A guide to designing events from the heart,
not “what’s always been done."

You have permission to create and run your own dance event.


Yes. You.


Our newcomers to the scene. Our old hats who’ve been around 20 years. Our “not skilled enough” dancers. Our all-stars and dreamboats. Our local leaders and our national voices. Our pros and our students. Our cool kids and quiet wall flowers. Our event directors of 20+ years and those trying it out for the first time.

This guide is for you.

Everyone has something they can bring to an experience. It doesn’t take being a “name” to do it. It takes someone who cares.

And right now, we need people who care and who have something to create that will take care of people.

There’s so much creative possibility in smaller events. We believe these are the future of social dancing. And we believe our dance can thrive because of it. Your dance needs you. Your community needs you to take your ideas from concept to reality.


You don’t need our permission to do something that matters. But sometimes it helps. So consider this your SIGNED PERMISSION SLIP.

Now go make something beautiful.




"This toolkit is the key to success with your small dance event! The writers have thought out every detail from big picture themes to what snacks to buy and when. We feel so much more grounded and ready for our small dance event after going through this toolkit!"
Hannah Beatty, Vermont Westie

Who's It For:

• The ones who dream of events they’ve never seen.


• The ones who want create for their specific community.


• The ones looking for a different way of gathering.

Who's It Not For:

  • The ones who thought pre-2020 dance events were just fine.
  • The ones who want the grand scale of events. Bigger is better.
  • The ones who assume someone else will make what they want to see.


See the Inside the Toolkit



See the Inside the Ebook
                 

From the Leaders that brought you CAMP WESTIE

Camp Westie was an event in the woods of Pennsylvania that ran from 2015-2019. All of the event directors were new to event directing and even new to west coast swing. Didn't stop us! Our goal was to host an event to "feed your soul and dance your heart out." And we did just that.

We believe that the quality of our dance is dependent on the quality of our relationships. And those relationships are impacted in a major way by the spaces in which they are begun and grown. Without spaces and gatherings DESIGNED for real people, we don't have a good dance (in the individual moment) or a Good Dance (in the existential larger well being of an art practice globally).

This is what this guide came from: a dream to see more people create spaces with skill and insight based on their deepest values and deepest loves. To see folks who might have discounted themselves as creators and leaders in the Before Times to make something worthwhile.

See more about Dana Ray's work in communications and storytelling at her website.

START YOUR EVENT


  • Beautifully designed ebook on the fundamentals of event design.
  • Toolkits with templates for event logistics including pricing, marketing, and safety.

Buy Now for $40

 © DANA RAY 2021