Monday the Whirlaways class starts-I hope for a good turnout- I know that the club will do everything to make as many squares as possible.
Rick
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
New class
The first nite of the Visalia class had 9 new folks, 2 squares were dancing and 2 club squares sitting out (That drives me nuts-why show up to sit) I've always pointed to the bakersfield area to show that Club members have been up and dancing in Kern- PLEASE keep it up (although lately the trend has been swinging toward what has basically killed SD in the Fresno area- More chatting than dancing)- PLEASE don't let that happen-Please!!! I've seen it- So has Jay
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It's exactly why I recommend no Angels! Everyone who shows up come to dance. And, leave your fancy clothes at home. They shouldn't be able to tell you from the new people!
ReplyDeleteDon't hand mix students! If they pick someone because they want to dance with them let them dance with them. Have back to back tips and anyone sitting out gets first pick of who they dance with. Learning to take your turn sitting out is a part of learning!
Lessons need to be a dance where you learn new things. It's where friendships are made NOT after they learn how. They are new clay and ready to be molded!
I had a Class I did for another Club because they lost their caller and the new one didn't have time. Each week the Club sent a Square of Angels who disappeared if the Students all Showed up. Not one joined their club, but they all followed me to my Club! If you can't dance with them at lessons, YOU DON'T DESERVE THEM in your Club and you probably won't get them. Sure, you get them to Plus Class, and then A Class, but they keep on walking out the back door!
Most Plus Classes consider Angels as Freeloaders. Big Mistake! We make so many Big Mistakes and then scratch our heads and wonder why! Don't wonder after the horse is out of the barn! Rick is telling you what we have all seen!
Get on the floor and teach them all the bad habits the caller doesn't want them to learn. Don't teach from the Square. Just be there grinning where they need you so they don't have time to turn around! That is so important. And, they will turn around and be totally lost if there isn't a hand to grab!
Once I had a class with where no Regular Dancers showed up. About 10 weeks in, a group of dancers showed up and said, "We just graduated and they suggested that we come join you for more dance time.
ReplyDeleteI had to teach Allemande Left!!! (seems the caller was leaving shortly and got tired of them so he graduated them at 11 weeks)One thing about a class with no Regular Dancers they don't know there is a rush to learn. My class became very good dancers as they helped these people learn. They became very close and all joined the Club.
I guess you could say a Friend in Need it s Friend Indeed!
Class is a time for Bonding as well as learning! After Graduation Cliques pick through the new dancers to see if they can find someone they like, It's like going through the Clothes Racks at Walmart.
People complain that Classes are a waste of time because they won't join the Club after Graduation. They also say, "I've done my turn it's someone else's!' It's never somebody else's turn when it comes to meeting new Students at the door and making sure that lessons are Fun and not just a place to learn! Then you have the people who say, "I'm not coming the first three weeks because it's to boring!" By then those who have stuck their nose in the door and when they didn't see anything they liked have come and gone!
Then you have the ones who do show up the first three weeks and after the new student is hooked they never see them again. Or, they saw them at a Demo and are heart broken they aren't there to dance with them during Class!
You want them to join your Club get out and Dance with them the first day they show up at the Hall! By time Graduation Comes they should be part of the Club!
Money can't buy love, or New Square Dancers. It takes Heart!
It got me thinking! We were dragged to Lessons by two Couples. One Couple Angeled the other did not. When one couple dropped out so did the other and we did too!
ReplyDeleteMany years later we went back to Class and met a couple who had just moved and was looking to make friends. We danced for years and then they moved and we dropped out again.
We are back and looking for Friends, if we find some we may stay for a while otherwise we will be gone again!