[brandysaur]

Anyone else feel this way?

Pretzels and water. Thanks, guys! Really.

Sorry 'm posting about this in a different area. I am just beyond upset about this. Tiny "ballroom", NO ballroom dance music, a DJ with fake dubstep and ignored music requests, and bartenders that consistantly made me the wrong drinks, while still charging me 8 dollars each. Awesome!

[Grey CC Amore]

Btw, the DJ didn't ignore ANY music requests. He either had the music or he didn't-- i did see his screen and he was truly limited for variety of songs, because he clearly did not have EVERY song made in the world with him. Cause I requested more than one Waltz, and he only had 2 waltz songs neither I had ever heard of. As for food- its finger food, its a "ball" what do you expect? As for bartenders-- should of found someone and COMPLAINED to the ladies who were in charge of the ball that night, I'm sure they would of helped you out.

I honestly had a good time, and I only danced ONCE the whole night. So no, I don't feel that way.

I've been to Charity balls which cost more where we get NO food OR water and have to LEAVE to get water. I've been to balls where there are NO requests. AND I've been charged MORE for them. Did I mention that in these other balls there was NO WHERE to even sit down?

For 25 dollars, I think they gave quite a lot. My only comment is the dance floor could of been bigger.

[Washu Takahashi]

I had a great time. I honestly didn't expect any more snacks than they gave us, and I wasn't even sure if they'd have that much. And I requested the Cha Cha Slide, which he played The gift bags were also a really nice touch that I wasn't expecting and I made a few friends. I had a great time, sorry you didn't share the experience.

[laceyarsenic]

I think for $25 I was expecting a little bit more; though to be honest I'm not sure what > <
Considering it was the first time they've done it, it went pretty well. They were trying to figure out what ppl wanted from the Crystal Ball. Some wanted the slow dance romantic music...others didn't. Personally I prefered upbeat music since I didn't have a date and slow dancing is no fun on your own.
(I unfortunately missed the Waltz Panel due to delays in programming; which weren't ACEN's fault)

It started out slow but once it got going it was really fun.
It would've been nice if maybe they had more snack/drink options at the "bar" for the ppl who don't "drink"
But all in all I enjoyed myself.
Would I do it again? I'm not really sure, I missed some of the evening concerts I wanted to attend (VGO and LMC, Why you so delayed?!) so I think it's just about prioritizing.

The gifts bags were cute and I appreciate ACEN's hard work and that they tried something new!

[Karmada]

First off, I want to say that I was extremely disappointed with this masquerade "ball". I am wholeheartedly agreeing with the original poster on this one.

My issues I had with the event:

"Light Snacks"
Pretzels & Water. Um. Okay. I guess I'm fine with that? I was happy there was water (THANK YOU FOR THIS - dance rooms always get very warm), but myself and my date had been working at our AA booth all day, and didn't exactly have the time to get a solid dinner before hand. I was expecting something like maybe... cookies at least? I guess? Both my date and I are 30+ and we don't drink. I didn't mind that there was a pay bar, but it seemed like it was the only option if you wanted something to feel "fancy".

Extremely Small Ballroom
We arrived at the ball around 8:00 pm. The entire dance floor was filled to the brim (which I must say is unusual but it did make me happy that people were out dancing), with a good 30+ people filtering around the tables. Maybe you guys couldn't get the larger rooms due to other events, but I find it hard to imagine you'd think there'd be enough room for people to dance, especially if we're supposed to be in formal wear/gowns. I will sympathize about maybe not having any larger rooms available, but it still seemed poorly planned when you have twice as many people with tickets as can fit on the dance floor. I actually never got onto the floor to dance due to my dress. Which yes, is partially my fault, I am willing to admit that. I just thought it might have been in a bigger room when I planned my outfit.

"Music"
That wasn't dancing music. I'm sorry. DJ did the best he could, I suppose, but that was NOT the type of music I was imagining when I was looking forward to this ball (and I was, greatly).

I would like to preface the rest of this indicating that I've been to previous Masquerade Balls at this convention in years before (some of my favorite memories). Probably a few years ago. There was a waltzing class beforehand (supposedly one this year, but I didn't see it on the program), and then the ball itself was in a moderately sized room, with a decent amount of people, and they played music you could actually ballroom dance to. I think both years they had live music playing, and they played all sorts of video game and anime music with rhythms for ballroom dancing.

This was not that dance. I couldn't even tell what music WAS playing as it all sounded like the same song. Save for maybe 4 out of the 20ish songs I heard (those 4 were recognizable, but undanceable to except the cha cha slide - THANK YOU WHOEVER REQUESTED THAT). The songs tended to seamlessly blend from one to the next, and I felt like I was more in "rave light" as opposed to a "high class ball". My date and I left after an hour and a half of listening to this (I never actually danced the entire evening), because we were tired of the beat, and the fact that we did not know any of the music. We came back after taking our own photos, and saw the music had not changed and decided to leave.

Washu Takahashi, on 30 April 2012 - 07:33 AM, said:

The gift bags were also a really nice touch that I wasn't expecting and I made a few friends.

...there were gift bags? I was wondering what all those little blue bags were for. My date and I were NEVER offered one. Were they given out at the very end of the dance?

OVERALL:
I want to say that I had a good time (got a lovely picture from the booth, met some lovely people), but I did not. I will most likely not be attending a formal ball like this for a while unless I can at least find out the type of music that is intended to be playing ahead of time.

END NOTE:
I do want to say at least a good hearty "THANK YOU" for at least trying to give us a dance that's not a "rave". Thank you for strong-arming the convention into letting you run this event. I know it's been a battle for a little while. Also, props to the beautiful tickets that came with it. They were very nicely made.

[Krystal]

The masquerade ball I went to in 2009 was amazing. Sad to hear this wasn't. Maybe get a band like Arc Impulse next year?

[Linny Binny]

This was my first ball at ACen and overall it was a good experience. I enjoyed some of the music, but some songs that were played you couldn't really dance to (like "Enter Sandman"). I had no issues with the bartender making us our drinks, he did a very good job. I was also satisfied with the snacks and water. There were a couple things that bothered me. One was the fact that it was late starting (We didn't start getting let in until 7:40ish). Also, I saw a few people who had dresses that were well above knee-length which irritated me considering I had to buy a floor-length dress to appease the rules for the dress code. If not enforce the rules, why was the dress code so strict to begin with? If I would have known they would've been so loose with the rules, I wouldn't have spent so much money on a new dress. I mean overall it was a good experience, but sometimes it's the little things like not being prepared that ruins events like these.

[FlyingElf]

Grey CC Amore, on 30 April 2012 - 07:20 AM, said:

Btw, the DJ didn't ignore ANY music requests. He either had the music or he didn't-- i did see his screen and he was truly limited for variety of songs, because he clearly did not have EVERY song made in the world with him. Cause I requested more than one Waltz, and he only had 2 waltz songs neither I had ever heard of.

The hotel had free wifi this year, so any song not had is easily acquired. I ran karaoke Friday night and I too do not have every song ever made, yet I did not turn away one request.

So I do feel it is a valid complaint, because the best showmen figure out ways to make things work.

This post has been edited by FlyingElf: 30 April 2012 - 07:39 PM

[brandysaur]

FlyingElf, on 30 April 2012 - 07:37 PM, said:

The hotel had free wifi this year, so any song not had is easily acquired. I ran karaoke Friday night and I too do not have every song ever made, yet I did not turn away one request.

So I do feel it is a valid complaint, because the best showmen figure out ways to make things work.

Thank you: I actually explained to him [the DJ] that the hotel had WiFi and he looked at me like I had asked him to grow a second head.

My group was fun. I met some new friends, but this was not the formal ball I was expecting. The description of "rave light" is one hundred percent accurate.

If this is to continue, they NEED to make it a free event and perhaps make sign ups necessary. All in all, I wasted money on the dance itself and the hours I had poured into making my dress. I had plenty that were cute and above the knee, which I saw plenty of at the dance. I should have just taken my chances and wore one of those instead of following the dress code.

[Linny Binny]

brandysaur, on 30 April 2012 - 08:25 PM, said:

I had plenty that were cute and above the knee, which I saw plenty of at the dance. I should have just taken my chances and wore one of those instead of following the dress code.

I completely agree with you 100 percent. I'm short and wearing shorter dresses looks way better on me than long, formal ones. I have five or six short dresses in my closet, not a single long one. I had to drop $150 on a formal dress for this event that met the dress code AND looked nice (Anything cheaper than that was pretty meh). If they had no rules against cleavage, then why be so strict about the length? Most of the people there seemed to be at least 18 or older. It's not like kids were going to be there looking up the dresses, lol. So I agree with you completely on this one. They should be a little more lenient on the dress code rules. If they do have such rules, then they should at least enforce them.

[magicalgamer]

Linny Binny, on 30 April 2012 - 07:24 PM, said:

but some songs that were played you couldn't really dance to (like "Enter Sandman")

I almost went to this but my partner was unable to attend this year.
From what people have said, I think having someone bring an ipod with a "ballroom dance" mix ready would be a good thing. Hit play and let it run.

As for "Enter Sandman".... It is not that bad of a song to dance to. The marengue is just a march style of ballroom dance and because this song has a regular beat the marengue works. Is it the most exciting song to dance to.... umm no. But it can be done.

In my limited ballroom dancing experience I have danced to songs by Lady GaGa, NSync, LMFAO, The Beetles, and Elvis. Now if you are not expecting "Enter Sandman" I completely understand that it would be a bit odd to think it could be danced to.

Quite a few songs I have danced to have required a mix of 2 sometimes 3 ballroom dance stlyes to work well.

Edit: Just had to say, not all classical "ballroom waltzes" are created equal. Some like Strauss' "Blue Danube" are easy to dance to and then there are some really quick walzes that require flawless technique to keep up with.

I just hope that in future years they make it clear what brand of music will be played at a dance to allow the participants to know what is going to happen.

This post has been edited by magicalgamer: 30 April 2012 - 09:52 PM

[Hoshigumo]

magicalgamer, on 30 April 2012 - 09:44 PM, said:

As for "Enter Sandman".... It is not that bad of a song to dance to. The marengue is just a march style of ballroom dance and because this song has a regular beat the marengue works. Is it the most exciting song to dance to.... umm no. But it can be done.

In my limited ballroom dancing experience I have danced to songs by Lady GaGa, NSync, LMFAO, The Beetles, and Elvis. Now if you are not expecting "Enter Sandman" I completely understand that it would be a bit odd to think it could be danced to.

I think it's the problem of expectations. When I hear "Enter Sandman", or any of the artist names you've listed here, I -might- think "ballroom dancing" as pertains to the sport. Definitely not "ballroom dancing" as pertains to the image of an actual ball, which is what I was imagining from the description leading up to ACen 2012. An alternative to the rave atmosphere offered at not one, but two dances. This doesn't strike me as enough of a difference to really label it a ball.

[mentokjebus]

going to copy/paste what I had:

That was less a formal ball and more a mini rave. The music was techno/dubstep/top 40.

I emailed them, "Would school uniforms that have blazers and slacks (Ouran HS, Clannad, Melancholy etc) be acceptable in the ball?"

They responded, "As to your attire question, I do have to inform you that school uniforms are not considered as acceptable formal attire for the dance."

Yet there were loads of school outfits allowed in. That could have been me dammit lol!

They should not charge money for that event, especially if they don't at least cater it.

If Acen organizers want to see how a cosplay ball is done right, they should check out Anime Weekend Atlanta's formal ball.

[Menchi]

Krystal, on 30 April 2012 - 01:46 PM, said:

The masquerade ball I went to in 2009 was amazing. Sad to hear this wasn't. Maybe get a band like Arc Impulse next year?

100% this.

[S1NN3R]

I had a blast - I believe events are what you make of them, that aside... This was not the "ball" I was expecting.

Points stated that I agree on:

MUSIC: Although not all to hard to dance to, the style did not match the expected theme. I wasn't expecting it to be all formal ball music, but there seemed to be too little for what it was.I must say though, the remix of the Highschool of the Dead theme was pleasantly unexpected.

DANCE FLOOR: Needed to be bigger. No way around no space.

DRESS CODE: If its stated well in advance that types of attire are not acceptable, then It needs to be enforced at the door. There were too many people who did not even attempt to make the standards there. I feel it was a slap in the face to those who made the sacrifice in their cosplay/dress/suit selection/creation in order to meet them. When you see a guy walking around in a trench coat, sweater, and jeans.... Well, lets just go with, I was less than pleased.

[STVO]

I had fun but it was primarily thanks to the group I was with and doing some dancing. Good people can always make a bad or average situation a good one.

Now here's what I didn't care for:

* First off, there was hardly any ball room dancing music. I paid for a lesson to learn some ball room, did the Waltz workshop, and a friend of mine even helped me practice a little. I thank the lord I didn't pay for 3 more courses, as that would have been $300 towards Ballroom dancing I wouldn't have done, lol.

* I have no problems paying money for an event such as this, but I'm kind of confused what it went towards? Maybe the gift bags which were okay, but I thought a little more could be done. A friend who went a few years back said that they had violin player that did anime music and such. Pretzel, Chex mix, etc. honestly I wasn't expecting too much else in terms of food but it is understandable that some would. I'm not asking for $50 steaks, but I would like an explanation where this money went to?

* I agree with all of the others, almost any song I asked the DJ for he didn't have. I asked for mainstream songs too, lol.

Anyway, one of the main reasons I liked the dance is that it was a nerdy version of the high school prom. I only went to 1 prom and 1 homecoming and while I'm not sure if my date would agree, but this was the best one that I ever went to! And for the head of the ball to let us dress like we did (Two Face and Cat Woman) I must say I had some good laughs and a lot of fun for the most part! All I ask is that they work on the set-up of the dance. A few suggestions:

* If you're going to charge, use it for something more extravagant: Whether it's dinner provided by the restaurant, food like cheese plates and such, do something. Heck the violin player would be welcome.

* If this is truly a formal occasion, play formal music! I did like some of the songs, but I would have liked to try and practice the ball room dancing I have learned.

I can't say I disliked the event, but maybe a little more organization is in order. If I have a date that wants to go again, I'd be willing to give it another whirl. I would just hope that some improvements are made.

This post has been edited by STVO: 02 May 2012 - 01:50 AM

[S1NN3R]

STVO, If needs be, I'd be your date. Orange and Baby Blue tux would be a must! Our group did rock and will continue to do so in the future

This post has been edited by S1NN3R: 02 May 2012 - 02:47 AM

[Marin Musica]

I think I expected it to be more like a Ball (think Roger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella) than a prom....I mean, it was nice, but I would have liked to hear at least one slow song during the hour and a half I was there.

[kenkendazo]

Hell...the music should have been from distant worlds, anime instrumentals, etc.

Something like this for example.

This post has been edited by kenkendazo : 02 May 2012 - 11:03 AM

[STVO]

S1NN3R, on 02 May 2012 - 02:47 AM, said:

STVO, If needs be, I'd be your date. Orange and Baby Blue tux would be a must! Our group did rock and will continue to do so in the future

You sir have a date next year in 2013! If we can do the Dumb and Dumber thing, I'm totally down!

And like I said, maybe some different music would make this event rock harder next time. I like kenkendazo's idea, instrumentals. I really like the idea of the violinist from the past Crystal Balls who stuff such as Final Fantasy and other anime. I really do think this event has legs and if you can touch it up with music from people such as that and either provide a dinner or some other quality extras, the price will be justified. Again, I did not hate the event, it just needs some little extras to make it good. Otherwise like I mentioned, my group made it very fun.

This post has been edited by STVO: 04 May 2012 - 04:01 PM