Hi folks,

I thought we could each add or change this text from Clay as we see fit. Those of you that have admin privelages, feel free to put in comments in this text. For others, just add comments below.

We'd also talked about adding thoughts for dancers to improve, such as:

• Encourage private lessons
• Find a friend/dance partner to practice with every week.
• Be sure to attend milongas and practicas.
• Travel to other Montana/surrounding community workshops.

We could write these suggestions into a couple paragraphs.

Also, Chris mentioned having an opportunity to test oneself at the Portland festival. It might be interesting to see if we can get that checklist. Then either have it available for self-assessment, or do assessment for the students with instructors.

Patrick

From Clay:

Beginning Argentine Tango Dancer:

• Has had zero or less than one year of experience in dancing Argentine tango. This includes advanced professional grand champion dancers who have not yet studied Argentine tango.

Minimum Criteria for Intermediate Argentine Tango Dancer:

• Has been dancing Argentine tango twice a week for at least one year.
• Can hear and stay on the beat of traditional Argentine tango as well as vals and milonga.
• Understands open and close embrace and can dance comfortably in both.
• Leaders maintain line of dance and wait for the follower to complete her step before leading another.
• Followers collect and wait for the lead.
• Understands the concept of parallel and crossed feet and can lead or follow from one to the other.
• Can correctly and consistently execute the following steps solo and with a partner in time to the music while maintaining their own axis and balance:
  • marking time
  • walking forward/backward
  • side steps
  • check left turn
  • crusada
  • back ocho
  • forward ocho
  • ocho cortado

Minimum Criteria for Advanced Argentine Tango Dancer:

• Has been dancing Argentine tango twice a week for at least two years.
• Has mastered all of the criteria listed above for intermediate tangueros.
• Has the ability to lead/follow from the chest only.
• Can interpret the musicality of tango, vals and milonga—dancing to the beat as well as the melody.
• Can correctly and consistently execute the following steps solo and with a partner in time to the music while maintaining their own axis and balance:
  • molinetes
  • boleos
  • ganchos

Patrick's initial thoughts -

Just the time criteria of dancing twice a week for one year to fall into the intermediate category would put many of the dancers in our community into the beginning category.

We would also fall short as a community on close embrace, vals and milonga.

I'm glad that we have the Sunday practica option, to give everyone an opportunity to dance twice a week.

One option we might explore would be redefining our classes to "Introductory" for the first series. Then "beginning" level for the next level, then intermediate for the classes we discussed at the last board meeting.

Other's thoughts?