As one of the regular organ operators of the Dansant Museum in
Hilvarenbeek, the Netherlands (a museum full of Belgian dance organs),
I get to see people dance to band organ music all the time, and I can
tell you that dancing is very easy with those organs.  The arrangements
on the organs are all strict-tempo dance tunes, ranging from English
waltzes and slow foxes to quicksteps, boogies, and marches.

About a hundred people come every museum day just to dance to the music
of these organs.  So I see no reason to believe that dancing to band
organ music is a bad idea.  Of course the difference between Wurlitzer
band organs and the large Belgian dance organs is that the latter were
built for the sole purpose of musically accompanying people while
dancing, and as such have developed to suit that purpose with extra
percussion effects and new voices.  Dancing to band organ music is also
very much a part of local tradition here, where large dance organs used
to tour fairs and cafés.

In my opinion, Wurlitzer band organs are a little more like fairground
organs and not ideally suited to dancing, with their typical
disposition and repertoire.  But it might just work, if everything
played is carefully chosen for the occasion.  A roll system might
complicate things a little, as you wouldn't be able to quickly select
and switch out each tune, according to the demands of the audience.

I'd show you a video of the Dansant museum on a busy day, but I never
have time to record anything when the museum is full, because I need to
keep the music going!  Luckily there are other videos as examples:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-s2UgayD68 (from me)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGEotjN2f7E.

Sadly there's not much dancing in these videos, but it gives a good
idea of the kind of music played, mainly rhumbas and foxtrots.

I have no experience with the W165 scale, but I say just give it a bash
and let us all know what the turnout is like.  It might just start a
new (old) trend in the States.

Thijs Haenen
The Netherlands