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Boom Boom out go the lights Part Deux

Boom Boom out go the lights Part Deux: Berkeley & Marin

Once again the Friday night Berkeley Dance makes the Boom Boom Out go the Lights list.  So here are some simple details to mark the historic moments of these two events passing. 

Ecstatic Dance Berkeley closes May 2015

Plain and simple, the “Last Dance” wasn’t.  Ecstatic Dance Berkeley has closed.  On May 30th no dance was held.  No Venue - no Dance: see Venue is King at end of this article.

It was scheduled, assembled and staged, ready to launch, and then at the last minute Boom it ended before it began.  A sad moment for all.  The Venue space had closed while the event was being staged.  Crowds of people continued to turn up into the evening only to find an empty space.  Updates and comments can be found at:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442205182710939/

An obvious part of this is the spiritual and financial loss to the Promoters.  A hidden part of all of this are the workers who do set-up and tear down.  Twenty people putting up all the lighting, sound equipment, carpets, chill space, cabling, benches, chairs, pillows…  And then to tear it down.  All beyond our control.

Dance Marin closes June 2015

Once again, variations of the Venue is King rule raises its ugly head.  In Dance Marin’s case their great Venue of Yoga Tree brought in high numbers for attendance, but the Venue management changed the use of the space rules at the very last minute. 

Dance Marin's next move took months thus causing a long break which turned deadly for a once-a-month event.  Lloyd did find a new home, but this venue was not as 'perfect' or supportive to their previous success. Finally the Low ceilings, posts in the middle of the dance floor, it sort of being odd location, and that olde “Saturday Night Dance can never work” curse did it in.  Good luck, we hope you will be back.  For updates:  http://www.dancemarin.com/   

Venue is King Rule

The Venues are still there, the dances are gone.  In eight days two long running dance events have held their last dance.  

The Venue Itself:  A successful dance event consists of DJ, Dancers, and the place or Venue.  A great dance always has a great Venue, and conversely you cannot have a great dance in a not great venue.  What makes a venue great:  parking, ceilings, public transportation, other same type events/dances held in same venue, proximity to where dancers live, etc.  It is a mix, when you find it, almost any dance you have there will succeed with proper feeding and care.

Control of the Venue:  No dance event producer actual owns their own venue space.  They are all studio rentals from the studio space owner, or sometimes it is even sub-let through another organization.  And that person is rarely the building owner, so there is they are just another renter under a separate contract with the building owner.  A complicated relationship for sure.  A tenuous situation at best.  So in simple terms, if your Venue space rental ends, so may your event.

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