• Community Building - Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions - Inspirational - Social Dancing

    7 Signs of an Ethical Event

    February 28, 2023 - By 

    There are so many events to choose from, which means there are some tough choices. For some attendees, part of that choice involves identifying organizers who appear to have the best interests at the community as part of their decision-making and planning. This list includes some of the things I consider to be good indications of ethical organization. While this list isn’t comprehensive, it includes some signs you can look for to get a sense for whether the organizer is building up and positively influencing the community. It also does not mean an event is unethical for not doing one of these…

  • Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions

    Want to get hired? Here’s what organizers like me look for

    September 13, 2022 - By 

    Partner dance is a world where up-and-coming artists are plentiful, the competition is stiff, and opportunity limited. Much like many other artistic ventures, a small percentage of artists end up very successful – while many others struggle to get their break-through. When I’m acting as an organizer, I’m on the other side of the divide: a limited budget, limited space, and many, many great artists. So, how do I choose who to hire out of so many amazing options? Of note, this article focuses on my personal perspective on artist selection and does not speak for organizers as a whole.…

  • Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions - Health & Safety

    Dance in the time of Corona: A primer and suggestions on the novel Coronavirus and social dancing

    March 6, 2020 - By 

    A FOLLOW-UP TO THIS ARTICLE IS NOW PUBLISHED WITH REVISED INFORMATION BASED ON THE SITUATION AS OF MARCH 12, 2020 Note from The Dancing Grapevine: The Author, Dr. Hsu, is a physician actively practicing in both community and acute care hospital settings. She has spoken extensively with a Public Health specialist physician about this matter, particularly how the Novel Coronavirus will interact with our dance communities.  Novel Coronavirus: An Unexpected Reality Is this real life? Yes, it is. But, social media posts from your friends are not the best source of information. Instead, you should look for information from the…

  • Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions

    The Hidden Side Effects of Poor Organization

    August 29, 2019 - By 

    Almost everyone has been to at least one event that could be accurately described as not very organized. On the surface, that lack of organization seems like a minor inconvenience. Maybe the shows start an hour late each night, which cuts into social dance time. Maybe workshops aren’t where they’re supposed to be. But, you deal with it. After all, it’s still totally possible to have a good time at a less organized event. But, there are hidden side effects and impacts that poor organization can have – for the individuals, the event, and the wider community. Poor Organization vs…

  • Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions - Health & Safety

    Dancers Behind the Wheel

    July 29, 2019 - By 

    I was in a car accident last night. We were hit on the drivers’ side by a person who ran a red light. By the time I noticed the all-black car at night, it was too late to swerve or stop. Both my passenger and I are physically fine, save for a possibly sprained wrist. My beloved Ginger (my first car) gave her life (she’s totalled) to keep us safe. But, this story could have ended very, very differently. If I had been going slightly faster, the impact would have been directly on my door – and it is unlikely…

  • Community Building - Congresses & Travel - Social Dancing

    Asking people who don’t look like they want to dance: the secret payoff

    July 11, 2019 - By 

    A while ago, I was in a workshop where the instructor told a story. She talked about a girl who spent the whole weekend waiting to be asked to dance. And, the entire weekend, no one asked her. She didn’t know why, but it became clear when the instructor asked a few more questions. She was sitting several rows of chairs back, on her phone, wearing a sweater, and avoiding eye contact. She had all the signals that normally mean “I don’t want to dance” – even though she really did. When Signals Don’t Match Sadly, many of the people who end…

  • Community Building - Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions

    Are dance artists and event staff paid enough?

    June 6, 2019 - By 

    There’s a lot of conversations surrounding whether specific staff and artists at events are paid enough. Very often, these stories are either told from the perspective of an individual who (rightly) recognizes that an event isn’t paying the fair market rate for their services (and sometimes hiring a cheap replacement), or from an organizer lamenting the high costs of running an event. I’m both an organizer and an artist, but I also work as a non-artist staff member at Zouk events (running competitions). As a result, I’ve both hired staff and artists, and been hired by events. Regardless of what side of…

  • Beginner-Friendly - Congresses & Travel - Health & Safety - Performance & Competition - Social Dancing - Workshops & Classes

    Guest Article: The Importance of Warm-Ups

    January 21, 2019 - By 

    A Note from Laura: Sydney is a lifelong dancer who holds a Masters degree in dance and has substantial experience in both solo and partnered styles. She is currently travelling around the world to better understand the history, culture, and technique of Brazilian Zouk. Given her extensive classical training, she seemed like a great person to author a piece on the importance of a full warm-up and cool-down in the context of partnered dancing – an aspect many social dancers neglect. We hope you enjoy her debut piece on TDG.  Injuries: One Potential Culprit Social dancers often don’t think about dance…

  • Community Building - Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions - Etiquette - Social Dancing

    Breaking the Dance Monkey and Dance Clique Cycle

    December 4, 2018 - By 

    A while ago, I wrote an article about the many reasons that professionals don’t always social dance. However, beyond that, there seems to be a fundamental disconnect both in how advanced dancers treat newer dancers, and the way that new dancers treat their dance idols. In many places, this has led to a strange dynamic where advanced dancers almost shun newer ones, while new ones create dance queues and demonize advanced dancers who are not super generous in their dances. As a social dancer in some styles and a professional in others, I’ve been on both sides of the divide.…

  • Beginner-Friendly - Community Building - Congresses & Travel - Inspirational - Social Dancing

    The 5-Dance Challenge

    June 22, 2018 - By 

    Some of us complain that when we go to big events, congresses or festivals, we have a hard time getting dances. This specifically seems to affect solo travelers more than those coming with a large local group. These experiences can lead to us feeling deflated, insecure, and disillusioned. In some cases, it can even negatively colour the entire event experience. Others (particularly those who travel frequently) end up largely dancing with the same pool of desired and known partners. While this can be fun, it can also eliminate possible fantastic new partners. It also misses out on the thrills of bringing newer,…

  • Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions - Workshops & Classes

    Are you looking for free classes, event passes, and socials?

    February 7, 2018 - By 

    Once upon a time, I was a broke student who wanted to dance. I jumped at opportunities that allowed me to learn for low or no cost whenever I could. Eventually, one of those opportunities turned into a full dance partnership. When I started teaching, I remembered dancing on a budget. So, for the first while that I was teaching classes, I thought that students should have access to classes – even if they couldn’t pay. So, I very frequently would accept students who said they were “unable” to pay. I rarely do that anymore. This is why. A Few…

  • Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions - Etiquette - Social Dancing

    The Ethics of Paying for Dances

    August 1, 2017 - By 

    We are used to paying cover to go social dancing, but for many people the concept of ‘paying for dances’ is both foreign and alarming. It is usually men who are ‘paid’ as a partner, and women who are paying. And, the practice is more frequent at large events than small socials. Paying for dances comes in several forms: taxi dancers, who are paid or given complimentary entrance/discounts to an event in exchange for social dancing; fundraiser dances, where pro’s are ‘tipped’ for a minute of social dance time and profits are donated to charity; dancer ‘rentals,’ where a high-level dancer is…

  • Congresses & Travel - Etiquette

    Be a Better Congress Roommate

    March 7, 2017 - By 

    When most of us go to a dance weekend, we end up in a shared hotel room. It’s hard enough to share close quarters (or even a bed) with people you know and like. It can be worse to try to deal with the annoyances brought on by a stranger. But, there are some things you can do to make sure you (and your roommates) don’t want to strangle each other by the end of the weekend. Make your own life easier Understand their expectations One of the biggest lessons I learned about roommates was to manage expectations before the…

  • Congresses & Travel

    For Organizers: A Guide for Controlling the Atmosphere at Your Event

    January 26, 2017 - By 

    From one organizer to another, I know how hard this job is. You work all year to plan something beautiful for your community. And, as an organizer, I know how important it is to you that attendees love (not like) your event. After all, the entire reason for having an event is to spread the joy of dance. It certainly isn’t for the fame or money. I’m sure you hear me when I say that one of my nightmares is having an event where any of the attendees are unsafe or uncomfortable. But, it does happen. It happens across all genres and all…

  • Beginner-Friendly - Congresses & Travel

    What to expect at your first congress

    September 13, 2016 - By 

    So, you’ve taken the plunge. You went online and bought your first congress ticket. Congratulations! Maybe your friend talked you into it. Or,  perhaps the event caught your eye and you really want a vacation. Whatever the reason, you will never forget your first event. A lot of first-timers get nervous before their first event. Most of this stems from not knowing what to expect! Let’s fix that. There’s two types of first-time attendees: beginner dancers, and people who have been dancing for a while but never traveled. Tips for beginner dancers [showhide type=”answer1″ more_text=”Show Tips” less_text=”Hide Tips” hidden=”yes”] Attend beginner or…