SwingDJs

I've been thinking about this for some time. I read somewhere that one nightclub DJ said he preferred small venues because then he didn't have to make people dance. I've DJ'ed in large and small venues, and I prefer the smaller ones for that reason. Although, I haven't done this enough to perform thorough tests of the variables (music preferences, sound systems, lighting, etc.). How does the size of the venue affect what and/or how you play?

Actually, I find myself "making people dance" far more often in a smaller venue. Large venues tend to be easier for me to keep people dancing due to critical mass. People (the non-show offs) also tend to blend in the crowd more and are thus less self conscious about "being watched." They thus also pull out the stops more than in a smaller venue where people tend to monitor their dancing.

I prefer smaller venues. It seems more relaxed to me.

Tina

I only prefer smaller venues if there's a reason people shouldn't be dancing - like sweet, sweet booze. Otherwise, you're playing the game for diminshing returns. You're dealing yourself out of business (and, therefore, swing), if the other activities become the primary reason people are going.

Kalman

I think the size of the venue is less important than the size of the crowd. Good crowds in a small or a large venue are great. I don't know which is worse, though, a small crowd in a small venue or a small crowd in a large venue. Probably the former, because it ends up feeling like a bunch of people are at a really sucky party in your living room.

yedancer wrote:I think the size of the venue is less important than the size of the crowd. Good crowds in a small or a large venue are great. I don't know which is worse, though, a small crowd in a small venue or a small crowd in a large venue. Probably the former, because it ends up feeling like a bunch of people are at a really sucky party in your living room.

I helped organize a dance lesson for my church, and when we were setting up the dance area one lady who had a lot of experience hosting made sure we set a smaller rather than larger area. Easier to attain critical mass if the people attending fill the space.

I do agree -- it's the size of the crowd in the venue that is the key factor. Some spaces will just be too large.

djstarr wrote:I helped organize a dance lesson for my church, and when we were setting up the dance area one lady who had a lot of experience hosting made sure we set a smaller rather than larger area. Easier to attain critical mass if the people attending fill the space.

People never believe me when I tell them that. If you have a big space made small by chair setup or whatever, you can always make it bigger if necessary.