The Portland Community Dance Steering Committee (Meraki) met on February 21, 2023, from 7-9PM in person at Deb's place
Attending: Deb, Jason, Kari, John, Jimmie, Mellen, Shelagh, Rudy, Rebecca, Blair, Lily, Lori
Finances (John):
According to John’s flashy PCD income chart, after the protracted Covid valley, PCD’s coffers are steadily climbing to more comfortable levels. In part due to increased dancer participation (and payment); in part to the lower rental cost of Waldorf. It seems worthwhile to remind dancers to pay the admission fee (or portion thereof) at closing circles; Deb volunteered to do so at next opportunity. Rudy also game to do this as needed.
Decibel Level (Kari):
- PCD already has a decibel meter, and now it's functioning thanks to fresh batteries.
- Jason will learn use of same and facilitate its use during DJ setup and sound check.
- What is safe: 80 (Andrew)? 90 (Pika)? 70 (Rudy during meeting…according to the CDC, “Noise above 70 dB over a prolonged period of time may start to damage your hearing.") seems the safest. Rebecca to look into this further.
- DJs don’t like to hear about volume critique from dancers during dances; instead, they’d prefer feedback from their peers during dances.
- The above said, dancers always have the option to leave DJ feedback (of any nature) via the form on the PCD website.
- DJ committee will monitor for a few dances after which, if it seems necessary, share at closing circle if/why we’re reducing sound levels: hearing health!sss
Facebook Page and Group Administration (Rudy)
- Official FB page (public) more clearly reflects PCD branding (logo and banner image)
- Dance community FB Group (private): Rudy has been letting new people in by hand; this and general monitoring/moderating has proven very easy. For the moment, at least, it no longer seems necessary to re-name or alter in any other way.
Where Can We Dance? Update (Lori)
No movement yet on 317 Main in Yarmouth yet, so reiterating the following:
- The preference for access to RCA and XLR has been shared with 317; not having this access will seriously curtail DJ ability and may even necessitate using our own equipment;
- If we do need to resort to continuing to use our own equipment, will there indeed be enough storage space available to us?
- As soon as 317 has enough knowledge of their technical offerings, we (including John and/or Jason) should do a site visit to better understand and assess the setup being made available.
Meraki Meeting Format/Location
- Zooms are convenient
- Hybrid would be more work as well as require more equipment (Rudy vouches for Owl camera/system as viable after you get used to it)
- CONSENSUS: alternate between in-person (with roving hosts) and Zoom; keep an ear out for people who feel excluded from attending (because of) either format
May 5-7, 2023 PCD Dance Retreat pricing and registration logistics (Lily)
- Pricing all-inclusive, and dictated by accommodation: Quad ($170), Double ($210), Queen ($250)
- Buffer for PCD: $10 included in each registration.
- Email notification to all, with all information covered so that people can form their plan so that they’re prepared once registration goes live, since registration will be first-come, first-served.
- Committee to consider whether to offer any form of financial aid (scholarships? how many, for how much, decided by whom?) and therefore whether to also include an option in the registration process for people to give $ toward same. How will someone ask for aid?
- On the table for registration method: EventBrite, RSVPify, Google form. The former two have a cost per transaction; all snag a percentage of the price if paid via eFunds (PayPal, Stripe, et al).
- Cancellation/refund policy? Covid policy? Ask for gender? Ask for snoring/sleeping habit info for placing people in quads?
- Announce prices at next dance and take a straw pole for how many dancers might be interested in attending retreat.
DJs (Mellen & Deb)
- Cultivating a coherence in the direction of DJ methodology and music choice.
- Culling DJ list to winnow dead wood…if someone DJs 4 or more times a year, they get preference as well as greater voice in DJ issues.
- Already, there have been discussions within the active DJ body…
- sound levels (see decibels, above)
- music choice (Jason providing some reference to re-focus DJs to the original PCD intention of upholding/respecting/reflecting The Wave; a reminder that PCD is not intending to provide a Sunday morning rave, et al)
As an aside the subject of Family Dances came up:
Brian is interested in starting up a family dance. It was agreed that when Marin was organizing/facilitating this, it was in fact under the purview of PCD (i.e. on PCD website, covered by PCD insurance, utilizing PCD equipment)
Next meetings:
- March 21, Zoom
- April 11, in-person, location TBD
