| When
planning a program you may need to consider many factors. Will the event
be thematic or generic, the atmosphere formal or informal, the experiences
and competencies of participants similar or disparate, and the general
expectation be for familiar or new material? The answer to these questions
don't need to straight-jacket an evening- people don't always have to
have their expectations met in order to have a lot of fun. Whatever the
answers it is useful to think both in terms of what dance and the sequence
of dances. On
the first matter it is worth including:
- Dances which
fit music the band is keen to play or would do particularly well
- Easy dances
which have not been done for awhile
- Challenging
dances which have recently been introduced and well received
- Dances which
by virtue of their name or origin are appropriate on that date
- Dances which
might help develop a theme for the evening.
On
the second matter it is worth considering:
- The desirability
of varying the formations, the pace throughout a bracket and complexity
(but finish brackets with dances which are up-tempo and relatively
easy).
- The ease with
which people will move from one formation to another, and the need
to mix people, especially before particularly challenging dances.
- Try encouraging
mixing by asking people to stay with their new partners after a
progressive dance or to thank their partner and find a new one (preferably
someone they've not yet danced with, who has been sitting out or
who they do not know) after a non-progressive dance.
- Try to line-up
a couple to join you and a partner in leading the free couples dancing
which might be offered at the beginning of a bracket.
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