I ask myself this question all the time... and something I feel strongly about... as can be seen by this lengthy post. Many people are confused by the word "trance" and create their own (often unfavorable) impression when the word is used to describe music. I play in a dance club on the East Coast in the US. I'm one of the few dance club DJs in the area that lean towards a trance set. I've found that most people (who would otherwise be "uneducated" about trance) respond and really enjoy the sound. Many times I've been told that they've never even heard many of my songs before... which confirms what many have already mentioned in earlier postings.

Some things I've noticed...

The best reactions to trance (arms in the air, etc.) happen later in the set, usually building from more house/commercial. People are looser and allow themselves to get lost in the music.

Unless it's a huge mega-event, dance floor crowds do NOT like long breaks/dropouts/bridges in songs. Even when it makes a nice interlude that kicks in with something even harder, many people don't know how to handle it and figure it's time to leave the dance floor and get a drink. Outside of the club everyone loves DB Boulevard's Point of View (Lange Mix) but when I play it in the club, the many dropouts confuse the dance floor. Too many wonderful songs are awkward to play for dancing.

Also, people like the occasional vocal. Solid Session's Janeiro (AVB mix) is a good example.

I hate to bring this up, but the crowds' overall vitamin of choice makes a difference... E & K are trance friendly... speed/crystal are not. Personally, I prefer it when someone enjoys my music without anything mind-altering... then I know for sure it's good!

All in all... in the US, unless you're a superstar DJ playing at a major club in NYC or similar... your crowd will probably need to be handheld into the world of trance.

Just my three cents worth...

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