How to deal with "undercrowding"

[David Bailey]

To me, the key quality areas for any venue are:
1. The dancers
2. The music
3. The floor quality (slippy-ness / bouncy-ness / etc.)
4. The teacher (if not a freestyle night)

Other factors which may have a minor influence are distance, entry cost, the day of the week, and the general venue atmosphere (e.g. Church hall vs. nightclub).

So I'll happily drive 40+ miles on a weekday, and pay over the odds, to dance in a tiny church hall - if I know the dancers and music will be good.
But I won't travel 5 minutes down the road, to a cheap venue, if I think the dancers / music / teacher aren't up to scratch.

So, what turns you off a venue?

[Lynn]

So, what turns you off a venue? Overcrowding, dirty sticky dance floors, dangerous dancers with no floorcraft, drunk dancers, 'hotshots', very smoky venues...

Now why was it again I don't dance salsa very much...? :whistle:

[David Bailey]

Now why was it again I don't dance salsa very much...? :whistle:
Well, if we're talking salsa, you missed out "generally cr*p teachers", "really cr*p music choices", "overpriced bars", and "more sleazy dancers"... :innocent:

Although I'm not sure if the last point is a plus or minus in the salsa scene :wink:

[Lynn]

Well, if we're talking salsa, you missed out "generally cr*p teachers", "really cr*p music choices", "overpriced bars", and "more sleazy dancers"... :innocent:

Although I'm not sure if the last point is a plus or minus in the salsa scene :wink: The teachers here are OK (I'm just improver in salsa so they would still have plenty to teach me) though it would probably help if they taught floorcraft, and there are a lot of really nice people - but the venues for any 'freestyle' (not sure what its called in salsa?) are generally not very good. So I don't go to salsa classes any more as I don't see the point in learning a dance that I can't actually go out and dance socially in a decent venue.

[Purple Sparkler]

A bad teacher certainly doesn't inspire me to come back.
Lack of atmosphere- on this I think it helps if they lower the lights in freestyle, but that's not the only contributing factor.
If I got a lot of 'bad' dances in a night, that would also discourage me from coming back.
Getting sleazed on by a lot of partners would also put me off- one a night I can handle (because I remember not to dance with them again).

That said, if I knew that friends or regular partners I get on well with were going, I'd probably go- but it would have to be a few of them if the rest of the above were the case.

So far, I've only been put off going back to two venues. And one of them was only because it was just not quite inspiring enough for me to schlep as far as I had to in order to get to it. So really it's only one venue that I've been put off ever going back to.

That said, if I heard from people whose opinions I trust that a venue had really improved, I'd probably give it another shot. Ever the optimist, me.

[Dizzy]

A bad teacher certainly doesn't inspire me to come back.

If I got a lot of 'bad' dances in a night, that would also discourage me from coming back.
Getting sleazed on by a lot of partners would also put me off- one a night I can handle (because I remember not to dance with them again).


:yeah:

I think that it is the people more than the venue that makes me go back for more. If the people at the venue are unfriendly and look at you like you are some kind of alien, then it would put me off (and it has).

I feel that you need to experience the same venue several times to get a real feel for it, as one night could be really bad then one night could be really good.

I agree with DJ too as I would happliy spend an hour on the tube going to the other side of London for a venue with more atmosphere and better company then go 5 minutes down the road to a venue with less appealing factors.

[Petal]

Overcrowding, dirty sticky dance floors, dangerous dancers with no floorcraft, drunk dancers, 'hotshots', very smoky venues...

Now why was it again I don't dance salsa very much...? :whistle:

Yes, sticky floors and stickier carpets :mad: that cover the soles of your dance shoes with a disgusting tarry substance.

[Gadget]

So, what turns you off a venue?
Nothing.

If anything bugs me that much, I will approach the venue manager and/or try to fix it.
It's my night - I'm not about to blame anyone else if I don't make the most of what's there. :waycool:

[Zuhal]

The Music

I recognised face, DJ's at a venue that I frequent from time to time.

He would only have to look at the floor once to guage the standard of the dancers but he is insists on playing a selection of extremely interesting and challenging tracks which would be great at the right venue but it is a nonsense at 2045-2100 at this particular place.

The overall ability level at 2145 is no better.

I think he uses this venue to get his play list sorted for more "important" customers.

Zuhal

[David Bailey]

Nothing.

If anything bugs me that much, I will approach the venue manager and/or try to fix it.
It's my night - I'm not about to blame anyone else if I don't make the most of what's there. :waycool:

:worthy: Good for you - but I suspect most people will vote with their feet, rather than try to fix it. Especially in a big city (e.g. London), where there are always alternative places to go.

There seems to be a word-of-mouth marketing thing that, well, just happens occasionally for some venues; sometimes they'll have been going for years, but suddenly become popular in a few weeks.

It's all very mysterious... I just wish someone would tell me where the :cool: or :waycool: places are, preferably less than 6 months after they become cool :tears:

[Banana Man]

It's all very mysterious... I just wish someone would tell me where the :cool: or :waycool: places are, preferably less than 6 months after they become cool :tears:

I hear Finchley's not bad on a Monday night, maybe you should try it? :wink:

[David Bailey]

I hear Finchley's not bad on a Monday night, maybe you should try it? :wink:
Hey, thanks.