Twice a year, since I began teaching belly dance, I organize an end of season class party { Ottawa Centre Class Party}. December and June bring out the dancing students and professionals to a <hopefully >fun filled evening of performances, and for those doing the performing, some fun socializing in the green rooms.
It’s gone up and down in size over the years, depending on enrolment in classes, availability of teachers and student groups to come out etc. When it began, back in June of 1998, it was in my back yard for the spring/summer one, and in a nearby Byward Market restaurant for the December one.
It peaked a few years back at about 450 performers and guests, and was at the Bronson Centre for a couple of shows. Then the cycle had started to move downwards again and less people were able to participate, so I happily moved back closer to home at the Ottawa U Alumni Auditorium- averaging 270 people for the past few years.
Last week, we peaked again – all 300 tickets are out with teachers, and I have growing list of performers and their guests waiting to hear if any tickets come up for grabs. There will be a lot of last minute shuffling. And stress for those folks wanting to bring those 5 extra people { really doubtful that I’ll be able to find that many extra tickets.}
So what to do?
1 – I have teachers checking with their students – are you sure all of your tickets will be used?
2- this morning it occurred to me that often the people involved in the first half, in spite of being told to stick around since the second half of the show has even more fun, LEAVE. And so during the second half of the show there are piles of empty seats for no good reason. Do I need to work this already existing “negative” into a positive for this one event? I’ll percolate on this, but if any teachers know for sure that their students will only be there for the first half { due to early morning shifts/kids etc. – LET ME KNOW!}
3- Crowdsourcing solutions: I run a benevolent dictatorship, but I am open to good ideas. So if you have any solutions – bearing in mind it’s less than 2 weeks away and about 20 people want to have tickets to sit for the whole show, on top of some floaters who will only be there part of the time…
Ah well, I am now off to a full day of web series shoot and then dancing at the Indo Caribbean Cultural evening tonight. See ya later! Leave me some comments below!
Wow, spare time and just read this post 🙂
The only other suggestion I have is the following: as you know, some students perform in several pieces and actually really do not ever take up a seat to watch the show (or leave early as you mentioned in your post). If there was a headcount of these before the show (I mean people actually stating they aren’t going to take up a seat), perhaps more tickets for people actually sitting could be made available. My understanding of the theatre capacity is that the 300 max capacity applies ONLY to the audience, and not to performers on the stage – I asked that question when I looked into using it for an event previously, and that was the answer I got – so it follows that those in the dressing rooms/on the stage actually do not count as part of that capacity (unless they planned to take a seat themselves following their performance).