Swing at the Fuze discussion archive
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Latest Updates
A crew is following the discussion here and scouting the Albany area. Here is a report of our progress:
Promising locations: Club Phoenix & Envy Lounge
Phoenix (between Quail & Ontario on Central Ave): We are vying with country line dancers for the Thursday night spot -- still discussing it with the manager. 2 floors, potential for a nice, large dance floor, nice bar, good parking. Maybe a possibility for East Coast & West Coast to join up in one building.
Envy (near Jillians downtown): Expressing interest in having us there. We will meet next week (3/10) to talk more. Nice large dance space.
East Schodack swing moving to Albany
Jason & Laura are planning to move their Wednesday night gig to Albany -- possibly as soon as 3/12. They are discussing using the Fuze.
Other locations
Still in discussion are:
- Red Square (Broadway): We're thinking more Wednesday, as their Thursdays are booked for awhile and we would need to make a good case for them to change that.
- Bayou (North Pearl): Similar to Red Square, breaking into Thursdays would require some convincing.
Parking is a drawback to all N. Pearl locations.
- Noche Lounge (now Jack Rabbit Slim's): Dance floor and space layout are not that good.
West Coast Swing
Evan has operated the West Coast lesson/dance at the Skyline and is looking for opportunities to work with us. Two drawbacks to his current set up are 1) parking and 2) cost -- around $15 a night. But a new location & lower charges are potentials. Come and try it and help us weigh in -- West Coast is a nice style to learn too. We are looking for opportunities for West Coast, advanced East Coast, and Lindy Hop lessons when we start again. With Club Phoenix we might even get West Coast on one floor and East Coast on the other.
Other events
Fuzers are still out on Tuesdays (Lindy at Malt River), Wednesday (Swing at East Schodack), and Thursday (West Coast at Skyline), and other events on the Albany swing dance page.
The Fuze
The Fuze, by the way, has been dead on Thursday nights since we left.
Summary of the Discussion
This section is for summarizing -- keep discussing below and/or help with the summary here.
- We can be profitable for an establishment, if the cover and fees are set up right. Unless anyone disagrees strongly with that, we can leave the details for later.
- Wednesday vs Thursday: Some are pushing for Wednesday because it means sticking with the Fuze. Some feel we should keep with Thursday night.
HERE'S A POLL. Click one of these four options: wednesday, WEDNESDAY, thursday, THURSDAY to state your day's preference and if you feel moderately or STRONGLY. Let's assume sticking with Thursday means leaving the Fuze. View the results
- There are reasons to leave the Fuze, anyway:
- They don't care to have us there (though if we $poke to them, they might change their minds).
- Their floor is small & dirty (though sometimes small is good and we could manage cleaning ourselves)
- If we did leave, we have proposed alternative hosting sites. Feel free to bolster an argument for or against any site:
- More likely
- Red Square: wood floor, similar atmosphere to the Fuze http://www.myspace.com/redsquarealbany. They have performances booked Thursdays through April -- uncertain whether they would want to take us on as a weekly event.
- Skyline -- this would mean buddying up with the West Coast scene, possibly creating some kind of hybrid. Argument against: floor is huge and dirty, and no comfortable place to hang when not dancing.
- Less likely
- Women's Club: Fee is $175 for 4 hours; dance floor holds 100 people; no bar, so loses the Fuze atmosphere.
- Other venues that seem to lose the Fuze atmosphere: Elda's (Lark St); YMCA (Washington Ave); ZuZu's; Nia (next to Fuze); Eba (Lark St); The Warehouse (near Noche)
- Need more info
- What about Noche under the new management?
- Considered and dismissed: Muddy Cup (concrete floor); The Lampost (beer-soaked)
- More likely
- Lessons: Whatever we do next, we will have intermediate lessons! Some options to consider:
- Alternating weeks for beginner/intermediate or having intermediate the 1st week of the month: Good chance we'll get newbies attending intermediate lessons; What about the latin lesson? ; provides fewer lesson opportunities overall.
- Intermediate on a different night: We tried this ~2 years ago (Wednesday night lesson & dance) and it failed.
- Both lessons on same night: Beginners should be put 2nd so they will stick around (45 min lessons could help minimize the wait.)
The Discussion
(by Tom G)
I like the idea of keeping Swing on Thursday nights at the Fuze, and working with the hip hop scene they want to happen, and reconfiguring the whole night so they make more money (their big gripe is that we make them no money) and
we're just as happy. Here's how this can work:
- Keep Swing before Hip Hop: Adding a new night would add cost for bringing the staff in, heating/cooling the space
- Change the cover. $5 for dancing, $6 for lesson split half/half for dance instructor and the bar (I think it was previously $4/$2 split)
- Get rid of the doorman. We can collect money without him. This would give the bar an extra $30/week.
- Pay the DJs $40. This would give the bar an extra $20/week.
- Start at 7:30 with a beginner lesson that lasts 45 mins. At 8:15, start an intermediate lesson that lasts 45 mins. Start open dance at 9:00. Begin crossing over to hip hop at 10:45. We're their first dancers anyway.
- Establish advertising to get new people in. Swing night has been absent from the dance section of the Metroland for a long time.
I think we should take a couple weeks off and check things out, but I think this option has some merit to it.
From Dan:
Well, I like most of your suggestions Tom. Not sure if I like getting rid of doorman - it may just get the staff more against the swing scene if we propose taking money out of some of their pockets. I'd much rather keep it as is, but if it has to be earlier, or Wednesdays, I'll deal with it. Many of us have been expecting this day....I'd say charge more than $6 - hey you pay $10 for a bad movie so why not $10 for a great night of dancing? Just my thoughts.
From Laura P.
I'm sure Thursday night swing will find a way to adapt again. Here's my 2 cents - I am totally willing to pay more rather than lose it as well...If the $10 cover doesn't go over well, then make it some sort of minimum, $5 cover, $5minimum-at least youd get a drink or two out of it. And why not pay the instructor directly? It costs $20 to go to Evan's thing with the lessons; if you want the lesson, you pay another $3-$5...And let's not cut it short - 7:30-8:30 lesson, dancing starts at 8:30. Hiphoppers come in late; 11 is early enough to start crossing over, out by 11:30. Or we could ask Evan to do an East/West thing at the Skyline and drop his price-he'd get a bigger crowd so less cover would be more dough. It is a nice space with a bigger floor...just a thought...either do 2 lessons or alternate with our instructor(s) and DJ's...Stays in Albany...not the same, I know, But the only thing that never changes is that things always change...Thanks for sharing! :0)
Kevin M:
- I agree Thursdays are better than earlier in the week. I have a sentimental attachment to the Fuze too, despite the sticky floor and other rough edges. $5-$6 is reasonable for the dance, but at $10 I think you start to lose people. Maybe survey folks who come next week to get a realistic idea of what the market would bear.
- I thought the deejays just worked for free admission and drinks :D ...$40 seems more reasonable requiring only 8 dancers to cover rather than 15 at $60/$4 per head. If I was the bar owner, I might pay the deejay a $25 flat fee (5 dancers worth) and a small cut of the door as a turnout incentive to yield a final fee somewhere between $30 and $50. I can see why the bar would want a cut of the lesson.
- I see Dan's point about the doorman, staff would probably not want to fill that role. Getting volunteers to do it could be a headache and take away the 'night out' feel.
- Two 45-minute lessons seems like a lot. I like the concept of an 'intermediate' class (good luck getting people to self-sort), but I think alternating weeks would work better. Back to back would mean new folks sitting around waiting for a chance to practice what they just learned.
- After two lessons, an hour and 45 minutes of dancing seems a bit compressed. I personally like that the the crowd thins out later so I can wait for some dances on a more open floor. Why not start the lesson at 7:30 pm and have a good 2-2.5 hours for dancing? What time does the bar want to kick off Therapy Thursday anyway?
Hey guys,
So I like the idea of an intermediate class, I really think that an intermediate lesson could raise the level of dancing in Albany. I think that a beginner lesson is crucial to gain interest from people who are brandy new and are just curious but as far as creating a lesson for those who continue with the fuze lessons an intermediate lesson would go a long way. As far as when this lesson should be offered I agree bi-weekly intermediate lessons could give beginner dancers two weeks to try out new moves. Just putting in my two cents Little Nick
I think the idea of an intermediate lesson is a good idea. I would recommend that the beginner lesson always be right before the dance. This way the beginners will stick around longer, instead of having to wait 45mins before the dance. It will make more people stay, which will help in both the short and long run.
(from Kelly)
From what mike told me, its not just that they want to have therapy thursdays there. From what I understand they are not going to have it there every week. They have some sort thing going where the folks that go out to therapy thursday hang out at some bar before it starts and then go to wherever it is. Fuze wants to be the bar they hang out at before (say 9pm till whenever)
So I don't think anything thing you do will change his thoughts.
You can try though, best of luck.
They don't just want to break even. Its a bar, they want to actually make a profit!
In my opinion they should not be paying the DJ's anything. Its not about the money. Sure you get use to the $60 bucks every week and its nice but they honestly are crazy paying the DJ, I can't believe they did for so long.
So my recomendations
-Take Wed nights. Its a gift
-Have lesson from 8-9 dancing 9-12
-Have first wednesday of the month an intermediate lesson
-Make sure John is telling the new people where they can get more advanced lessons! Its important to keep people learning new stuff, if not they will be board and stop coming
-Form a nice partnership with Evan and have him DJ once in a while (he is fantastic)
-Don't pay the DJ
-Have a variety of DJ's
-Have a band play once every couple of months (It will work as long as everyone is involved with the advertising)
Fun stuff, good luck
I'm with Kelly! West-coasters do drink more! Liesl
Liesl again,
Remember, the Fuze Box Dance survived the move across the street years ago.
(by Josh F)
So this is an odd medium for a discussion, but so be it.
I'm not sure I understand exactly why we're tied to the Fuze. It has character, I'll give it that, and it does have a place in our hearts, I suppose. But many of the people who consider the Fuze to be a special place, however, aren't really around anymore. Are we, perhaps, holding on to something that is trying hard to die? Anyways, I'm certainly not opposed to the Fuze, but it just might not be practical any longer. As an alternative, perhaps we can try a coffee shop. What if we had our dance at Muddy Cup? There's a place that definitely has some character and is more likely to be supported by the types we roll with. As far as DJs, I think that we should probably pay something. $60 is a bit too much in my opinion. Honestly, we don't have the most discerning crowd in Albany. Typically, it'll suffice to throw on a random mix of music. We can't always count on people to volunteer, however. I just don't think it's fair to those people.
- Josh
(Cherie)
I'm with Josh - the Fuze has become an institution, but why? The floor is small, sticky and hard on the knees. I wouldn't mind going somewhere more dance oriented. A question to the organizers out there - would the Elks Lodge, Malt River, etc. be affordable to the type of crowd the Fuze brings in? And if it has to stay at the Fuze, I certainly wouldn't mind paying more - $4 is a steal - I'd happily pay up to $8. But would the economics for the Fuze change at all if we came Wednesdays instead? I don't see how. The Women's Club of Albany (at Lake and Western) is opening up it's upstairs for events and has a lovely wooden floor. I had a Christmas party there last year. I can find out about costs. I wouldn't care for the Muddy Cup - they have concrete floors (we're there now!). I'm all for intermediate lessons wherever we end up - it would keep folks coming back.
-Cherie
(JT, J-Dog, 'Stache, NYC Jeremy)
JohnK and I had this idea back in the day about getting a few cars together, or a portable sound system (whichever was more convenient) and just finding some groovy outdoor locations to have impromptu swing dances at for free. This obviously doesn't port well to winter, but it's something to think about. The Fuzebox is a great place, and many of us have a long history there, but part of that history has been a constant battle behind the scenes. Maybe it is time to give up the fight and find a place that actually *wants* swing dancers? My guess would be that sticking with the same location in time is more important to cohesiveness of the scene than sticking to the same location in space. Also, I'll have to side with Kelly on the DJ question. Come on, the DJ's should be paying the bar for the privilege of playing around with the expensive sound system.
-JT
“Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning.”
- Dread Pirate Roberts
This sums up the Fuzebox management’s attitude towards Swing Night since 2000! Honestly, we all know that Swing Night has never contributed much money to the bar and if they are offering to keep a night for swing dancing… Kelly’s right… take it! Having a swing night on Wednesday at the Fuze and Thursday at another venue may turn out to be pretty nice. Yes, it’s better to keep it at the same Bat-time and same Bat-channel, but it will all sort itself out. And, If Swing Night at the Fuzebox actually ends… It’s been a damn fine run! Remember the good times.
But, if you’re going to try to keep it, here is my opinion:
Take Wednesday, Kelly said it best.
Have a beginner lesson right before the dancing starts. Don’t switch it up with an intermediate lesson one day of the month. If someone without any experience shows up on that day you may lose them. If you’re going to add a more advanced lesson definitely do it before the beginner lesson (like someone else suggested).
Having a band once in a while sounds great, make sure it’s promoted.
Keep the door person. The Fuze is on Central Ave. Crazies will come in, they have in the past.
Compensating the DJs is nice. It doesn’t have to be $60 (Originally, it was supposed to be $75!). And, Jeremy, it is no privilege to use their expensive equipment. Maybe it’s different these days and they system always works so you don’t have to play mix CD’s off of a box on the stage for 90 minutes. At least I hope so.
Last I remember the instructor was getting 75% of the door before a certain time. That could be renegotiated to make up some $$$.
Finally, keep it simple, recruit some designated drinkers and spend more money at the bar.
Good luck, Rick (unfortunately, AKA DJ Rick Spins)
From Russell
So many good memories at the Fuze, and really hard to let that go. . .
But, I tend to agree with those who feel that this is the time set sights on improving what the swing and lindy experience can be in Albany. As Cherie mentioned above, the floor at the fuze box is below average; so slippery that dancing becomes risky while at other times so sticky and abrasive that it detracts from the enjoyment of the dance. Another venue will be hard to find and organize, but if nothing is done to make a change will the community grow?
I know that many of us who dance at the Fuze Box have enjoyed some great dances around the country. The ones I have seen work the best are those that create an atmosphere where it's as easy to participate in the dance as it is to sit on the sidelines and enjoy a conversation with friends. The Fuze Box has that combination of tables, booths, and dance floor, but as much as it is a unique venue, it is not a good fit. The dance community needs to be appreciated and valued in order to succeed.
Some ideas:
Find a new location closer that is more central to campuses and in a better neighborhood with better parking, and most of all, with a better floor.
Rotate between area instructors to teach beginner lessons
Recruit each instructor to promote the event to their mailing lists and classes.
Make this the swing night out that people come to after taking their lessons elsewhere during the week that every instructor promotes - after all, a concerted effort to build the swing community will only bring more dancers interested in improving their dance.
Offer a some free snacks, sell $1 bottles of water, and charge an $8 cover for the dance and $15 dance+lesson for the public. Give college students a discount, make it free for high school students who want to attend.
Not for profit, but in support of the local the community, and pitch it that way to the anyone or any institution who can provide a service that will help to get the word out - schools and colleges, churches, community centers, hospitals, banks, local businesses - and sell them sponsorship that includes grateful mention in emails promoting the dance.
Volunteers have to be more than just the avid dancers who want to have a scene to enjoy, but also community members and organizations who recognize social dance as an important cultural legacy and social outlet that needs to be promoted and supported. The case for the positive impact of social dance needs to be made.
What about Elda's? It is right around the corner from the Fuze, the floor is wood, the atmosphere is comfortable, clean , and classy, and the food is yummy! I think the dance floor is about the same size. We have been enjoying our Monday night Milongas there for some time. We have always felt welcome. I don't think (don't quote me) that they are charging us, so the cost of the dance would be up to the DJ. (I suggest cheap!) If that is the case, I do recommend people taking advantage of the bar and kitchen so that it is worthwhile to Elda. I will be there tonight and can find out more info if anyone else thinks it is a good idea. If you guys aren't interested in a Wednesday or Thursday there, perhaps I will suggest it to Evan for West Coast rather than the Skyline. Liesl.
From Sebastien:
- Don't charge $10 or more, i.e. stay under a psychological price. Say $9 top.
- Keep the beginner lesson: I've managed to have a few people try Swing Dance @ The Fuze in the past because I assured them it would be at beginner level, every week.
- If an intermediate lesson is to happen (I'm all for it), put it before the beginner lesson; I would rather nobody waits for the open dance, but if somebody has too, newbies should wait less so that we can hook them.
- Elda's is too upscale for the Swing Dance crowd, to my opinion. Students usually don't go there, for example. I honestly think she will kick us out if we don't bring money (our crowd notoriously doesn't, you water drinkers you!).
- Skyline is indeed, on the gross side of the spectrum; I had tango lessons there a lot of times, the floor can get insanely sticky.
- I'm personally OK with Wednesday at the Fuze. Funny enough, John reminded us last Thursday that Swing Dance @ The Fuze was probably one of the oldest dance venue in the Capital District. I'd rather see it stay at the Fuze. Nevertheless, I perfectly understand they would kick us out for business reasons; if that's really the case let's raise the admission, maybe by including a non-alcoholic drink in the price.
- Does the YMCA across the street (274 Wash Street) have a floor for us eventually?
So, on the Women's Club website the 4 hour rental fee for the ballroom is $175. If you go over, it's $40 extra per hour. It holds 100 people. I know many of the women on their board and will ask if we could get a discount if we have a repeating weekly event. Then we work out the per person charge.
Cherie
Would Red Square be a good location to consider? I don't know a whole lot about it, but I believe it does have a wood floor, and it has a similar 'feel' to the Fuze.
Jessica B.
Thinking about places like the YMCA and Women's Club, I feel like a large atmosphere component that was present at the Fuze would be lost. A place that feels like a dance studio is a very different experience. I think we should explore what it is we loved about the Fuze and why it lasted so long there.
tom g.
La la la la la la la la la la la la booodebooopboopboop la la la la la la la. That's the fat lady warming up her vocal chords. Hey folks this discussion is good but let's not forget the here and now - it's over as we know it Thursday - so everybody show up and let's go out with a bang and not a whimper and get all our last dances in with favorite partners. Let's make it memorable and we can only do that if we show up!
me here!!
lots of good ideas... my two cents...there are already several studioish type dance lessons around the area and i'd like to see this group retain a similar fuzish experience sometime/somewhere during the week... what's unique to the fuze experience is the casualness of the nite... we present a very non-threatening environment to step into social dancing, not everyone is looking for the formal dance/competition atmosphere that studios sometimes present... this is a relaxed friendly atmosphere where you can learn/apply a lifelong social skill... all that said, find a location that provides a non-studioish feel... i like the idea of Red Square... what nite of the week... my humble opinion...keep thursday... thursday is close enough to the weekend that we (the collective group) can make it through the next work/school day, friday, to recover on the weekend... if we change the nite to wednesday, we will lose people much earlier in the evening... (and you can only start a dance nite so early in the evening, gotta digest that dinner, ya know...)
Janna
from Jess (Jess R.)--I agree with Janna. The Fuze Box is really non-threatening to new dancers. You can take a cheap non-committal dance lesson and then either dance with all the peeps that come in after the lesson, hang out and have a drink (because it's bar--key), or go home and think about staying longer the next time you come. And Thursday is definitely the best night due to it's proximity to the weekend (you only have to suffer through one tired day of work) and the precedent that's been set by having Swing Night at the Box for so many years now. So, if it really does shut down ( I just have a feeling it won't, but maybe that's hope), I think swing night should be moved to another bar. But maybe we can have all the calendar girls trade sexual favors with the owners/managers in order to keep it open. Just a thought.
Hey Fellow Swingdancers,
Sorry to hear about the Fuze box. The fuze had alot of charm and, as a dance professional, I know how immensley difficult it is to find venues in the Albany area. Especially one with the great "Vibe" the fuze had.
Although I am reluctant to make Thurs at Skyline an "East coast/West coast" dance (sorry), similar to my monthly east meets west swingdance mix in highland NY, I am presently researching having a monthly saturday dance in the albany area that features East coast/Lindy/WCS music, etc.... As it does not help your Thursday quandry, I hope it will offer another place to swingdance and hang on a Saturday. Details to follow...www.evanmacdonald.com
I can also offer that the technical elements that stressed in my lessons are "universal" and can improve the "danceability" of most ANY couples dance, especially lindy.
BTW..For some time now, the Skyline floor has been really clean and not sticky at all, and when it isnt, I clean it. I am also allowed to use powder for speed, and that "fresh" swing feeling.
So, if you get a Thursday "down time" without a venue, feel free to drop by the Skyline. I personally enjoy multiple swingdances (wcs/lindy/ecs) and I find they swing well within me.
Good luck Evan@evanmacdonald.com
I think a lot of the success of the Fuze is that it serves as the unofficial kickoff to the weekend. Most people only have one more day left in their workweek and so they go out on Thursday nights; for the college crowd, those that don't have class on Fridays can come out and dance as well. Furthermore, the timing of Swing at the Fuze works well with the bands that are typically scheduled play on most Friday and/or Saturday nights. If we move to Wednesday, it won't have that "weekend" feel. Another part of the success is the cheap price that could increase by a few dollars and still be cheap.
As for the Fuze Box as a dancing venue, it may not be the greatest because of its location, size, and the floor issues. However, what it lacks in those regards, it more than makes up for in terms of coziness, charm, uniqueness, casual atmosphere, and more than anything, the fact that it's our home because we pretty much have it all to ourselves while we're there. Having only been in the scene for 3 1/2 years, I can't attest to the earlier years. However, based on the stories I’ve heard, we may not have as large of a tight-knit core group than was present before I arrived, but there are still links to that past that live on and new bonds that have formed and become the current core of what makes Swing at the Fuze great.
Mark T
P.S. The question that has been bugging me is that if they were thinking about ditching us, why did they do the open house a few weeks ago?
Barry 01/29/208
The FuzeBox has had a good long run, maybe its time has come.
I haven't been out to the FuzeBox on a regular basis for over a year, but will
offer some thoughts:
- I contacted Felix at albanysalsa.com. He has a studio with a wood floor and there
is a parking lot adjacent to the building. He is busy most nights but maybe something
can be arranged.
Try calling the following places:
- ZuZu's - wood floor, open to swing dancers in the past.
- Nia - wood floor, next to FuzeBox
- Eba - wood floor, parking lot nearby
Try contacting DanceFlurry.org (after the Dance Flurry 2nd week of February) and
put a proposal together to have them sponsor a weekly swing dance. The proposal should
include a mission/purpose statement; focus/type of music; budget; staffing/management
team; location; etc.
The Politics of Dancing...
- The West Coast group split off from the monthly 1st Friday swing dance and weekly
FuzeBox dance years ago. I suspect they would not be overly eager to re-merge. The reasons for the split have not changed - they list to West Coast dance music and not East Coast or Lindy music.
- I am suprised there is even nominal cooperation between the Lindy and East Coast
dancers, maybe it is time to split these groups (same reasons for the West Coast split). The split has already happened across dozens of events (e.g. yearly Lindy events, Malt River weekly Lindy practice, regular Rocky Velvet/Lustre Kings East Coast events, regular Doc Scanlon et al Lindy events, etc.)
- There is a further split, mostly among the Lindy crowd between the 1st Friday dance,
Diamond Dance and everything else (mostly planned events, exchanges, etc.). I went to the past couple 1st Friday dances and see 1st Friday people and a few FuzeBox people and a few bar band people - but mostly 1st Friday people. The same with the Diamond dance (high schoolers and north country people).
Regardless of the direction you take, you will probably benefit from putting together
a written proposal including (same as the DanceFlurry proposal...) a mission/purpose
statement; focus/type of music; budget; staffing/management team; location; etc. With
respect to "location" list a specific place along with benefits/drawbacks (e.g. wood
floor, parking, neighborhood quality, sound system, etc.).
Years ago we had an informal phone tree to get people out to events (beyond the FuzeBox).
The FuzeBox used be a beginning and not an end in and of itself. An informal group of
regulars would dance with beginners and introduce them around and call them when there
were other dance events (e.g. Rome, Big G's, DanceFlurry, various bands, etc.). This
informal networking built a good dance commmunity foundation.
On the last night at the FuzeBox it would probably be benefitial to have a phone and
e-mail signup sheet to let people know they will be contacted regarding future developments.
2 cents worth...
Hey everybody! I will always have special memories of the Fuze Box because that's where I got started with swing dancing, but don't feel particularly tied to it. If it's time to find a new home, then that's ok. I like the idea of Red Square also. But, please, please, please!! Keep swing on Thursdays! I also like the idea of intermediate lessons alternating with beginner lessons. This will sound very corny, but it wasn't the Fuze itself that created the great atmosphere, but the people who go there! The Fuze crowd is very welcoming to new people. As the mom of two college kids, I don't think $10 is too much for admission. You spend your money on what's important to you and you can't even get a pizza for $10 anymore!
I don't care where we dance, as long as we dance someplace!
Kelley C. : )
From Evan:
Fellow Swingdancers..
Some the folks from the Fuze Box Lounge swingdance told me they were coming over to check out the WCS Thurs at Skyline in Albany this week. As it is still on your list of Thursday possibilities, I am planning to play some ECS/Lindy/WCS/Blues crossover swingdance music in the hopes to be more accomodating. If there is an interest, and everyone is comfortable, I will reconsider your "hybrid" idea.
Since I tend to collect money after the second lesson and throughout the night, I encourage you to come check it out on me up till 9ish. If you think you are going to stay the rest of the eve, please come chip in. That should give you: watching the WCS lessons for free and it should provide a half hour of free dancing.
Although I may be seen as having a WCS focus, I have extensive experience DJing both National event WCS and Lindy dances, and a successful monthly ecs/wcs dance, a changeover would come easy, and may even lead to new "hybrid" swing styles as it has happened in the past. Swing IS a hybrid dance and it has lots of improvisation...you see where I'm going...I digress.
The floor is actually really clean. There is a new cleaning staff who are really thorough.
What I remember about the Fuze is the fun, joyful "vibe" that was always there. To me, that is the essence of swing, and what I always strive to create in all my venues.
Some upsides...
- Friendly people !
- Wooden dance floor
- Great sound system
- Bar w/draft beer
- Deli with woodfired pizza
- VIP room (I call it the "love" room)
- View of downtown Albany
So feel free to drop on by so you can get a better idea...info below.
Thanks Evan
evan@evanmacdonald.com
www.evanmacdonald.com
845 679 4464
---
West Coast Swing Dance Thursdays!
7 - 7:45pm Beginner WCS with advanced technique (Pre req for Int/ Adv class...includes watching intermediate class free)
7:45 - 8:30pm Intermediate / Advanced
$10 / Lesson
$7 Dance
1 Lesson & Dance $15
Both lessons & Dance $20
Skyline 3rd floor! 4 Sheridan Ave
What about the Envy lounge on Pearl St? They have free Latin dancing on Friday nights (although there is a charge when they have a band) so maybe we could ask them if we could have Thursday nights? And if it is the case that we typically don't buy drinks as much, we could suggest there be a cover charge of $6 or so to make it worth it for them. They have a nice big area to dance and the place is pretty classy. Just a thought..
