While we all agree that square dancing could use some positive promotion in the public s eye, there seems to be too few good ideas that would push the press to cover our activity. What better way than "a dance heard around the world"? That s the concept behind World Square Dance 2000 (WSD2K). A dance for the last year of the millennium -- 2000 -- but the first year of the 21st century.
What is WSD2K? It s a square dance that will be scheduled chronologically sometime in the year 2000, but will be located physically around the world via the Internet. We ve all heard how the Internet is changing our lives. And we can use this new medium to do something that will attract the attention of people around the world.
This is a dance that will be broadcast live (audio and video) on the Internet, allowing most clubs around the world to participate. Any club can plan a dance in their hometown that coincides with the scheduled time of the dance. They get a hall, bring the food, and then they log in to the Internet and join the dance "already in progress" (as the phrase goes). (If they have a local caller, even he or she get a chance to join the dancers.)
How would all of this work? Actually, quite simply. Somewhere in the United States a dance with callers is scheduled for an eight hour period. The only active callers would be at the broadcast dance. This dance is recorded by a video camera and is broadcast immediately over the Internet. Most new computers being sold already today include the hardware and software to connect to the Internet and receive & display this broadcast.
The dance would be scheduled so that each club could plan a normal 2-3 hour dance during some portion of the broadcast dance. For example, if the dance was planned from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the west coast, then those on the east coast could plan a dance any time from 2:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.. Those in Europe could join in anytime from 7:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.. Finally, those in the orient could join in from 4:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m..
This will be an opportunity to generate a tremendous amount of publicity for this activity, something that is sorely needed. By involving clubs around the world, this will truly be an international event. (This also is an opportunity to reach thousands of dancers with information about organizations that they normally have little opportunity to learn about.)
We have already had many callers indicating a willingness to help organize this event, from both the technical as well as the organizational aspect. We will be contacting more in the future as more details are worked out. What we want right now is to know that clubs are interested and want to be part of this event.
One of our committee members has already put together a web site (see below for the URL) explaining some of the preliminary details of this project. Some of the details are subject to change.
If your club is interested in being part of this event, let us know. Write to us and give suggestions, comments, or just tell us you want to be part of this unique event.
David Ameeti
Chairman, World Square Dance 2000
