DETAILS for Everyone:

Our dance is held in the beautifully restored Bryson Gym on the campus of Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa. Directions – use you map program for 102 Upper College Rd, Swannanoa, NC 28778. We have a large dance with many experienced dancers as well as an abundance of new dancers each week. There will be 3-6 contra lines/150-300 dancers. The hall is not air conditioned, but fans provide some heat relief. If you need housing please submit a housing request ASAP by filling out this Form and you will be contacted by our housing coordinator. For special requests or questions, you can also email housing@oldfarmersball.com

We provide an excellent sound system and technician. The hall is open by 6:00, and you (both band and caller) should BE READY FOR SOUND CHECK TO BEGIN BY 7 PM. The sound check must be completed by 7:30, as the Beginner Workshop is scheduled to begin at 7:30. If you require MORE set up time, please let us know ahead of time and we will make arrangements to meet you earlier.

If you find that you are running late, or have some no show emergency, please notify us as soon as possible! Call Able Allen 828-342-4116. If you have any questions or changes in personnel please email us at booking@oldfarmersball.com.

W9 forms: We would like to have completed W9 forms BEFORE the gig. Search for fw9 for the latest version. (note: your signature is not required, just the info) and then emailed to the bookkeeper, Joe Karpen at jkarpen@lpcutting.com If you have moved in the past year, we will need an updated W9.

SPECIAL NOTES for CALLERS:

In your role as dance leaders, we request your help in cultivating community connection and dance skills at the OFB.

~ Please plan to teach the beginners’ workshop, an introductory lesson for new dancers, to begin at 7:30 PM.

~ We support the use of any generally accepted caller terminology (Gents/Ladies, Larks/Ravens, Lefts/Rights, positional, etc) that you feel most comfortable using. Our primary request is that you teach the dances well so as to minimize confusion among all dancers regardless of their experience.

~Please consider calling a mixer early in the evening. We ask that the first dance after the break be different from regular contra (ie. squares, 4face4, triple minor, etc) that will foster diverse skills and will mix our dancers into other parts of the room. In the second half, some more challenging dances are much appreciated. Remind our dancers to dance with someone that they don’t know, to dance with the new faces out there, to dance safely when it is crowded, to choose the short line, etc. …. all the usual stuff! One of our goals is to promote community dance etiquette and inclusivity.

~The line on your far right by the mirrors is the last to form and is a chronic breakdown line. Please move those people to the middle of the room and move that nice long line in front of the stage toward the mirrors. Thank you for your help!

~ The line by the door is its own subculture and they like being crowded in there together.

~ Please feel free to share a brief teaching tip or two each evening aimed at intermediate dancers nuances that will help them fine-tune their dancing, now that they are proficient in the basic moves and navigation of the dance.

~ The caller is expected to remain on the stage throughout the dance. Please do not call from the floor or join the dance after it is going. Our dance is so large that it is important that your attention is on the dancers throughout the evening.

~ Announcements are made by the Dance Host before the last contra dance before the break. The break should be planned to begin around 9:30 and end by around 9:45.