Limerick Tango doesn’t do courses. We tried it once with our first eight weeks and never did it again. Far too much administrative hassle and people are afraid of slipping behind so if they miss the second week of a course it is quite likely that we’d never see them again. Since then we’ve dealt on a pay by class basis. Quite frankly I think people like the flexibility of it. People have busy days, days when they’re not up to it. I would prefer if they didn’t force themselves to come to the class just because they had paid for it in advance. Also there are days when people have to travel. I’ve known people not take a course because they know that they’ll miss a week or two in the middle while they are travelling.
Anyway, this lack of courses has little impact on the second class, who are quite capable of picking up where they left off. Where it does impact is the beginners. No matter how well you advertise something in Limerick the swell in numbers always seems to come two to three weeks after. So on week one you have some new beginners and you teach them to walk. Then on week two you have more new beginners and you have to teach them to walk. It wasn’t too much of a problem and it was always something we got around quite well but now I want to formalise things a bit more.
So begins the Preparatory Cycle, six to eight classes that I will repeat over and over. Each class is a valid starting point. Each class will begin with The Walk and from that walk I shall add different elements each week be it ochos or turns. I want dancers that can do the simple things. I want simple phrases that leaders can remember. I want confident dancers. Throwing different steps at people does not make confident dancers. The hope is that having gone through the cycle a number of times one ends up with a dancer confident in what they can do.
At which point they should be ready for the Tango class.
Here’s a suggestion based on the practice of a teacher I know.
Have the end of the beginners’ class overlap sometimes in time with the start of the recent-beginners or intermediate class. Play three easy tracks and have a virtual milonga. Make sure all the beginners get a partner and change partners after each track. Announce what the beginners know, and instruct the more experienced leaders to stick to that. Instruct all the more experienced class not to do any teaching.
It’s really good for the beginner followers and it’s a great way of getting across the ideas of etiquette and building up people’s confidence so they can go out dancing socially.