755  Organizing Practicas

Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 13:57:35 -0700
From: Richard deSousa <m1aport@ATTBI.COM>
Subject: Organizing Practicas

I want to pick the brains of the more experienced tango class organizers
out there regarding how to structure a practica. Anyone care to put in
their two cent's worth?
Rich

Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 13:29:52 -0700
From: Trini or Sean - PATangoS <patangos@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Organizing Practicas

In Pittsburgh, we have two different practices which have developed
different "personalities". One on Sundays is more social with women
often sitting around and others working seriously on their tango.
The other on Tuesdays is more practice with both leads & follows
doing exercises by themselves when they're not dancing. I currently
run the Tuesday one, but ran the Sunday one in preceding years.

The difference in personalities, I believe, attributable in part to
how the organizers treat the events. At my Tuesday night practica, I
actively work with people and that ethic pervades the environment (a
structured practica). Interestingly, I always have more men than
women, particularly beginning leads. It also occurs on a different
day than classes or social events. Many also come to work
specifically with me or my husband.

The social Sunday night practica occurs right after those organizers
hold classes, so some may be tired or may just concentrate on the
students. People do practice, but many without partners don't work
on their own. Many more women than men.

Both are only $3, but free to students currently taking classes.
Both have about half of those in current classes also attending the
practica.
Both have dancers of all levels attending.
Both have mirrors, though the Tuesday one is in much better
facilities (more mirrors and barres, air-conditioning).
Both have plenty of floor space.
Both of have visitors just wanting to see what tango is.

On Tuesday, we play music predominantly for milonguero-style dancing.
On Sunday less rhythmic music is predominantly played for salon
dancers. (Both have salon and milonguero dancers).

The Tuesday one, which is only 5 months old, has less attendance than
the Sunday one, which has been ongoing for about 8 years. Dancers do
attend both practicas.

A couple of years ago, we tried doing a 15-minute lesson to start the
Sunday practices but that didn't work out. It seemed to work
successfully when we started the Tuesday practica. We stopped that
due to scheduling conflicts but may restart that again.

Hope that helps.

Trini de Pittsburgh

--- Richard deSousa <m1aport@ATTBI.COM> wrote:

> I want to pick the brains of the more experienced tango class
> organizers
> out there regarding how to structure a practica. Anyone care to
> put in
> their two cent's worth?
> Rich
>

=====
PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society
Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh's most popular social dance.
www.patangos.org