Shopping But No Purchasing

[bjarvis]

kent4str and I have been asked by several local dancers to put together a Advanced square dance workshop. It's aimed at the middle crowd: those who are lapsed Advanced dancers or who need more floor time & practice than a boot camp but less time than a full season class. Ideally, I envision 10 consecutive Wednesdays in September & October so that our proto-A2 people can dance competently at our Harvest Festival Hoedown in early November.

The problem is finding a dance space.

I know of some places which might be willing on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, but everyone of our prospective dancers lives in Maryland --some in Baltimore-- so Virginia just isn't an option.

The local county rec centers are not within our budget: they want $75/hour, if they have a space at all.

Schools aren't an option for us either. The local county board of education requires we go through their in-house space usage course, book long in advance and pay a princely sum in rent.

It might be worth checking with local churches but every one of them I've had direct dealings with in the past has always had no end of internal politics. I'd rather chew my own foot off than go through any of that again. It might be easier to work through a congregant who has contacts but I'm coming up dry in that regard as well.

Our best odds at the moment are winning tonight's MegaMillions lottery so we can build our own personal dance hall. We're not holding our collective breath on this option.

Back to the search...

Comments

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Forgive me if I get the geography of where you reside wrong ... It occurred to me that you might be able to rent a dance bar space during its non-peak period. I know there was a CW bar with a nice dance floor in Baltimore that closed a few years. Where do those dancers go? My understanding is there's an organized monthly two-steppin' night once a month in the area. Wherever they hold that night might work for square dancing.

HUGS!

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Looks like it's time to clear out the furniture in your living room for a place to dance (i.e., Kris) or buy a house with a room large enough to convert to a dance space (me).

Easy!

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

There was a bar near us but they've sealed their doors in a licensing & tax dispute with the county.

The Baltimore crowd might be convening somewhere but I don't know that they have a dance floor. Baltimore also becomes a distance problem for some of the other Marylanders who have expressed an interest in the class.

Capital Country meets regularly but it's in downtown DC. Remington's is using their dance floor on Wednesday evenings. Wednesdays are essential to us as we're already booked every other night of the week.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Our basement rec room can accommodate one square but we really want space for two. We really do need a much, much bigger house.

[kent4str.livejournal.com]

I keep telling you we need a bigger house, and you just shudder, mumble something about never moving again, and walk away.

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

I'd call Penelope Weinberger (301) 315-9461. She is the Dance Chair for the Folklore Society of Greater Washington -- the folks who have the big dances at Glen Echo ballroom every weekend. Tell her what you posted here and see if she has any "insider information" on local spaces that are dance-friendly. If you aren't locked into the idea of Wednesdays, the Glen Echo Town Hall is really REALLY nice (but I don't know $$), but is booked on Wednesdays for English Country Dancing.

Then call Greg Lewis at the Washington Revels (301) 587-3835 and tell him the same thing. Good rehearsal space usually equals good dance space.

They may know of venues that you might not think of, or be an insider you need to get in.

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

oh he whinges a lot, but the two of you should just gang up on him. Or just do it and present him with a fait-accompli. Besides, in the moving process, you might find the chicken stock.

In the short term, how about a marquee in your back (or front) garden? or for that matter, the middle of the street? bjarvis has played enough street hockey in his youth, he'll know what to do. All you need is a lookout to yell "CAR" at appropriate times.

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

buy a house with a room large enough to convert to a dance space (me). Easy!

as someone who has danced in your basement, this seems like the best solution to moi. no need to outsource!