyfowler.com
dance series www.belfastflyingshoes.org
telephone 207-338-0979 cell 603-498-3506
> > So what I'd like to do is hear from people and find out what they
> > know now that they wish they had known before they became involved
> > with organizing dance events. Pick the top 3 things (or more if you
> > want) and send them to the list. Afterwards, we should have a
> > pretty good list of information for people who are interested in
> > getting started.
> >
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Click here for conference website.
Stop by the
Visitors Information Center
located downtown adjacent to the Kentucky International Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency at the Corner of 4th and Jefferson Streets, Louisville Kentucky 40202.
Hours:
Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Phone: (502) 379-6109
June 23-26
Kentucky Expo Center
Louisville, kentucky
THE WORLD’S GREATEST SQUARE DANCE EVENT OF 2010 WILL BE THE BEST EVER
One of the most important if not the most important part of a National Square Dance Convention® is SOUND. If you cannot hear the caller/cuer/etc you do not enjoy the dance. The 59th National Square Dance Convention® is doing everything possible to ensure that, the best sound possible will be available and that everyone will be able to hear the cuer/caller/etc. The owner for Yak Stacks, the premier speaker system preferred by most callers, has been contracted to provide, set-up and maintain the sound systems in all dance halls. In addition, eight of the dance halls will have a “Sound Enhancement System” installed. The personnel involved have sounded 11 previous National Square Dance Conventions®, most Mid-America Square Dance Jamborees that were also held at Kentucky Exposition Center as well as many other major square dance events.
For those who are not familiar with “Sound Enhancement Systems” and how they are used in square dancing, here is a brief explanation.
An FM transmitter is connected to the sound system. The transmitter broadcasts a radio signal over a distance of 300-500 feet. The transmitter only broadcast the cuer/caller/etc’s voice not the background music. Individual dancers can then use a small FM radio and earphones to hear the caller/cuer/etc.
The sound can be received on any FM radio such as a small clip-on or Walkman type radio with earphones. Most dancers already have a small portable FM radio with earphones they can use. For dancers who do not have a FM radio they can use, radios will be available in the vendor area.
Each of the eight dance halls will use a different frequency to broadcast so there will be no interference between halls.
In some of the major halls the Williams Sound System will be used. This system has been used in past conventions.
With the use of Yak Stacks speakers, Hilton turntables and Sound Enhancement Systems in eight dance halls along with the most experienced sound crew available, we will ensure every dancer will be able to easily hear and enjoy every minute of the 59th National Square Dance Convention®.
With the best sound available, great facilities, friendly people, terrific food, (including lots of delicious ice cream), and many great tours of the surrounding beautiful and interesting sites, the 59th National Square Dance Convention® will be the best ever, you do not want to miss this one, if you do you will be sorry. Dancers will be talking about the 59th NSDC for many years, everyone who attends the convention will experience a fabulous time and have special memories that will last a lifetime.
See you in Louisville at
The World’s Greatest Square Dance Event of 2010,
June 23-26, 2010
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER GO TO WWW.59thnsdc.COM
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Feel the excitement at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom by taking a ride on one of the world’s longest stand-up coasters or making waves in Splashwater Kingdom. Live through the fastest two minutes in sports by visiting Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum. Experience original one-of-a-kind cuisine by dining at one of our award-winning restaurants spread throughout four dining districts. Relax as you cruise the Ohio River aboard the Belle of Louisville, a National Historic Landmark.
Be sure to stop by our Visitors Center located downtown at the corner of 4th and Jefferson Streets, where you can pick-up literature, buy souvenirs, grab your Urban Bourbon Trail Passport, purchase discounted attraction tickets, get directions and make restaurant reservations, all with the help of friendly travel counselors.
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Hello everyone,
Yes, we will have lunch gatherings both days at the Ralph Page Dance
Legacy Weekend in the dinning hall in our usual spot. Chris will be
there and is looking forward to seeing everyone!
For those of you who haven't been, RPDLW is a great place to go and
connect with the history of traditional dance and the people who made it
happen. There are always tons of callers, musicians and organizers there
so it's a great place to network, too. At lunch on Saturday and Sunday,
we push a bunch of tables together at the back of the dining area and
geek out about this passion that we all share. If you want to bring
something and share it around the table, there will be other people
participating in the impromptu potluck as well.
SharedWeight is now 5 years old and it's great to see how far it's come
and where it's going. This will be the fifth gathering at Ralph Page,
too. That first year, we only had about 10 people around the table. Last
year it seemed to be around 30 or 40. We started with only one list for
callers, now we have three with lists for musicians and organizers as
well. Thank you all for participating and making this forum a great
place to share ideas, ask questions and help each other. Keep spreading
the word!
Happy Dancing,
Chris Weiler and Seth Seeger
Hey everyone,
I was thinking back to when I got started organizing my own dance series
a few years ago. Mostly about how much I didn't know what I was doing.
It worked out well and the series is still going, albeit without my
involvement now.
So what I'd like to do is hear from people and find out what they know
now that they wish they had known before they became involved with
organizing dance events. Pick the top 3 things (or more if you want) and
send them to the list. Afterwards, we should have a pretty good list of
information for people who are interested in getting started.
Here are mine:
1. I would have liked to have a better understanding of how broad the
responsibilities of the organizer are. You need to be skilled in
negotiation (booking), finances and budgeting, marketing, risk
management and people management. I'm sure that I missed some, so feel
free to add yours.
2. I didn't realize how much work it was to put on a dance series, so I
should have been more proactive about recruiting help. I burned out
after a year an a half and handed the series off to other people. Now I
serve on three committees that put on either monthly or weekly dances.
3. I had thought some about the purpose of my series (to give me more
experience as a caller), but didn't think as much about how it fit into
the community and the vision for how it could contribute. A well thought
out vision would have guided me towards better success and away from
second guessing myself.
Looking forward to hearing people's responses.
Chris Weiler
Goffstown, NH
Hello Everyone,
thought I'd weigh in;
we had a similar situation years ago, the dance community did a real good job of policing itself. after a a couple of dances where the offending dancer could not find a partner
(this person) stopped showing up.... where this person moved to.....I'm not sure
Good luck
Hope it all works out
Hi all,
Glad this forum has gotten a good little kickstart. I recently was at a Dance Leadership Conference in Virginia, and encouraged those organizers in attendance to jump on board this forum. I agree that it's too valuable a resource to just languish.
================
Seems like "problem dancer" issue is gathering a full head of steam. Great to read solutions and suggestions.
Our issue: The Legion dance floor is appallingly dusty. How do others deal successfully w this unpleasantry?
================
And what about sharing success stories or similar anecdotes? What are you grateful for?
Our Belfast, Maine committee just met for our annual "state of the series" review. We're pleased that we have happy dancers & performers, cash in our kitty, affordable insurance (thanks CDSS! www.cdss.org), and a committee that's not-yet burnt out.
The thing for which we are most grateful has got to be that one of our dancers is alive and thriving after suffering a heart attack at our June 2009 dance (CPR by dancers and AED from police responders saved him.) Everyone at the dance was cooperative, supportive, and helpful - whether doing chest compressions, getting out of the way, comforting children, or holding him in their hearts.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast, Maine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
website www.chrissyfowler.com
dance series www.belfastflyingshoes.org
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Hello everyone,
It's time to kickstart this forum. It's too valuable a resource to let
sit unused. I'll start it off with a question that's been brought up in
a couple of communities that I'm involved in:
When a dancer is causing problems through rough dancing and unwelcome
flirting, seems unable to change and has been banned from one dance
series, should other dance series in the region be informed? Should they
also ban the person from their dances?
How do we communicate about this without violating slander and libel laws?
thanks!
Chris Weiler
Goffstown, NH
Board member for BIDA, CDS-Boston and the Scout House Monday Night Dance
Committee
I agree that communication among nearby communities is a good idea.
Perhaps key organizers from each venue should exchange contact information in
advance in case such a situation, or any other need to coordinate efforts,
arises.
I am familiar with the situation Chris has described, in which several
communities were having trouble with the same dancer simultaneously. It would
have been useful to have the facts regarding how the various venues were
dealing with him - I heard various reports of where he had been banned, some
of which turned out to be false.
This particular problem dancer was discussed at great length in a very
lively series of posts on our local listserv, which in turn led to a more
general and very valuable discussion of safe and socially acceptable dancing.
At first he was referred to in generic terms, but at some point someone
started using his name. To my knowledge he was not a reader of that
listserv, but I can imagine rather nasty repercussions if he had seen his name in
those uncomplimentary posts.
Liz Sturgen
Easthampton, Mass.
In a message dated 11/24/2009 7:36:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
chris.weiler(a)weirdtable.org writes:
Hello everyone,
It's time to kickstart this forum. It's too valuable a resource to let
sit unused. I'll start it off with a question that's been brought up in
a couple of communities that I'm involved in:
When a dancer is causing problems through rough dancing and unwelcome
flirting, seems unable to change and has been banned from one dance
series, should other dance series in the region be informed? Should they
also ban the person from their dances?
How do we communicate about this without violating slander and libel laws?
thanks!
Chris Weiler
Goffstown, NH
Board member for BIDA, CDS-Boston and the Scout House Monday Night Dance
Committee
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I guess they want to maintain their credibility by including listings for events with proven attractiveness for people in their target demographic. If you feel that they missed the mark, I suggest you resubmit the listing request accompanied by a) a histogram showing ages of attenders (invite people to put a tick-mark in an age band on a sheet when they arrive), b) photographs that show people of the target age range.
If people in the target demo are not at your dance in any noticable numbers, then you have a chicken/egg problem that the newspaper is not interested in helping you solve.