Event Director Bracken Heidenreich
Jan 6, 2024
Volunteers, Table Decorating Contest, Thursday Scripted Dances, Dance Requests, Schedule Update, Check-in Process
HELLO
Hello, again, fellow flamingos! What tasty shrimp are in this pool of prose for you to wade in and slurp up????
How about…. Volunteers
How about…. Table Decorating Contest
How about…. Thursday 8:30 PM Scripted Dances
How about…. Dance requests
How about…. Schedule Update
How about…. Check-in Process
Tickled your fancy pink yet? Read on!
VOLUNTEERS
THANK YOU to those who have already volunteered themselves (or their husbands) for help at the event!
If you haven’t chirped up yet, but would be willing to help out a bit, please contact our wonderful Volunteer Coordinator Peggy Hall (pegatha_h@yahoo.com).
Peggy is arranging volunteer shifts for everything from decorations to door monitors to registration staff and, of course, clean up.
The Palm Springs Winter Break wouldn’t be the success it is year after year without the invaluable support from flocktastic volunteers!
Here’s a special note from our fabulous Volunteer Coordinator Peggy Hall:
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
For those of you who have previously attended dance events, you know the real "crunch" times are when registration opens (Thu at 5:30pm) and Fri/Sat/Sun mornings. If we have enough volunteers, I like to limit the shifts to 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Here are some of the volunteer opportunities:
VERY SPECIAL NEED THIS YEAR. Because of a medical condition, Bracken should not be lifting anything over 10 pounds and should not be leaning over or squatting repeatedly. So, we need 2 dedicated people to help with her DJ equipment: unload her car and set up (early Thursday morning, someone comfortable lifting 60 pounds to stage height (that's her amp) and lifting speakers onto their stands and someone comfortable bending and squatting (running cables and taping them to the floor). Then another 2 dedicated people to do the reverse (break down and load car) Sunday afternoon.
Waiver and registration tables (starts at 5:15 Thu night-2 shifts; Fri & Sat-all day and part of the evening; Sun-morning)
Door Monitors (starts at 7:00 Thu night; Fri & Sat-all day and part of the evening; Sun-morning and afternoon)
Game Table (inside the ballroom); Fri & Sat-all day and part of the evening. (Advantage, if you’re not busy you can join the lesson/open dancing.)
Tear-down and clean up (one shift only-Sun 4:00-6:00)
If you’re interested here's what I'd like to know from you (please email me pegatha_h@yahoo.com)::
When will you be arriving/departing the event?
Your preference of working mornings/afternoons/evenings?
Your preference of where you would like to volunteer?
Once I get your responses, I'll start building the volunteer schedule.
Thank you so, so much for answering the call to volunteer at the upcoming Palm Springs Winter Break dance weekend. Bracken is very grateful for your willingness to help make this event the success that it has been in the past! We're going to have a funtabulous time!!
Again, THANK YOU!!!!
- Peggy Hall
TABLE DECORATING CONTEST
Fuel your flair for creativity and join in our flamboyant flamingo table decorating contest! Find fun feathers, festive flowers, and fabulous frills to fashion a fantastic feast for the eyes. Let your flamingo fever flow and be part of the festivities!
Details here: https://www.palmspringswinterbreak.com/table-decorating
THURSDAY 8:30 PM SCRIPTED DANCES
We have our formal flockstar introductions at 8:30 PM on Thursday night, a fun lesson, followed by dancing a pre-scripted set based on your survey responses! Below is the list of guaranteed to play after the Thursday night lesson for this year, and the stepsheets are conveniently on a CopperKnob list here: https://www.copperknob.co.uk/lists/34460/pswb-2024-thursday-scripted-dances
Give Me Your Tempo
I’m Free
Good As You
3 Tequila Floor
Bow Chika Wow It
Dizzy (to the original!)
OH Henry!
Would Have Loved Her
This Little Light
Ghosted
Higher & Higher
Devil in a Dress
Dust to Dust
Can’t Walk Away
The Wolf
DANCE REQUESTS
http://www.djfeed.net/pswb/requests/
On or before January 15, please continue to send your pre-event dance requests in through the djFeed. Be patient when you click to submit your request - it takes a few seconds sometimes.
Your pre-event requests help your fellow flamingos see which dances need to be fluffed out and reviewed before the event, and helps us with planning floor splits to give the flamboyance the most opportunities to dance!
Top pre-event requests right now are:
3 Tequila Floor
Faded Dreams
Everyone Needs a Hero
Ghosted
Devil in a Dress
Good as You
Just a Phase
Give Me Your Tempo
Sun on a Black Sky
Country in 3
Gypsy Queen
Moses Roses Toeses
Raised Like That
Til You Can’t
Would Have Loved Her
Dust to Dust
Dim the Lights
After January 15, please hold your requests until we are at the Pavilion. During the event, you can submit requests through the djFeed or writing on the request lists.
SCHEDULE UPDATE
A great benefit of PSWB being a one-room event is that it is easy to make slight adjustments on the fly. The tentative schedule is now posted! https://www.palmspringswinterbreak.com/schedule
Don't miss out on PSWB specials back for 2024:
- Thursday night fun lesson!
- Lunchtime Q&As with your flockstar staff!
- Power Hours to start Friday & Saturday nights!
Now, some of our flock have asked why I put lunch break in quotations (“Lunch Break”). Well, it’s because you can choose to take a complete break, or stay at the Pavilion the whole time, or do something in between those choices.
For the first half hour of the “lunch break,” it will be a true break - no dancing, no planned activities, just soothing sounds to promote rest and easy digestion.
For the second half hour of the “lunch break,” we are bringing back the Flockstar Q&A time! On Friday, you’ll hear from Jo Thompson Szymanski and our two choreography winners, Brenda Shatto and Jen Michele. On Saturday, it’s Joanne Brady, Jill Babinec, and Megan Barsuglia in the hot seats. On Sunday, we bring back Jo, Jen, Joanne, and Jill for the last Flockstar Q&A. We have some questions to get things going, but anyone at the Flockstar Q&A can give a shot at their own questions for our flockstars.
Finally, for the third half hour of the “lunch break,” DJ Megan will play songs for open dancing by request.
Spend the hour and a half for “lunch break” however you like.
CHECK-IN PROCESS
Peggy Hall will once again be our wonderful, smiling, always happy to see you ambassador for the 2024 Palm Springs Winter Break. Peggy and our fabulous volunteers will check you in and get you set with your wristband and nametag (and stepsheet booklet if you pre-ordered one). There will also be prints of the schedule and local food map available.
If you purchased a step sheet booklet, it will be waiting for you at the registration table. If you can’t remember if you ordered one, check the website under the PSWB registration tab - list of registered dancers. (The deadline to order a printed booklet has passed.)
Dancers will need to be wearing their wristbands and nametags (they’re magnetic this year!) to enter the event.
The first time you enter the main hall, you will get a precious, handmade chair cover to use for the weekend. Place your chair cover on your roost for the weekend. This is a simple, visual indication to everyone entering after you which seats are taken and which are open to fellow friendly flamingos.
We do ask that you return the chair cover to registration at the end of your time at PSWB so we can carefully store them and continue to use these beautiful, functional decorations year after year after year!
On Thursday, registration opens at 5:30 PM, but the main hall will not open until 7 PM.
On Friday, registration opens at 8:30 AM. Activities start at 8:45 AM.
On Saturday, registration opens at 8:30 AM. Activities start at 8:45 AM.
On Sunday, registration opens at 8:00 AM. Activities start at 8:15 AM.
THANK YOU
The saying, “it takes a village” is true when it comes to putting on an event. This would not have happened without you all registering for the fun, and it would not happen without the generous time and effort of the volunteers and staff. I feel blessed to have dance friends who graciously stepped up to the plate to help make this happen. THANK YOU for the woman power, man power, and overall support for continuing Palm Springs Winter Break, where flamingos roost each January.