Book professional dancers to demonstrate a few dance stes in the interval of your event:
This can make a real difference to numbers of people attending! We can sometimes help you find a dance team for this.
Choosing a Venue:
Before booking a venue, check on these points:
Does the ballroom have a good quality, wooden dance floor?
Is the dance floor large enough to accommodate all of your dancing guests?
You may have to limit guest numbers to the maximum that the dance floor will accommodate safely. Of course, there may be a number of non-dancers attending (especially if it's a charity event) so you may be able to have a few more guests than the dance floor will accommodate. Remember that ballroom dances "travel" around the dance floor. If the dance floor is overcrowded you may have guests complaining that they couldn't dance.
Does the ballroom have a stage for the performers?
If the venue doesn't have a built-in stage, the band may take up space that could be used for dance floor.
If the venue does have a built-in stage then the dance floor capacity will unaffected by the band but make sure the band will fit on it without spilling off (ask for the dimensions of the stage before booking the band).
Choosing a Band:
Before you book a band, check these fundamental points:
Will they fit into the venue?
A small band will be easier to fit into the ballroom but a larger band may take up precious dance floor space or even take up ALL of the dance floor!
Do they play the sort of music you need?
Remember that they MUST specialise in Ballroom and Latin-American dance music and play at the correct tempos.
Will their programme be balanced and include ALL Ballroom and International Latin-American Dance styles?
You don't want too many Foxtrots or Sambas, nor do you want a programme devoid of Waltzes and Cha Cha Chas!
Timings:
Try to make your event take place on a Friday or Saturday night. Some bands are cheaper to book for a weekday performance but your sales of tickets will be lower!
Most bands have a standard performance time of three hours (usually in three sets with a break for refreshments between each set) but are sometimes willing to play for four hours (costs more)
You can save money by ending the event before or at midnight (most bands charge extra for playing after the witching hour)
Other Stuff:
Dress Code:
"Black tie" is best for Ballroom events.
Make sure that your guests know what the dress code is for your event. Put it on the flyers and tickets. Tell people when they phone up to book.
Presentation:
"Dress" your venue.
A boring-looking, flatly-lit ballroom can kill any party atmosphere stone dead! Do people like dancing in a mausoleum?
- A few balloons in the ballroom can make a big difference to the atmosphere.
- If the venue has a Glitter Ball, use it!
- Ask the band if they have some disco lights they can use.
- Ask the venue if they have anything that could make the area around the dance floor look more glamorous!
- Dim the lights a little so that novice dancers won't feel intimidated.
- Candles can give a nice look to the place but be very careful. Candle wax dripping over your guests expensive party outfits doesn't usually go down too well - Yes, we've seen that happen a number of times!
- Get an experienced dance teacher to introduce some of the dances, or even demonstrate some of them.