The Crystal Ball

I wanted to start off this post with an apology for being so lax about my contributions of late. The usual suspects are to blame: work, work, and work. I've also been musing over exactly what to write about Crystal Ball 2011. I wanted to say something different than what Kell already has covered and I didn't want to be kitsch or predictable…resisting phrases like 'it was wand-erful' in spite of the fact it kept coming to mind.


It's really hard to describe an event like the Crystal Ball from the point of view of a pair of dancers who went to a Harry Potter festival. Obviously it'd be unfair to complain about the dance floor or the dancers on that floor because…it's a Harry Potter event, not a dance. Yet, at the same time, the organizers did a pretty darn good job throwing a dance! In fact they did a lot better than a few dance clubs we've visited! The floor at Landoll's Mohican Castle's event center was adequate, linoleum over concrete is rough on the feet but resists the eventual baptism with beer (or in this case butter beer) well but it's very unforgiving. Still the atmosphere was literally magic.

I also wanted to dwell for a moment on the attendees. In the past I've used this forum to vent about 'floor manners'. Many people, and I'm talking about people who have taken dance lessons, don't have an inkling of how to dance socially. They overreach, they take up too much room, they are overly aggressive, and they ignore the people dancing around them with the end result being a lot of mashed toes and bruised feelings. However, at the Crystal Ball, pretty much everyone had wonderful floor manners. They made room, danced small, and were respectful to those around them. This got me thinking about manners - maybe having good floor manners depends on avoiding arrogance. Maybe having some small portion of yourself know that you're not 'all that' makes you more humble and respectful. Maybe the sin of mashed toes and the sin of hubris are one and the same? I don't know, I'm probably reaching as I'm want to do but it's worth thinking about! All I can say is I wish more people who dance were like the folks at the Crystal Ball. It'd make maneuvering the floor a lot less stressful!

As for the venue, Landoll's Mohican Castle in northern Ohio is an amazing place. I searched without luck for history on the crenellated oddity just outside Loudonville, OH but without any luck. Even the hotel website doesn't provide background information on why Mr. Landoll decided to build his castle in the American hinterland. Maybe the idea stemmed from a European trip or a trip to the local cinema to see Sleeping Beauty, your guess is as good as mine. What I can say is that the collection of towers and cottages amid the rolling, wooded countryside formed the perfect backdrop to the fantasy of Harry Potter. As we strolled to the evening's event a sparkling snow filled the frigid air, dusting everything with a magic glitter.