Rosetown Ramblers New Class Model_ by George With Jim Suggested Class Scheduule

8/8/2019 Rosetown Ramblers New Class Model_ by George With Jim Suggested Class Scheduule

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As you can see, the first Basic class in September was running 2 full hours. The Basicclass was finished 2 weeks early. We used the extra time to do singing calls and getthe students ready for our Scares N Squares Fly-in.

We all know people learn at different pace. Some people learn faster than others. Our

class pricing model helps to mitigate this situation. Once a student paid for 1 class (beit Basic or MS), the student can re-take the same level class for free. As a matter offact, we encourage the students to come back and re-take the class as angel. Notonly theyll learn the BASIC twice, it also helps them to get ready for the MS class. Thecaller wont have to re-teach BASIC moves during the MS class.

This model also accounts for adult schedule. Not everyone can show up for everyclass. Especially during the Nov/Dec schedule. Holidays and family stuff really affectattendance. Were hoping the BASIC students will come back and learn BASIC again inthe Jan class.

This model is fast pace as compared to traditional one class a year model. However,please dont underestimate humans learning capability. We really did have studentslearned the whole BASIC in this model, and dance MS at our Fly-in. For those fastlearners, the traditional class model was too slow and boring. If we want to keepthese fast learners in the club, we have to retain them.

MAINSTREAM class:

For students who finished BASIC and ready to learn the MS portion, we offer a 30minutes MS class after the BASIC session. Since MS has extra 16 calls, the MS

students are learning about 2 new calls a night. Our first MS class supposed to be doneby the end of December. To our surprised, our caller taught all the MS calls 3 weeksearly. So well be doing review for the next 2 weeks.

In the beginning, most people are skeptical about the short 30 minutes lessons for MS.In reality, dancers are capable of learning 2 new calls in 30 minutes.

The last MS class will start in March. Since we wont have BASIC class in March, wecan have 2 full hours to teach MAINSTREAM and review BASIC. It gives us theflexibility to finish up the class year.

PLUS class:

We also offered 1 hour plus class from 6:30-7:30, prior to the BASIC Class, for 9 weeks.Once again, our caller was skeptical about teaching Plus in such short time frame.However, our SNS fly-in is at the end of October. Were trying to get our Plus studentsready for the fly-in. Lo and behold, the class finished all the plus calls and they didreally well at the fly-in.


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The new Plus students are still new. Only floor time can help with that. So we keepthe 1 hour plus dancing for the rest of the season. This will not only help the plusstudents with floor time, it also encourage angels to come dance plus.

With 2 plus square dancing prior to the BASIC class, we have 16 angels for the BASIC

& MS Class later in the evening!

Lessons learned so far:

1. The caller must be willing to try this method. The club is basically telling thecaller to change his/her teaching method. Not all callers are open to suggestionon how to teach square dancing.

2. Please dont keep telling the students that this is fast pace as compared to thetraditional schedule. If you do, youre setting them up for failure. Why scarethem if theyre not scared?

3. Keep the square dance history lessons to a minimal. Students do not need toknow back in the days, spin chain thru was a MS call, then a plus call, then a MScall Youre only confusing them.

4. Keep the students moving and dancing. Dont spend too much time instructing.Dancers get cold and bored standing on the floor for more than 3 minutes.

5. Dont slow down the class if a few students lag behind. Just encourage them totake the class again. Angels can help with struggling students prior to the class,or have a square of strong angels dancing the struggling students. Were notrushing them to finish the class in 2 months. They have lots of time to re-learnthe whole thing again. This is a very hard concept for callers to adjust.

6. Partner up experienced angels with new dancers in a square. Or have more

angels in the square if the lovey-dovey couples came to the class and mustdance together.7. If a student drop out because of schedule conflict, remind them to re-take the

next class again for free. They dont have to wait another year to come back.8. Treats. Believe it or not, cookies and junk food work. Youll be surprised that

even new students will start bringing in home-made goodies to the class andshare with others. After all, square dance club is a social club. Its the social partthat brings dancers together. If its just a class, there is no reason to come backafter graduation.

9. This model is still relatively new to the Ramblers. We may adjust it again nextyear after 1 full year of trialing. But so far, its working well. We have 16 paid

BASIC students in September, and 16 paid BASIC students in November. Forthe September BASIC students, 7 of them moved on to the first MS class, 4 ofthem are re-taking BASIC. 5 dropped out but may come back later in January.My goal is to have 16 MS graduates by the end of the year. This is far betterthan the old method having 1-5 MS grad a year.


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How to recruit dancers?

I wish there is a good way to recruit. Were still figuring it out. Here are some of ourrecruiting tools:

1. Gay Pride Parade We have a float every year. That draws peoples attention.Our Gay Pride Parade is not spectacular like other big cities. Most of thegroups are just walking. We have a float with music and dancing. We stand out.Then we have a booth at the Pride Festival area. We asked people to give ustheir contact info if theyre interested in square dancing.

2. Local university Queer Center We work with the local PSU Queer Center tohave a night of taste of square dancing. We hired a caller to have a 90 minstaste of square dancing in the campus. We collect contacts info for people who

are interested.3. Phone tree We collected the contact info from various events. Then we askedour members to divide up the contact list, call people up 2 weeks prior to theclass starts. Its a lot of work. But the result is better than just email.

4. Email Of course we send out email reminder to the contacts we collected withdetailed information.

5. Web site Make your web site easy to read. With information about the class.Let them know how to contact you if they have questions. Then again, follow upwith the inquiries promptly. Have someone check email daily.

6. Voice mail. Have a voice mail account so that people can leave you voice mail ifthey have questions. You dont have to use your personal voice mail. You can

sign up Google Voice and get a free voice mail box (with a free phone number).7. Ask the students to bring some friends with them for the next class. Since therewill be another class in less than 2 months, it is possible for them to invite friendsto the next class. It was almost impossible to do that in the old model. Whoknows what happens next September.


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Basic Lesson 1 Basic Lesson 4 MS Lesson 1

Partner, Corner, Alamon Style Clover Leaf

Circle Left and Right Ocean Wave Turn Thru

Arm turns (Right and Left) Swing Thru Spin the Top

Star (Right and Left) Extend

Dosado Run (not X-run) MS Lesson 2Bend the Line (to face another couple) Trade (not partner) Pass to the Center

Forward & Back Pass the Ocean Walk & Dodge

Pass Thru Slide ThruSquare Thru (3 & 5)

Veer (Left & Right) Basic Lesson 5 MS Lesson 3

Walk @ left hand lady Dixie Style to an ocean wave

FORM SQAURES See Saw your own Cross Run

(Heads, Sides, Home) Do Paso Fold & X-Fold

Left Allemande Box the Gnat

Right & Left Grand Circle to a LinePromenade (Couples, 1/2, star, inside, single file)

Separate @ 1 into middle Basic Lesson 6 MS lesson 4

Split 2 Flutter Wheel / Reverse Scoot Back

Grand Square Sweep 1/4 Single HingeCourtesy turn Partner TradeLadies Chain (head, side 4, 3/4) Trade By MS lesson 5

Chain Down the Line Tag the Line

1/2 Tag

Basic Lesson 2 Basic Lesson 7 MS Lesson 6

1/2 Sashay (no roll) Wheel Around Recycle

Roll 1/2 Sashay Wheel & Deal Spin Chain Thru

Ladies in men Sashay Double Pass Thru

Lead >> Right 1st couple left, next rightCalifornia twirl

Dive Thru Basic Lesson 8 MS Lesson 7

Star Thru Ferris Wheel 8 Chain Thru 2, 3, 4, etcZoom Touch 1/4 Centers in

Circulate (boy, girl, end, center,

Couples, split, box) Cast off 3/4

Basic Lesson 3 Basic Lesson 9 - bonus Review Sashayed & Left

Swing Slip the clutch 1. Square Thru

Right & Left Thru Wrong Way Thar 2. Swing Thru & Left

"U" turn back Wrong Way Grand 3. Pass the Ocean

Allemande Thar 4. Flutter Wheel /Reverse

Shoot Star 5.Partner Trade

Weave the Ring 6. Scott Back

7. Cast off 3/4

8. Recycle

Mainstream Lesson Plan


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Lesson 1 Lesson 5

All 8 Spin the Top Relay the Deucey

Single Circle to a wave Chase Right

Grand Swing Thru Explode the Wave

Ping Pong Circulate Explode & anything

Peel Off

Load the Boad

Lesson 2 Lesson 6

Anything & Spread Fan the Top

Linear Cycle Peel the Top

Spin Chain the Gears Co-ordinate

Lesson 3 Lesson 7

Diamond Circulate Spin Chain (& Exchange) the Gear

Flip the Diamond Cut the Diamond

Anything & Roll Acey Ducey

Lesson 4 Lesson 8

Tea Cup Chain Cross Fire

Follow Your Neighbor Track 2

Trade the Wave Dixie Grand

3/4 Tag

Plus Lesson Plan

Documents

Rosetown Ramblers New Class Model_ by George With Jim Suggested Class Scheduule