SwingDJs

Does anybody know of any cool ideas for dj games/contests to liven up a dance? I'm looking for things other than just dj battles, unless you have a different variation on the dj battle. This is for a local bi-monthly dancer-run dance that attracts a wide range of people. It could be games/contests that test the djs, or fun ways of getting the dancers and djs to interact.

if you know of some please share, and if there are downfalls to activities you've seen done maybe you have a way to make them better...

thanks

Some common things done occasionally here in Madison:

Snowball (Start with once couple on the floor. DJ calls "Snowball" periodically and each dancer on the floor has to pull someone onto the dance floor, doubling the number of dancers until you get everyone dancing). This a good way to get shy newbies onto the floor.

Performances: Shim Sham, jam circles, etc.

Celebrations: Birthday jams, etc.

Jack and Jill contest (popular variation - blindfolded follow)

Those are more dancer oriented gimmicks. I think he's looking for stuff DJ's can do that will entertain both the DJ's, and the dancers... unfortunately I can't think of much beyond battles. Trying to make up battle variations might be a possibility.

Whoever clears the floor has to eat a stick of butter.

Kalman

Freddie,

Your dance is biweekly (every two weeks)

Okay so you can chase songs, somehting I do time to time. It's fun to see how different songs change from groups to group and over time. Even the same artist doing the song at different time and personel is interesting.

Branching off from there, you can do a set play list where the DJs have to play a different version of the song than the other DJ(s)

Six degrees of an Artist. Can you go from Nat King Cole to Bix Beiderbeck in 6 or fewer songs.

Cole-->Oscar Peterson--> Count Basie-->Lester Young-->Bix

Cole -->Lester Young-->Bix.

You know something like that.

~Kevin

I think most of the dancers would be lost during a musician based six degree contest like that. If the room were full of DJs, it would make more sense. A musician oriented contest would require a lot of explaining from the mic, who the players were, etc... At that point, the dancers might be more annoyed than amused. Strange as it may seem, most dancers don't care who Ray Brown is and who he played with.

Something related to lyrics or song titles might work better, could be more enjoyable outside of the music geek crowd. Anybody listening to the lyrics could follow along.

You could have to DJs, switch off song to song, they could draw index cards with themes, ideas (maybe musicians, anything really could work). You could also do a six degree mini-sets, but they are more complicated, but might make for better sets since it will be easier to have some flow. You could also get a dry erase white board to communicate with the audience.

The problem with ideas like this is that sometimes the songs might not serve the dancers. It might be cool that a DJ can find a little played song that fits the theme, but the song might be little played for a reason.

There should also be an option for a DJ to abandon to the contest for a song if he can't find a suitable song. Better to let the dancers dance to something they like for a few minutes. Of course, the DJ would be probably decrease his or her's chances of winning the contest, but at least the dancers would not loose also.

Nathan

main_stem wrote:
Cole -->Lester Young-->Bix.

Stupid idea off the top of my head: announce a completely random item and the first person who brings that item to the stage can make a request.

First dancer to guess the common theme behind the last 5 songs wins a punch in the face ... I mean, a silly prize.

"Name that song" contests. For bonus points, "Name that soloist".

You can have a name that tune where a DJ plays 5 songs. The DJ who writes down the most correct answers gets to DJ next or the dancer who gets the most correct gets to choose the next DJ.