[SCA-Dance] KWDS report (What I Did on my Summer Vacation...)

[Annikki Raiford]

Yes, people can prioritize and perhaps miss some KWDS if it became
annual.  However, I'm curious how many people here have gone to any of
the other "Known World" events, which seem to be on that sort of time
scale.  I think that the biennial nature of KWDS strengthens it, and
that going annual would actually weaken it.

I've gone to two Known World Costuming Symposii (one of them was
combined with KWRS, plus an all-day dance track).  Compared to KWDS,
they felt very much like a local event with a few people travelling
from a decent driving distance, and a small handful flying in any
serious distance.  Perhaps I had been spoiled by KWDS, but the
impression they made was of a kingdom level event rather than
something that drew from across the SCA.

After much thinking, I realized this makes a lot of sense.  Costuming
doesn't need to have a bunch of people with a relatively large
knowledge base in common together at the same time.  A good dance
event depends on drawing a substantial population of participants --
critical mass, if you will -- who have a repetoire that is at least
moderately in common with each other.

Dance is a bit more like fighting, I suppose, in that both need a
community of people in a common location.  It'd be interesting to look
at KW*S that involve similar needs, such as KWRS (is there a heavy
weapons KW?).  What kind of inter-kingdom draw do they get?  What
numbers do they pull in (I've noticed KWRS getting combined with KWCS
at least twice now)?  How many classes (the other KW's seem to be a
day shorter than KWDS)?

But even with a comparison to other KW events, we'd need to remember
that population density is going to affect the number of locals that
can be pulled in for a KWDS -- there seem to be larger numbers of
people interested in martial arts than in dancing.

I know that six years ago, I was gung-ho about the idea of going to a
KWDS every year.  Having looked at the nature of KWDS compared to
other KW's, I really don't think it would help the dance community at
all.

Adele Desfontaines