If you have never attended a dance convention, you are missing a wonderful experience. For new dancers, it's a chance to refine your newly learned skills. For experienced dancers, it's a chance to bone up on the new calls. For all dancers, it's a time for learning new skills at workshops and meeting new friends at all the dance activities.
Some conventions last only two days. Other conventions can last a whole week. Dancers need to pace themselves. New dancers have a tendency to rush out on the first day of a convention and dance without a break until the wee hours of the morning only to wake up the next morning with a sore body and swollen feet.
Take a look at the schedule of events and highlight the activities that you feel cannot be missed at any cost (your "must-do" activities). Using a different color, highlight the activities that you are flexible about attending. In a third color, highlight any events that don't require anything but sitting and watching. For the first day, attend all the "must-do" activities, throwing in a couple of the secondary activities. Try to schedule in at least two or three events or seminars, such as a fashion show or sewing clinic, in which you are basically just a spectator.
Make sure you take time to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Throughout the day, drink a total of at least 10 glasses of water and munch on an energy snack. As the day turns into evening, sit out some tips or rounds. During the evening, especially if you're are aiming for some of the late evening dances, try to sit out every other tip. Use the time to meet people.
Next month - Surviving A Dance Convention - Part 2
Upcoming Festivals and Conventions
(For a complete listing of upcoming festival and conventions, see Bulletin.)
March 2000
- 3/16-3/18 41st WASCA Spring Festival, Reston, VA
- 3/31-4/01 38th Iowa State Convention, Dubuque, IA
April 2000
- 4/07-4/09 42nd California State Square Dance Convention, San Diego, CA
- 4/14-4/15 HASSDA Festival 2000, North Kansas City, MO
- 4/20-4/24 41st National Square Dance Convention - Victoria 2000, Geelong, Australia
May 2000
- 5/05-5/06 40th Ohio Dance Convention, Columbus, OH
- 5/05-5/07 53rd Annual Silver State Festival, Reno, NV
- 5/11-5/13 39th Int'l Square & Round Dance Convention, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- 5/13 24th Vermont Square & Round Dance Convention, Barre, VT
- 5/18-5/20 12th Virginia Square & Round Dance State Convention, Williamsburg, VA
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