Square dancing in DC

[bjarvis]

DC Lambda Squares has an open house coming up this Saturday, March 4, 9:30 AM to 12 PM, at First Baptist Church, 17th & O Streets NW. All are welcome! No commitment, no prior dance experience and no partner required!

If this looks like something you might be interested in, DCLS is beginning a new round of introductory dance lessons designed for folks with no prior experience. Local caller Jim Wass will be leading us through four consecutive Saturdays, 10 AM to 4 PM (with generous breaks & lunch time), March 11, 18, 25 & April 1. Click here for more information.

Comments

[rlegters.livejournal.com]

I have to ask - How does it work out getting people through Mainstream in just about 20 hours of instruction? Are they OK dancers, or do they still need some coaching?

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

It's a mix... the fast-track program tends to attract people who absorb dance moves like a sponge so some are better dancers than I was when I graduated from MS oh-so-many years ago. There's a couple who still need coaching, esp. on the last few calls of the program. We strongly encourage them to attend club nights from the first class onwards, with class-level calling for reinforcement.

[rlegters.livejournal.com]

So, it sounds like you make it clear up-front that this a 'Fast-Track' program and it might not be right for all learners.

I like the idea of getting through all the calls quickly. Sometimes when we tell new students in September that they're committing to every Friday night through March, their eyes get kind of big and they don't come back.

It seems like it's a good idea to get through the program relatively quickly, then encourage them to come back for practice. This way, they don't instruction if they can't make it some Friday night.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

We're also offering a regular Tuesday night 25+ week track periodically, in the hope that folks who are interested might find at least one option attractive enough to commit. So far, more people seem interested in the fast-track although finding a block of X consecutive Saturdays where the majority can attend is a diplomatic nightmare in itself.