FluxDance presents: The Bachata Flow Generation | Frankfurt • Germany
Despite the incredible line-up, I feel that several aspects of the festival experience could have been handled considerably better. First and foremost, the decision to place the Jack & Jill final in the middle of Saturday night's social was extremely frustrating. There was no prior explanation, no proper announcement or apology for interrupting the social dancing, and ultimately no consideration for the people who had paid to be there. We don't pay festival passes to spend a significant part of the evening watching competitions; we pay to dance. I completely understand that delays and schedule adjustments can happen, but social dancing should not be the first thing sacrificed. Competitions should have their allocated time, and socials should remain socials. If changes are unavoidable, at the very least, communicate them properly and acknowledge the inconvenience caused to attendees.
More generally, the entire festival seemed to run on delays, with one schedule disruption after another. While I appreciate that organising an event of this scale is complicated and unexpected issues can arise, the cumulative effect was that the programme constantly felt behind schedule. This affected the overall experience and, once again, seemed to come at the expense of social dancing.
Another aspect I found particularly disappointing was the social dynamic between dancers. The atmosphere often felt quite cliquey, with local dancers and Flux-affiliated members primarily dancing among themselves and showing little openness towards people outside their existing circles. There were several instances of people being refused dances, which can make the experience quite unwelcoming, particularly for those travelling to attend the festival and hoping to connect with the wider community, this was further exacerbated by the noticeable imbalance between followers and leaders. With so many followers competing for a limited number of leaders, the lack of inclusivity and willingness to dance outside established groups became even more apparent. It was disappointing to see so many women standing on the sidelines waiting for dances while existing circles remained largely closed. I believe festivals have a responsibility to foster a more welcoming and inclusive social environment, where people are encouraged to dance with others beyond their usual friends and communities.
Another particularly disappointing experience was my interaction with the videographer. Throughout the weekend, I repeatedly asked whether it would be possible to get a short video of myself dancing, simply to have a personal memory of the festival. Each time, I was met with incredibly dismissive and arrogant refusals. I understand that videographers have their own schedules, priorities and creative direction, and that they cannot film everyone. However, the way these requests were handled genuinely made me feel awful and unwelcome. What made it even more disappointing was seeing the same people repeatedly being filmed, which reinforced the impression that visibility and attention were reserved for an already established circle of dancers. A little more courtesy and consideration towards attendees would have gone a long way.
The venue conditions were another major issue. Not allowing people to bring their own water bottles inside was honestly absurd, especially considering the lack of air conditioning, fans or even windows to provide proper ventilation. With the room getting extremely hot and water at the bar costing €7 for less than a litre, staying hydrated became unnecessarily expensive and inconvenient. Water is a basic necessity, not a luxury, particularly during hours of physical activity in such conditions. For future editions, I strongly encourage you to reconsider this policy and invest in proper ventilation, fans and more accessible drinking water.
On a much more positive note, I genuinely appreciated the sense of safety throughout the festival. I felt comfortable attending, dancing and interacting with people, and I want to acknowledge the energy and effort of the organisers and volunteers. Creating a safe environment is incredibly important, and this was something I truly valued.
