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What is Saltare?
Saltare is the dance guild of the Kingdom of Meridies. “Saltare” often refers to the annual event put on by the guild, herinafter referred to as “Saltare Dance Collegium” or “Collegium”. The purpose of the Collegium is to provide dance instruction of a higher caliber than is generally available at dance classes at other events.
When is the Collegium?
The Collegium is generally held sometime between Kingdom A&S and RUM. This puts it in the latter part of June. It has been held on Father’s Day weekend the last few years. The exact time is dependent on what weekends are open or what other events are being held near the hosting group that may conflict. Ideally a bid should be confirmed by the beginning of the year, to allow sufficient time for scheduling teachers and advertising.
Who Runs the Collegium?
The Collegium is an unusual event in that it is sponsored by Saltare, but actually run by a different group each year. This allows the location to move around the Kingdom, providing easy access to different regions. This creates the problem that any given hosting group has to learn how the event works each year. This intent of this document is to make that learning curve a little less steep.
Class scheduling, teacher recruitment, and evening revels are arranged by Saltare. The hosting group is responsible for the overall running of the event (registration, any food, etc.). In the past, proceeds from the event have been split between the hosting group and Saltare, though in recent years all proceeds have been retained by the hosting group. This arrangement is subject to negotiation between the Steward of Saltare and the hosting group.
What Are The Site Requirements?
The site requirements for the Collegium are unusual, and often present the largest challenge for the hosting group. The primary requirement is class space. There are usually 6 tracks of classes (3 European dance, 2 Eastern dance, and 1 music track), each of which requires a room with sufficient open space for dancing (except the music track). These must be indoor spaces, with electricity and sufficient barriers or distance between rooms that there will not be too much overlap of music between classes. There must also be two large spaces for evening revels. Often these are the largest of the class spaces, though they may be entirely different spaces, even at another (nearby) location.
The requirements of the site limit the choices available, and usually rule out most commonly used event sites. The Collegium has been held in the past at hotels, conference centers, churches, and universities. As the attendance at Saltare is hard to predict, and often relatively modest, it is best to find a site that can be used for a relatively small fee. Having a member of the local group with connections to the site is often helpful in this regard.
The sites that meet the class space requirements usually do not have on-site lodging, and so the majority of non-local attendees stay at local hotels. It is sometimes possible for a hosting group to reserve discounted blocks of rooms at a local hotel to reduce the expense for attendees.
What Food Should Be Provided?
There is no food generally expected as part of the event, provided there are sufficient dining establishments reasonably nearby. Often a hosting group will provide finger foods for the revels (either inside the revel spaces or at a common area between them to serve both).
If you have other questions not answered here, please email the Guild Steward.
