Hosting a regular dance

[sorcyress]

So here's the thing. I was talking at it some with Nurit and Tracy over second breakfast, and it has reawkanened my urge to actually _do_ this thing. So let's talk about this thing and see if it gets anywhere good.

I want to host a regular dance night. This would be a chance to do quote "the kinds of dances I like, in the ways I like." unquote. It would probably happen once or twice a month, depending on money and time. Gender would be strictly uncoupled from role. You wouldn't have to bring a partner. The dancing would be both set stuff (SCD, vintage, contra, squares?) and couples stuff (waltzing, polkas, one-steps, swing). The secret project name¹ for this idea is Oella North².

1: I enjoy giving names to secret projects. I almost never use these names publicly (despite the fact that I could), but I do enjoy having them.

2: Oella prime would, of course, be the bi-monthly dancing that happens at the Westchester Community Center in Oella Maryland or something. It is run by Larry, largely because he wanted a space to do the sorts of dancing he enjoys mot, in the ways he likes. It's the best thing ever, despite being very very small, and I miss it dearly.

In a perfect world, I would be able to find a space that would fit...let's say ten couples or three squares/SCD sets. It wouldn't cost more than about 150$ for four hours (which would probably be no more than three hours of dancing with some time before and after for set-up and socializing). It would be T accessible, and on my side of the Charles River. In a really perfect world I would have a better job, and be able to just pay for this space once a month without worrying about if the donations hat³ got enough money to cover it.

3: Which is to say, I would be hoping for/expecting people to toss me some money, which I would then use to host more dances or buy delicious food or whatever.

Now, there is a space on the fourth floor of Porter Exchange that is perfect in size and location. I need to find out if I can rent it, how much it costs, and if there are alumni advantages, because I really want to do this. If I can't rent that space, I want to find out if there's another good place that would meet my semi-arbitrary parameters. And then comes the hard part.

The hard part is planning dances. My general theory is that they'd start as...not private, but not exactly largely announced, either. I would invite a bunch of friends, and welcome them to invite other friends, but I wouldn't be making announcements at other dances, or passing out flyers.

The dances that would happen would be, officially, an assortment of things I liked. It would depend who would be around to dance with me, but I would be encouraging/hoping for doing some more challenging figures and applications. There would be a fair amount of waltzing, and polkas.

I would like it a lot if there could be teaching --I could do some, cross-step waltz⁴, some Scottish Country⁵, maybe some Regency, a little bit of one-step or polkas...but that's it. Swing, blues, contra, squares, lindy, ECD, international, flailing...all of those would have to have other people be willing to come in and teach.

4: Although I don't know a ton of variations, so that would be frequent harassment of Susan de Gardiola and perusal of YouToobs.

5: Except I'm not certified to teach, and I don't know if that means the RSCDS⁶ will send its goons out to kneecap me. I don't want to be kneecapped!

6: Royal Scottish Country Dance Society

Or we could just play the music and let people go for it. But honestly, I want to have teaching. Especially as part of the genesis for this is the idea of having a space to do Scottish Country where no one cares about your gender or who you're dancing with. I love the Springstep class, but man, it is upsettingly heteronormative sometimes. I want to be able to dance as a gent with an male person as my lady, and they simply won't let me ("think of the newbies!").

Regardless of how much teaching actually goes on, I don't think it'd be suggested as a group friendly to complete dance beginners. If you don't get the fundamentals of moving yourself to a rhythm, giving weight, and not crushing your partners' hands...maybe you should dance somewhere else for a bit.

I think I'm about done babbling for now, so I'd love to hear thoughts if anyone has them.

Comments

[tirerim]

I like this idea. :-) The aforementioned Democracy Center is, in fact, where the aforementioned blues dance is held, and it's a nice space, though small -- it would only fit two squares, maybe three longways sets (but that might be pushing it).

One thing about difficulty level: when there's a wide mix of dancing styles, it gets harder to do advanced stuff in any one style, since even if everyone there is experienced in something, they're not going to be experienced in everything. I'd love to teach some advanced Scottish stuff to anyone who's interested (note: the RSCDS will not, in fact, kneecap you for teaching without a certificate, but it is helpful to have one, or rather the process of getting it is helpful), but that would pretty much limit the audience to people who are already experienced in Scottish (or Regency, but there aren't many of those).

[gravitrue.livejournal.com]

So, oneagain and I run a blues dance most Tuesdays in Harvard Sq. You should come sometime!

In the process of starting it, we did find out a bit about possible venues, and we do know a lot of blues and swing instructors. If you want a brain dump or have specific queries, show up sometime and ask away, or write me.

[luckylefty.livejournal.com]

The Harvard Ballroom Team used to have some of its practices in the democracy center. While it's fine for dances that don't travel (swing, blues, set dancing) I think it's really too small for waltzes and polkas.

[minibusy]

You could see if Tech Squares would reserve rooms at MIT for you (which would be free), although I don't know how the officers would feel about that. (And the last mail I sent to the officers list generated a bunch of... discussion.) Or possibly the folk dance club, although the person we know who used to be president is no longer president.

[nurrynur.livejournal.com]

My personal opinion is that it would not be appropriate to use tech squares as the booking gateway for this. I'd feel differently if it was going to be all squares or even mostly squares.

[minibusy]

I found the CAC price list for reserving rooms (if you don't go through an MIT student group): http://studentlife.mit.edu/sites/default/files/2010-2011CACFeeChart.pdf

The prices don't look too bad, although I believe they also charge 30 minutes on each end for their own setup and breakdown, and it looks like it's more expensive than the Democracy Center mentioned elsewhere in these comments. Other than the price list, there does seem to be a lack of documentation for non-MIT people to reserve rooms, though.

[leiacat.livejournal.com]

Just wanted you to know that secret project name made me very happy.

[leenah.livejournal.com]

don't know if it's the size you want, but The Democracy Center, between Harvard and Central Squares has a large room for not much rent. it's what the Anarchist Society of Shakespeareans has been using for productions. i'd love to move to a better space (laid out better, no mice, no kitchen as backstage, no chance of double booking with the venezuelan primary, blah blah blah) but the price is too cheap to give up.

[nurrynur.livejournal.com]

Excellent idea!! http://democracycenter.org/

I think the big room (Nelson Mandela) would be big enough. And yes, hella cheap at suggested donation of $75-100 per event.

[gravitrue.livejournal.com]

This is in fact where my dance runs on Tuesdays, so I can tell you quite a bit about booking it and various idiosyncracies.

[math-fridge.livejournal.com]

I volunteer to teach if I'm ever around for your dance!

I can teach any of the ballroom dances, swing, and contra (I've been a collegiate competitive ballroom dancer for four years, I've taught a swing workshop in Burlington two summers in a row, and I call contra).

I hope Project Oella North gets off the ground!

[blueeowyn.livejournal.com]

One thing that could help is a variation of "Shirts/skins" where in a dance situation where there is a lot of moving within the set and/or people who might get confused about the dance-gender of the person they are facing have all the dance-men wear something specific and have the dance-women wear something else. People could change genders between dances by changing their accessory.

For Playford stuff (early early ECD), hit the 3LF website for some instructions and depending on schedules I can teach you some stuff. I suspect your mom could as well. The challenge for that would be finding good recordings (dance speed, correct repeat count).