The multiple pre-milonga class recipe ...
As demonstrated by Ev Marcel & Robert Hauk ... First we turn down the ambient Tango music.
Then we get everyone on the main floor. We quickly decide how to divide the group: beginner/intermediate, raw-beginner/beginner etc. We split up.
Ev takes the raw-beginners.
Robert takes the non-beginners.
We turn up the music, slow steady tango, no higher than "just audible". But it's always running. When a teacher is talking, we turn down the music on their side of the room. When students start dancing, we turn it up on that side. Luckily, we have two separate floors, both quite large.
The tendency is for teachers to talk through the beginning of the song on both sides, and then people dance for 2/3 of a song. Or the teacher talks through most of a song, and then the students dance the rest and the next song. SO the DJ should be ready to turn down the music a lot at the end of a song. Even though it keeps running at low volume.
The class runs about an hour. Encourage stragglers to come into the classes.
Let both teachers know, when you're two songs before the end. After those songs, stop the music.
Robert tells the non-beginners that they will go dance with the beginners now, for the first Tanda of songs in the Milonga. Ev tells the beginners the same thing.
The non-beginners merge with the beginners.
Brief announcements & group self-congratulatons.
Turn down the lights. The milonga starts with great energy.
Like magic.
After 45 minutes, to keep the beginners around, Robert Hauk & Alicia Pons do some deeply lovely performances. It worked like a charm.
Then we get everyone on the main floor. We quickly decide how to divide the group: beginner/intermediate, raw-beginner/beginner etc. We split up.
Ev takes the raw-beginners.
Robert takes the non-beginners.
We turn up the music, slow steady tango, no higher than "just audible". But it's always running. When a teacher is talking, we turn down the music on their side of the room. When students start dancing, we turn it up on that side. Luckily, we have two separate floors, both quite large.
The tendency is for teachers to talk through the beginning of the song on both sides, and then people dance for 2/3 of a song. Or the teacher talks through most of a song, and then the students dance the rest and the next song. SO the DJ should be ready to turn down the music a lot at the end of a song. Even though it keeps running at low volume.
The class runs about an hour. Encourage stragglers to come into the classes.
Let both teachers know, when you're two songs before the end. After those songs, stop the music.
Robert tells the non-beginners that they will go dance with the beginners now, for the first Tanda of songs in the Milonga. Ev tells the beginners the same thing.
The non-beginners merge with the beginners.
Brief announcements & group self-congratulatons.
Turn down the lights. The milonga starts with great energy.
Like magic.
After 45 minutes, to keep the beginners around, Robert Hauk & Alicia Pons do some deeply lovely performances. It worked like a charm.
posted by Greg Bryant at 9:49 AM
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