Hall Managing at BIDA

The BIDA dance is a relatively high effort contra dance. We have signs, lights, windows that need ladders to open, we bring our own sound system. Starting February 18th we're having twice as many dances (1st and 3rd Sundays) which means the people who normally do this work might not be able to do it every time. So: more documentation, more knowlege transfer.

The roles at one of our dances:

• Caller: tell people what to do (paid: $75 + profit sharing)

• Band (3-4x): play awesome music (paid: $75 + profit sharing)

• Sound: bring and run sound for the dance (paid: $75)

• Hall managing (1-2x): run set up, deal with stuff, run clean up

• Set up volunteer: put out chairs, posters, lights from 6:15-7:15

• Door volunteer: greet people and collect money (6:30-8, 8-9, 9-10)

• Money: figure out what people get; pay them (sometimes in with hall managing)

Most of these we have plenty of people for: the main limiting factor is hall managing. Not all board members have done it, and we're also thinking of doing something where we have "super volunteers" who do this too. A checklist version, and then full details:

• Setup

  • Fans (ceiling, windows)

  • Chairs

  • Posters

  • Christmas Lights

  • Water coolers, cups

  • Get door volunteer set up

• During

  • Door volunteer shift changes

• Cleanup

  • Announce time limits; request help

  • Everything from "setup" in reverse

  • Look over the hall, make sure we've not left Fred a mess

Details:

• Setup

  • Get to the hall about 6:00

  • Turn the lights on from the breaker panel (breakers are labeled)

    • you want the side sconses up (dimmer and switch to the right of the panel)

    • the right level of brightness is around three of the main lights

    • stage lights need to be on

  • Make sure the heat is off or low (if not, talk to Fred)

  • Use the remotes to turn on the ceiling fans ("stage R" means "by the stage, on your right" not "stage right" )

  • Carry the BIDA stuff from the closet out to a table

  • If there are no popsicles in the freezer, consider asking someone to go get some from the Shaws across the street

  • Move the small table over by the door to collect money

  • Move the big table outside the door to where the small table lives for flyers and nametags

  • Pull the cart with the chairs out from the closet in the far corner

  • When the setup volunteer arrives have them, in this order:

    • set up chairs along the far wall

    • put up posters (you have to use the blue tape; yes, it doesn't stick)

    • lay out the lost and found

    • put up lights

  • When the first door volunteer arrives, explain to them what to do

    • $5-$10 sliding scale, "pay what you can"

    • take money, put in cashbox

    • mark attendance by half-hour block (6:30-7:00 ; 7:00-7:30 ; ...)

    • mark people who get in free (board members, volunteers, newcomers)

    • people only get in free for the beginner's workshop if they arrive before it starts (7:05ish)

    • tell them who is replacing them and when

  • Take a ladder and open the windows appropriately.

    • The ladders are sometimes on stage, sometimes in the hall next to the kitchen

    • Put fans in them. Make sure the fans won't fall out. They do better on their sides. Fans live on stage.

  • Put the green fan and any other fans not in windows where they can blow on the dancers. There's a shiny metal fan for the musicians if they want it.

  • Fill water coolers and have someone help you carry them out to the ledge in the hall.

    • put bowls from the kitchen under where they drip

    • put out cups

    • put out a "please label your cup" sign, making on if needed

  • Push chair rack back into the closet

• During the dance

  • Make sure the door volunteers remember shift changes

  • Deal with stuff as it comes up

  • Dance and have fun

  • At the break get someone to help you carry out the potluck table

    • put popsicles on it if we bought some

    • put "popsicle fund" on a popsicle box and wave it about for donations

  • At some point you can dim the lights and turn on the disco ball

    • this is nice to sync with the top of the tune, ideally with a tune change

    • keep the sconses on the sides on

    • turn the ball motor on in advance

    • flip together: turn off the main lights; turn on the ball lights

    • this is tricky; you want to be sure you have the right switches

    • if the band looks agitated make sure the stage lights are on

• Cleanup

  • Announce that we have to be entirely out of the hall by 11, so please either help clean up or move along out of the hall quickly

  • Tell people who want to help clean up what to do:

    • if they can coil cables, or they come often and want to learn, send them to the stage to coil cables

    • put chairs on the rack (it was pushed back into the closet)

    • take down posters, lights

    • throw out cups

  • Empty water pitchers

  • Put stuff back in crates; pack back in closet. Make sure the pitchers can air out and dry fully

  • Put tables back where they go

  • Collect lost and found items, put in closet

  • Make sure the hall is back how it was when we came

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