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| Author | Topic: It’s up to the dancers............ |
| mlk |
posted 12/28/07 4:24 PM
I am seeing and hearing a lot of discussion about a dwindling supply of public dances at some of our more popular dance halls. Well dancers, here it is - a good business plan will no longer include public dances sponsored and financed by the venue. The numbers just don’t add up. Just think about the expenses associated with a large building like a dance hall - heat/air cond, elec, taxes, advertising, insurance, employees, snow plowing, etc; and then hire a band, usually between $600 and $1000 and sometimes more. Then you charge $6-$8 at the door and 60-100 people show up. Add it up! What would you do? You may notice that Electric Park in Waterloo very seldom hires a band anymore. They say, and I believe, that they need a minimum of 150 dancers to pay to have any chance of showing a profit. I also have a friend in NE Iowa who owns a dance hall and has sponsored NYsEve dances for over 40 yrs. Not this year. He is going to stay home and save his money. Now take DanceMor in Swisher, their business plan includes public country dances every Friday and Saturday night for 9 months of the year. Yes, there are little kids running around, the music is too loud and there are drinks on the floor. Purist dancers don’t like that! But, hey, they have found their niche and it works for them. I can’t fault that. Dancers, you can turn this trend around but you will have to show up!......Myron Kelleher, iowadance.com http://www.iowadance.com |
| Darrell |
posted 1/5/08 2:23 AM
Thanks Myron! I couldn't say it any better or add much more except to say as a previous dance hall owners is that one of the most annoying things i have to encounter to this days is "dancers" coming up to me saying things like "Well i know why your club failed" and then proceed to tell me how we didn't cater to the dancers or we weren't consistent enough with certain types or styles of music. Helloooo again, that is the very reason we experimented with different styles of music because we couldn't find anything that "adults" would support so we tried to turn to other viable options, however it was a double edged sword because people (for some events) wouldn't show up because we were that boring dance place...... My only wish is that some of these people who know how to run a club/dance hall as they say they could would put up or shut up. it's real easy to say what was wrong when you have no money invested. Try investing a quarter million dollars or more and then see how easy it is for you. Told you ya shouldn't have got me started! Darrell |
| Purist Dancer |
posted 4/7/08 7:27 PM
To MLK: "Purist dancers"? A term I haven't heard, but I guess I am a "Purist dancer". Are the "Impure dancers" who insist on taking their drinks on to the dance floor so addicted to alcohol they can't leave their drinks at their table for a few minutes while dancing? Slopping drinks on the dance floor is dangerous, and slopping drinks on "Purist dancers" is downright rude. I have seen some "Impure dancers" that should have had a designated driver, or called a taxi. Taking the vehicle keys from an "Impure dancer" is only asking for trouble. I just might call the police instead. "Impure dancers" smoking on the dance floor is another topic, but I won't go there. |
| Larry |
posted 4/13/08 1:55 AM
I am a purist dancer as well.I wouldn't have a problem paying more at the door for a good dance..I don't like it when people have drinks on the floor either or filling the place with secondhand smoke. I'm not a college educated business person,but I would think that if the people were packing into my place and i changed something resulting in a down turn, then I might consider returning to when they were filling the chairs.I guess I would have to decide whether I wanted to run a dance hall or a bar.Anyway if it took more to get in and keep these remaining dance halls open I for one would not have a problem. |
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