Present: : Deborah Smith, Ann Adams, Anne Payen, Greg Boyer, Mike Stafford-Hill, Susan Badalamenti, Andy Prouty, Lynn Miller, Alice Chico, Can Isik, Tania Anderson, Sally Senecal
Minutes by: Tania
1. Welcoming new dancers at weekly dances
Overall perception that we are doing a good job with this and our community is welcoming and “forgiving.” Lessons before the hop help bring in new faces, groups. Consensus that the $1 admission is more workable than giving coupons to students. Can will check Web directions because street sign is missing for Sackett.
Possible action items:
1. Keep talking with newcomers, even if just to talk and not dance (i.e., followers talking to followers).
2. Spread the word and increase awareness among all of us to welcome newcomers. Include welcome in weekly announcements, encourage new dancers during survival lesson. Watch for people “sitting in the corner” as possible newcomers.
3. Develop brochure geared to new dancers explaining SSDS and variety of dances.
4. Create “Ask me” buttons for persons working the door, DJs, and/or more experienced dancers to wear so newcomers know where they can get information.
5. Stack business cards at the door (keep in money envelope) for new dancers.
2. Hanover Square “Swinging in the Square”
Character of the event seems to have changed with more rowdy people at the event, possibly because the alternating Friday events are more like Party in the Plaza (drinking not dancing). Dance surface remains a problem. Tania is getting burned out because difficult to obtain volunteers, organize a series not in SSDS’s control.
Action items:
1. Convey to organizers that security staff needs to be more aggressive.
2. Convey to bands that short songs better than long “jams.”
3. Reconsider lesson format. Lessons too long and band often did not play danceable song after break. Could teach lessons during both breaks or push it to second break with higher attendance. Consider purpose of lesson to give people a “taste” of the dance and not get too technical.
4. Increase SSDS visibility at the event by making sure SSDS is included in announcements, encouraging members to wear SSDS shirts.
5. Reconsider schedule. Alternating with Dancing in the Square seems to hurt SSDS, make our lessons look like an intrusion to the music. Need to distinguish a dance event from drinking “party in the plaza” event. Possibly compress the events, i.e. five in a row during all of July and part of August.
6. Tania to contact organizer Bill Cooper to schedule meeting.
3. Outdoor dances
Whether SSDS would benefit from an outdoor dance where we controlled the band and dance surface. Advantages of increased visibility and serving our dancers. Possible locations are reflecting pool at Clinton Square, Johnson Park in Liverpool. Perhaps we can piggyback on established Downtown events that are dancer-friendly. We could take better advantage of Dancing under the Stars – which has good atmosphere but not as many danceable songs – by contacting Syracuse Parks & Recreation and/or the band to request songs that SSDS members would enjoy.
4. New Years Eve
Due to a mix-up with Ballybay’s calendar, we may be out of this venue for both NYE and our monthly Saturday dances. What is status of Moonlight Ballroom as venue? Erie Canal Museum as venue? USABDA is willing to join with us again to produce event.
Action items:
1. Determine venue.
2. How can we help Andy and Ilona with this event to prevent their burn-out?
5. T-Shirts
Action items:
1. Can will get permission to re-license our “vintage” design for 100 shirts.
2. Committee of Tania, Sally and Deb will work on order (colors, styles, quantity).
6. Business meeting schedule
Meeting attendance is dwindling and some members are getting burned out. ISDN seems to have many more volunteers and divide up its tasks more than we do. Proposal to go to bi-monthly meetings rejected.
Action items:
1. Market the meetings differently during announcements, on calendar. Bill as “monthly” meeting rather than “business” meeting and emphasize volunteer nature of group.
2. Emphasize a special topic of discussion with each meeting, i.e., October is Halloween dance planning.
7. Band dances
Proposal to try a few more now that our treasury is secure.
Action items:
1. Check dance calendar for a March date.
2. Schedule band, venue.