The Mastermind Behind National Dance Parties .... from a floating home

From an iconic  floating home in Westlake, one of our neighbors is masterminding a national nightlife company. Ben Schechter is the founder of What The Dance, a business that produces themed dance parties in venues all across the country. From his home office overlooking the water, Ben creates and manages events from Seattle to New York, Omaha to Pensacola, and even internationally.

From a college promoter to an industry professional

Ben’s passion for building ventures took shape at the University of Michigan, where he studied General Studies with an emphasis on Entrepreneurship. 

While in school, Ben started a music blog called "What The Sound" and began booking indie artists for shows. He had a knack for creating a buzz by building concert bills with bands from different campus communities—like Greek life, sports, and theater—to draw diverse crowds.  After graduating in 2017, Ben (pictured left) moved to Los Angeles to work in the entertainment industry. It was a formative time where he says he "learned a ton". He landed a job as a Concerts Touring Assistant at the major talent agency ICM Partners, where he handled visas and logistics for international tours. He later worked for a record producer for three years, all while continuing to promote his own small concerts as a side gig.

The Pivot to Parties

The turning point for his business came from an unexpected inspiration while driving around L.A. listening to Olivia Rodrigo's album Sour. After seeing TikTok videos of people dancing to her songs, he had an idea: create a "22 and Good 4 You," a dance party concept combining the massive fan bases of Taylor Swift (from her hit song "22") and Olivia Rodrigo (from "good 4 u”).  At the time, Los Angeles still had a mask mandate in place, but San Francisco did not. Ben pitched the idea to a venue in San Francisco, managed the advertising himself, and the event was a huge success. He realized he had a scalable model. "I cold-called a bunch of venues around the country," he explained, offering a "plug and play" event complete with a brand, promo materials, and a DJ. For venues struggling to recover after pandemic closures, it was the perfect solution.

What The Dance Today

After 12 years in Los Angeles, Ben decided to move back home to Seattle. "It's nice to be home," he says. From here, he runs What The Dance with a remote team of five colleagues based in cities from Portland to Madrid.  His company now boasts around 40 different party themes ready to go at a moment's notice.

Ben Schechter

Advice for the Next Generation

When asked what advice he would give to a young person wanting to get into the music industry, Ben emphasized the importance of hard work and deep knowledge. "Put in the work," he advises. "Learn the foundation of the industry... understand what everything means and how everything comes together". He also stresses self-awareness, urging newcomers to "really understand what you're interested in... and where your strengths are”.  He says you need to be "very comfortable picking up a phone... cold calling, pitching and being enthusiastic about it". Perhaps his most important piece of advice is about resilience. "Don't be afraid to fail," he says. He believes that being "okay to fail" is a big part of his own success and is essential for future growth.

Life on the Lake

When asked how living on a floating home has influenced his work, Ben described the environment as "serene, quiet" and a "separated world". He says working while overlooking the water is "very, very peaceful" and helps "cleanse my brain" so he can focus, all while being just a few steps away from the heart of the city.  

 To learn more about Ben’s work, you can visit his websites: WhatTheDance.com, NochedeVibrasSinTi.com