We're providing here a barrage of random useful information for the attendees of the Sundance Reno Round-Up. If you've been to a Sundance Stompede before, much of this will seem familiar, but you'll find there are some distinct differences from the Stompede. If you never attended a Sundance Stompede – and that is about half of you – this will help orient you to this complez weekend.
Check-in
Check-in for advance registrants will be in the lobby outside the Expo Ballrooms on the lower level of the Silver Legacy Hotel beginning about 3:30 pm on Thursday, October 9.
There are two different badge designs, depending on whether you registered on the Sundance Reno Round-Up site or the World Gay Rodeo site. Both badges get you into exactly the same events all weekend. But they will be distributed from different stations, so be sure to get into the correct line to pick up your badge.
Please have your registration confirmation email, or an email from us that contains your Sundance Reno Round-Up ID number, or a government-issused ID.
If you need to purchase a full weekend registration, we hope to have that station set up for you by about 4:00 pm on Thursday, also in the Expo Ballroom lobby.
Documentary Film Screening
WATCH TRAILER!
The 50-minute documentary of the 2023 Sundance Stompede, titled Last Dance at the Sundance Stompede and directed by Graham Clayton-Chance, will have a special screening during the Reno Round-Up! We'll be in the gorgeous Eldorado Showroom, located within our host hotel complex.
The Sundance Stompede was a four-day country-western dance weekend in San Francisco, produced by the Sundance Association, and the direct forerunner of the Sundance Reno Round-Up. After 27 years, the Stompede ended in 2023. This documentary captures this historic weekend, chronicling the reflections of 15 participants as they reflect on the event’s impact on their lives.
Get your tickets now! This is a film you do not want to miss. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will come away with a new appreciation not only of the Sundance Stompede, but of all of our community-based LGBTQ country-western dance weekends. This is a separately-ticketed event and not included with your Sundance Reno Round-Up registration. Note: the film screening does not interfere with workshops or exhibition rehearsal times.
Crowd Control
There's no getting around it – it's going to get crowded. But we've managed this successfully before, and with your cooperation, we'll manage it again.
Please be patient.
Understand our San Francisco dance floor customs for the main ballroom. See "Dancing in the Main Ballroom."
Practice spatial awareness on the dance floor. You may need to take up less space than you are used to.
Please share the limited seating, and yield seating to those who really need it.
The least crowded times may be early in the evening or late at night.
Be nice to the volunteers.
The Sundance Reno Round-Up is meant to be a community-building experience. But for some of us, large events can feel more isolating than smaller, more intimate events. If this is you, it might help to be aware of this in advance and to prepare and plan for it. Rather than feel lost, use this as an opportunity to allow yourself to meet new people. Just ask the person next to you to dance or strike up a conversation, rather than run around trying to find your usual tribe. This is hard for many of us, but truly it gets easier with practice.
Dancing in the Main Ballroom
In the main ballroom, you will find a mix of dance styles, including two-step, waltz, west coast swing, east coast swing, and about two line dances per half hour.
LINE DANCES
The line dances in the main room will be chosen from those known at San Francisco's Sundance Saloon. We'll be teaching some of these line dances on Friday. You are welcome to request your favorite line dance in the dedicated line dance room. Line dances taught during the weekend will also be featured in the dedicated line dance room and not in the main room.
We will announce and count in the line dances, and we request no partner dancing during that time, unless there is more than ample room. Similarly, we request no line dancing during the partner dances.
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SHARING THE FLOOR
West Coast Swing and Night Club Two-Step dancers should stay in the middle of the floor and leave 10 feet of space all around for the traveling dancers. And traveling dancers should remain on the outside track and not dance through the dancers in the center.
The Other Ballrooms
The Line Dance Room will be open for three hours each night. This is located in Expo Ballroom A, right next to the main ballroom in Expo B.
The West Coast Swing Room will be open for 2-1/2 to 3 hours each night. This is located in Silver Baron A on the mezzanine level. From the Expo Ballrooms, take the elevetor up to the mezzanine, and Silver Baron A is just a few steps away. Or take the escalator up, and then up again, and look behind you at the top.
In Expo C there will be a Rodeo Royalty Contest on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, followed by karaoke. On Sunday night Expo C will host the rodeo awards ceremony.
There is also Late-Night West Coast Swing in the main ballroom (Expo B) starting at 1:00 am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night (actually Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning).
IAGLCWDC
The International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country-
Western Dance Clubs (IAGLCWDC, commonly pronounced "Iggle Wiggle") was created
in 1993 to promote country-western dancing in the
greater gay/lesbian community, to foster communication
and networking, and to establish an annual
convention bringing together member clubs from
around the world. Individuals who belong to IAGLCWDC member clubs are themselves considered to be members of the IAGLCWDC.
The Sundance Reno Round-Up is proud to host the 30th annual convention of the IAGLCWDC.
"JUST DANCE" DANCE COMPETITION
Friday, October 10, 7:00-8:00 pm. Expo B. To include Pat & Chris two-step and west coast swing contests, and the line dances "Gives Me Shivers" and "Showstopper." (Pat & Chris = random pairing of leaders and followers). There will be a small $5 entry fee for each contest. Half of the entry fees goes to the IAGLCWDC, and other half is split between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. The more people who enter the competition, the bigger the pot!
IAGLCWDC GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TOWN HALL
social and cookie break
Saturday, October 11, 2:00–3:00 pm. Expo B. Join us for a dedicated IAGLCWDC member social to hear updates on what’s ahead for IAGLCWDC, and to connect, share ideas, and shape the future of our LGBTQ+ country-western dance community. All welcome! Come for the cookies. Stay for the community.
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OTHER IAGLCWDC MEETINGS
Additional IAGLCWDC meetings of interest to delegates and club administrators include:
Club Administrators' Forum. Friday, October 10, 11:15 am - 12:15 pm. Silver Baron E.
IAGLCWDC Delegates' Meeting. Friday, October 10, 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm. Silver Baron E.
Club Promotion Forum. Friday, October 10, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Silver Baron E.
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CLUB BANNERS
We have limited space to hang club banners in the lobby outside the Expo Ballrooms. We'll do the best we can, but we may not be able to accommodate everyone's club banners. Drop your banner off at the Sundance Reno Round-Up registration desk in the Expo Ballroom lobby after 4:00 pm on Thursday. If you want to ship anything to the hotel, follow these instructions.
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IAGLCWDC FACEBOOK GROUP
The IAGLCWDC has a Facebook Group and a Reno Event Page for discussion pertaining to the event – roommate and ride-share searches, questions, etc. are all good to discuss here. The Reno Event Page is only accessible to IAGLCWDC Facebook group members.
Social Events
The hotel does not allow private parties in guest rooms and suites. So we must utilize meeting rooms or an existing bar to service our social events. This means that beverages will be served at a non-hosted bar. (We will still serve food at all of our social events.) Also, since these events will be taking place in a public area, we will require a badge for entry.
Women's/Trans/Nonbinary Social. Friday, 12:15-1:30 pm. Silver Baron 1-6. Casual gathering of women, trans, and nonbinary attendees.
VIP Welcome Reception. Friday, 5:00-6:30pm. Silver Baron 1-6. For all volunteers, host and event sponsors, DJs, instructors, and exhibition performers.
After-Hours Parties. After the Friday and Saturday night dances, 1:00-2:30 am. Brew Brothers. The dancing's ended, but it's not time to go to bed. Grab a snack and enjoy the prime social time of the weekend.
World Gay Rodeo Finals
The entire reason the Sundance Reno Round-Up is here that we are a part of the World Gay Rodeo Finals. For those of you wishing to attend the rodeo, the rodeo arena is at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Event Center, located about 1.5 miles from the hotel at 1350 N Wells Avenue [map]. There is no shuttle bus, sorry. It's a quick taxi or ride-share trip, or a 30-minute walk. There is a public bus (#2) that runs from Evans & E 6th to Sadleir Way & N Wells, but service is infrequent, especially on Sunday.
Entry to the rodeo is included with your Sundance Reno Round-Up or WGRF badge. The doors open at 10:00 am and the events start at 11:00 am. Grand Entry is at noon. You can view the running order here. The day's events are scheduled to end around 6:00 pm.
Getting Around
The trio of interconnected hotels known as "The Row" – Circus Circus, Silver Legacy, and Eldorado – is a maze of pathways and corridors. You *will* get lost. At the Silver Legacy, parking is on the lower level (below street level). The casinos are on the street level. The restaurants are on the mezzanine level, as is the Silver Legacy lobby and check-in. If you enter the Silver Legacy at street level into the casino, look for escalators in the middle of the casino, and then at the top walk directly forward to the lobby. The Expo ballrooms are on the lower level. The Circus Circus lobby is on the street level near N. Virginia & W. 6th. Circus Circus parking is in separate garages.
Here is a map of the hotel complex of dubious value, but it does gets easier to read after you're familiar with the hotel. If you need to be somewhere by a certain time, allow extra time to get lost, or check out the path in advance!
Be aware also that N. Virginia Street will be closed to traffic between 2nd and 5th Streets all day Thursday through Monday for the Great Italian Festival. The best access to the parking garages will be off of West Street. For through traffic, use N. Sierra or University.
And the Rest
Covid Policies
Masks are optional, but still recommended. If you are going to wear a mask, high-quality masks (N95, KN95, KF94) are strongly advised. If you need a mask, we will have a small supply in the registration area. If you are feeling unwell, please get some rest and return when you are feeling better.
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Dance Workshops
Please wear your badge during workshops. We will not have monitors at the entrance, but we may spot-check classes, and you may be asked to leave if you don't have your badge. Also, please be on time. It's unfair to the others in the class if you arrive late. The workshops are scheduled with a 15-minute break in between.
If you need to purchase a day pass for dance workshops, you can do so at our registration desk. The fee is $40 per day whether you attend one class or many.
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No Outside Food or Beverages at the night-time dances
We ask you not to bring outside food or beverages (including water) into any area where there is active bar service, predominantly during the night-time dances and the social events. It's fine to bring outside food and beverages in during the daytime dance workshop time. There will not be bar service at the Womens'-Trans-Nonbinary Social, so you are welcome to bring your own beverage to that.
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Photography
There will be photographers and videographers everywhere at the Sundance Reno Round-Up/World Gay Rodeo Finals, both official and nonofficial. Attendance at the WGRF is generally assumed to mean you consent to having your photo taken. If you do not want your photo taken, you can pick up a red "no-photo" badge to wear at our registration desk, but we are unable to make any guarantees.
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Pronoun Buttons
Buttons with pronoun designations will be available near the Stompede registration desk. Attendees: please take note of these buttons so you'll know the correct pronouns to use.
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Restrooms at the Silver Legacy
Restrooms at the hotel are labeled Men and Women, and of course you are welcome to use whichever restroom suits you best.
