FAQ – Brisbane Balboa Weekend

Registration

When do registrations open?

Registrations will open 1st of July at midday

What is the cancellation and refund policy?

Cancellations and Refunds are only available in cases of cold and flu symptoms (please don’t attend if you are sick) – however, if your circumstances change and you are not able to attend please contact us and we MAY be able to transfer your pass to someone who has missed out. While we cannot give any guarantees, we understand life throws curveballs all the time, and we will do our very best to resolve any issues we can. If you have purchased a pass and are not able to attend please contact us.

General

Who is running the event?

Since 2019 Brisbane Balboa Weekend is run by Robert Edwards and Emma Hadfield. We are keen swing dancers who have been teaching Balboa in Brisbane for 10 years.

For those wanting to book accommodation near the event, where is it going to be?

All classes and the Saturday night social will be at Elements Collective, 17 McLachlan St, Fortitude Valley, and the Friday and Sunday night social dances will be in the Danish Club, 36 Austin St, Newstead.

Does BBW have a policy around strongly scented deodorants or perfumes?

We request that you do not wear strongly scented deodorants or perfumes, as these can trigger allergic reactions or migraines in some people. If possible, please use low-scented or hypoallergenic deodorants. Please apply deodorant before you come to the venue, and if you need to reapply, please do so outside.

Workshops

Who can register for Saturday and Sunday Workshops?

Everyone who can comfortably execute all the moves listed and demonstrated in the video on the workshops page. Not sure about some of the moves? Ask your teacher to help you get up to speed.

Is there a minimum or maximum level of experience for any of the workshops?

There won’t be any beginner classes at this event, so YES, there is a minimum level of experience required. Please check that you can comfortably execute all the moves listed and demonstrated in the video on the workshops page before registering.

There is no maximum level as we will tailor the groups and content to suit the experience of the dancers who attend the weekend.

Can I pay on the day at the door for workshops?

No. You can only register and pay for workshops online when registrations open on the 1st of July. Registrations for workshops will close Friday 23 September, unless sold out in advance.

Can I just attend some of the classes on any of the days?

The workshops across the weekend have been designed so that both the instructors and the dancers can build on previous content as the weekend progresses. Initial registrations will only be for full workshop passes. IF places aren’t already filled by full pass attendees then single-day passes will be made available 2 weeks later.

If for reasons beyond your control you cannot make it to a class on time, have to leave a class early or miss a class entirely, please speak to one of the organisers in advance or as soon as you are able.

Classes will start on time and finish on time. If you arrive late please join the class quietly and with minimal fuss so as not to disrupt the instructors and your fellow dancers.

Will there be a parent’s pass for couples looking to come with a child?

Yes. We don’t want parents to miss out on dancing, so if you are hoping to come and are needing a Parent’s Pass, please reach out to us before registrations open.
A parent’s pass will be a Full Pass to share, assuming one parent will be attending each class, with the option to buy extra evening passes as required should both parents be attending socials. We hope to be flexible enough to enable all families to get as much out of the weekend as possible.

Socials

Will there be a venue capacity limit for the social dances?

Yes. Although there is not a COVID safety limit (at the time of writing this in June) we will set a limit on the sale of social tickets for each of the nights in the web store. This is to make sure there will be room for everyone to dance safely.

Can I pay at the door on the night for each social?

YES, probably. You can book and pay online for evening socials online up until Friday 23 September then it’ll be cash or digital dollar bucks at the door (provided tickets haven’t sold out online. You should be fine. Should be… Maybe just book online to be sure)
UPDATE: NO, sadly. Tickets for all 3 social nights have sold out, and the venues will be quite full.

What is the floor like at the venue?

The Saturday Social and all classes are upstairs at the Elements Collective, which has a beautiful buttery smooth floor that your feet will LOVE to dance on. The Friday and Sunday Social dances are at the Danish Club which has a slightly sprung timber floor that was specifically constructed for dancing. It normally has a medium amount of grip. We will try to condition it for Bal comfort in the leadup to the event, but as this is a multi-purpose venue we must keep safety in mind and not make it too slick. Therefore we suggest that you bring a couple of shoe options to adapt to the floor if needed, with a hard leather sole being your best bet for the lowest friction. Please DO NOT put dance wax or anything else on the floor. We will do our best to make it nice and we need to be the ones in charge of that.

Please try not to spill any food or drink on the dance floor and if you do have an accident, please let us know so we can get it cleaned up. This is a safety issue, but also no one likes getting crud on the soles of their nice dance shoes. Do not put any substance on any of the floors at any of the venues!

Can I BYO drinks to the socials?

NO. The Danish Club and Elements Collective are licensed and will sell drinks over the bar. We suggest you bring your own water bottle to the socials and make sure it has your name on it for hygiene (also we already have enough lost water bottles!)

Can I bring food to the socials or can I buy food there?

The Danish Club does not have food, so feel free to BYO food or eat before/after. However, we will be providing some yummy snacks and homemade goodies.

Volunteering

I want to volunteer, what do I do?

We may have a need for some volunteers for specific roles, but we can’t guarantee we’ll be able to use all who express interest. Contact us about volunteering and we’ll be in touch.

Safety

What are your COVID-Safe policies, rules, and requirements at this event?

Check out our COVID Safety Policy page.

I have concerns about an individual who may attend your event – based on mine or other’s experiences with them at other events – what should I do?

Please contact us and we will liaise with you directly to discuss the issue. Please note all communications will be treated as strictly confidential.

I’m at the event and I have an issue – what do I do?

First and foremost, if you don’t feel safe, find someone you feel safe with. Then have that person help you find the Safer Spaces Coordinator, an event organiser, or a volunteer you feel comfortable reporting your issue to. All reports will be taken seriously.

Please see our Code of Conduct for more details – Brisbane Balboa Weekend will not tolerate any kind of abuse, bullying or harassment of any kind towards anyone who attends the event and that includes the event organisers and all others who work or help out at the event.

Photography & Videos

Will there be photos and videos taken at the event?

Yes, there will be both photos and videos being taken during the event. We will be taking ‘happy snaps’ at the workshops. We will have roaming photographers as well as a photo booth and we may be videoing performances and social dancing at all the socials throughout the event.

Where will the photos and videos be published?

Our favourite photos and videos will be uploaded to the Brisbane Balboa Weekend Facebook page. We would also love people to share any photos they take with the hashtag #BrisBW2022

Can I take my own photos and videos at the event?

Of course, but please note a couple of things:
Workshops – please only take photos or videos when given permission by the instructors.
Socials – please only take photos of yourself, your friends and anyone else who actively, deliberately involves themselves in your photo. Be mindful that not everyone may wish to be photographed or have their photo circulated publicly – please see the next FAQ question for more details on this.

I don’t want to be in any of the photos or videos that are published what should I do?

Firstly we want you to know we will respect your wish. To help us do that, on the door of all the workshops and events, we will have a folder to make a list of people who do not wish to appear in any photos or videos which are published. We will also have stickers we will ask you to wear. The stickers will help our photographers easily spot anyone who does not wish to be in the photos or videos when they are reviewing photos and footage and ensure they are not identifiable.