2006 Browncoat Ball - Thank You

Thank you to all who attended the 2006 Browncoat Ball, and thank you for all the comments and feedback we've heard. We poured a lot of time and energy into this over the past eight months, and it makes it all worth while to know that folks had a good time.

Allow us to take a moment to thank those who helped along the way.

Adam Levermore-Rich, and his lovely wife Karla. We absolutely could not have done this without Adam's graphic design skills. He designed the website, the badges, the programs, the scavenger hunt list, and the t-shirts and posters. They held down the fort on Friday night, running registration in the hospitality suite and at the Empress of China. No greater thanks are possible. For more of Adam's graphic prowess, or to hire him for your own geek-related graphic arts needs, go to Lexigeek.com. And you can still buy his Browncoat Ball commemorative t-shirts, posters, and bags at BlackMarketBeagles.com.

To Johnny Absinthe, who did a test run of the Chinatown tour with Ammy a couple of weeks before the ball, introduced us to Sam Wo's, traipsed all over the city that night, and provided the fancy voting box for the Saturday night awards. Johnny always seemed willing to do anything we asked, and was always at hand whenever Ammy started to look frantic.

To Joan Belcinski and her platoon of volunteers, for assembling the gift bags and always being ready with a "what else can we do?" attitude.

To Jennifer "Radar" Wylie, for making us the shiniest-looking Mr and Ms Persephone sashes anyone has ever seen.

To Jeff Boylan and his wonderful deep voice, for announcing the arrival of our guests at the ball.

To Corinne W, Elonwy Hickey, Theresa Doherty, and everyone else who helped set up the hospitality suite and run registration throughout the weekend.

To Shawna Trpcic and Jonathan Logan, for not only creating the costumes that inspired everyone's outfits, but for coming out themselves to dance and party with us. Everyone was thirlled to see you, and impressed with how friendly you both were.

To Tommy, the host at Empress of China on Friday night. He greeted Ammy with "I'm here to make your night run smoothly." And that's exactly what he did. That guy was amazing. We can't recommend Empress of China highly enough, if you're ever looking for a venue for a future event.

To Ariyana La fey for wowing us all with a glimpse of what a fan dance is supposed to look like!

To Joan Walton, who caught up to me a week before the ball, still eager to choreograph and teach a dance like the one in Shindig. I think the Sir Warrick Harrow is fabulous, and Joan is always a joy to learn from.

To Emily Cole, who dove in and taught and called several dances on Saturday. I know you're a Fezziwigger. I know it's what you do. But really, it was a huge relief to have you there to help.

To every Starry Plough dancer who helped call their set through the Haymaker's Jig on Friday night. When everyone started separately, I had a moment of panic, but after a few seconds I realized it was all going well because there was at least one of you in or near each set and you were helping your set along. Thank you so very much. On Saturday morning, I kept hearing how much fun that was for all who danced. Good job!

To every dancer who grabbed a stranger or acquaintance and led them through a set dance or Congress of Vienna, thank you so very much. The true magic of dance lies in sharing it with others.

To the Chicago Browncoats, who made all of this possible by hosting the first one in 2004 and especially to those who made the pilgrimage to San Francisco, thank you so much. Without your inspiration and example, none of this would have ever happened. It was really great to see you again.

Special kudos as well to Rosie Leon, Jeff Boylan, Alex Baker, Elonwy Hickey, and the dozen or so others who selflessly missed out on a good portion of the Saturday night ball to help us scour the hotel in search of the lousy thief who decided to prey upon one of our own. And especially to Tom Edmonds, who went into full-on Operative mode and tracked down the stolen camera that even the SFPD couldn't find - with all of the photos still intact. We would like to belatedly award Tom with the title of "Hero of Union Square!" :-)

There are many we're forgetting, but know that you're appreciated too!

Looking forward to the Browncoat Ball of 2007, location to be announced early next year! If your city would like to submit a pitch, you can find the details on how to do so on the BrowncoatBall.com site, under Future Events.

Ammy Hill & Ray Hill (no relation)