[SCA-Dance] Fwd: pennsicdance: The Future of KWDS, part 2

[David Learmonth]

Hmm, I remember speaking with the heralds back before we ran our KWDS in
Toronto a few years back, and I remember there being about 3 key differences
between the two events, that would have some impact.  (correct me if I am
mistaken)

1.  KWHS was a day or so shorter than KWDS.

2.  The facilities required for a successful KWHS didn't sound quite as
extensive as for KWDS  (many dance / music spaces, plus a grand ball, which
can put more burden on trying to coordinate the event.  tough since we often
compete for spaces with weddings and the like).

3.  Most importantly, as I understand it, SCA Kingdoms will actually Sponsor
their heralds to attend?  Dancers are typically all paying for all their own
travel / lodging / food / site fee expenses.  (often even those of us who
are running the event, and typically no teacher discounts either, since
we're all teachers).


Oh, and separately, yes, I agree too that we sort of want to keep this event
as a level above other dance events, as we don't want it to be competing
directly with Terp and such.  (as per Dafydd's comment regarding other
academies being promoted).


And, just to note, that Pennsic itself has tons of dancing, for those who
are looking to dance all day/night.  So it isn't like there aren't other
options on the off years.  (I personally find that I do tend to travel to
more of the regular dance events, like Crystal Ball and such, on the off
years.  There is just only so much time / money to do all of these).

Hmm, yeah, though I guess it may be correct that for newer dancers, a more
frequent event might still be basically just as special.  But quite a bit, I
think that KWDS is good for targeting the more advanced dancers, because by
bringing us together, we can do more / crazier things, and have much more
advanced classes (non-standard classes), than many other events can
accommodate.  (while still being inspiring, fun, and educational for
beginners).

Thanks everyone for the comments / feedback!  It is really good to explore
the issue.  :)
Darius



On Sat, Jul 23, 2011 at 6:52 PM, Tim McDaniel <tmcd at panix.com> wrote:

> On Sat, 23 Jul 2011, David Learmonth <david.a.learmonth at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > The main thing that makes this a great event is having all these
> > wonderful people there.  But many of us can't necessarily afford to
> > travel each year, OR we potentially have other activities we'd like
> > to do, either in or out of the SCA, on the off years.
> >
> > I'm concerned that by making the event too frequent, we dilute its
> > significance, and next thing you know we have a basic run of the
> > mill event.
>
> My name is Daniel, and I am a herald. [1] Every year there's Known
> World Heraldic Symposium.  I've been to most of them in the past 10
> years or so, and a number of people have done so.  Sometimes people
> can't go because of work or whatever, and sometimes they can.
>
> I've not heard kvetching about how it's too frequent, or how it's not
> special, or whatever.  (I don't hear such kvetching about Gulf Wars or
> Pennsic either, both of them annual events.)  In fact, for me KWHS
> *is* special.  Immersed in heraldry!  Meeting major heralds that I
> haven't seen for the last year!  Going to dinner with them!  Hanging
> out in a room party and gossiping and discussing The Future Of The
> College and hearing a snarky story from Countess Elizabeth de
> Rossignol from before she was a princess.
>
> On the other hand, that's the heraldic event that draws from the Known
> World.  There are kingdom heraldic symposia, but they're pretty small
> beer.  There's no heraldic equivalent of Crystal Ball, or Terpsichore
> at the Tower, or dance classes and evening balls at the war.
>
> Maybe I'm just newish [2] or just haven't been involved in putting it
> on, but I'm not bothered by the thought of an annual KWDMS -- quite
> the contrary.
>
> [1] A reference either to Alcoholics Anonymous or to the first line of
> _Army of Darkness_.  Your call.
>
> [2] "Funny, you don't look newish." [3]  Newish in dance.
>
> [3] Shameless ripped off from Mel Brooks, of course.
>
> > Just based on the bureaucracy involved, we know that bids take
> > potentially a year to be approved, and that the event has to be set
> > up and advertising by that time at the latest.
>
> Hm.  Usually a Known World Heraldic Symposium bid gets announced in
> spring, approved at KWHS in summer, and happens the next summer.
>
> > Perhaps a compromise would be something like 2 years in a row, then
> > skip a year, or something like that.
>
> meet pause meet meet pause, repeat ... wait, that's a minuet step.
> meet pause meet pause meet meet meet pause?
> meet meet meet pause, four times in a row, then do something
>     different?  (What can I say?  I like the Inns of Court.)
>
> Or maybe: if people feel motivated to put it on and can find a site
> and people, they do so?  There's bound to be a dry spell when nobody
> feels like doing it, or we would have just had KWDMS 46.
>
> Danihel de Lindocolina
> --
> Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com
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