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Class Information
Each class meets once a week for one hour at Hancock Recreation Center: 811 E 41st Street. Unless otherwise noted, each class continues consecutively for a five-week session, during which, participants may elect to take either one or all of the classes available in that session.

The fees for each five-week session are as follows:
  ABD Member Non-member
One Session - One Class $20 $35
One Session - Unlimited Classes $30 $45

* All two-hour classes are charged at the unlimited price.

2010 Class Schedule

Don McCollum's Classes: Tuesdays and Thursdays
  Tuesday Thursday
Dates 7:30-8:30pm 8:45-9:45pm 7:30-8:30pm 8:45-9:45pm
1 01/5-02/5 Two Step, 2 Rumba-Bolero 1 Cha Cha 1 W.C. Swing 2
2 02/9-03/12 W.C. Swing 3 Rumba-Bolero 2 Quickstep 1 Cha Cha 2
3 03/16-04/16 Cha Cha 3 W.C. Swing 4 Tango 1 Quickstep 2
4 04/20-05/21 Quickstep 3 Cha Cha 4 Samba 1 Tango 2
  06/1-06/4 Salsa Workshop

5 05/25-07/2 Tango 3 Quickstep 4 Mambo 1 Samba 2
6 07/6-08/6 Samba 3 Tango 4 E.C. Swing 1 Mambo 2
7 08/10-09/9 Mambo 3 Samba 4 W.C. Swing 1 East Coast Swing 2
8 09/14-10/14 E.C. Swing 3 Mambo 4 Rumba 1 W.C. Swing 2
9 10/19-12/2 W.C.Swing 3 E.C. Swing 4 Foxtrot 1 Rumba 2
  Winter 2010 12/07-12/09 & 12/14-12/17 Workshops To Be Determined

Richard Fowler's Classes: Thursdays and Fridays
  Thursday Friday
Dates 7:30-8:30pm 8:45-9:45pm 7:30-8:30pm 8:45-9:45pm
1 01/7-02/5 Night Club 2 L.3, Bolero 1 Am. Foxtrot 1 Mambo 2
2 02/11-03/12 Mambo 3 Nightclub 2, L4 Am. Waltz 1 Am. Foxtrot 2
3 03/18-04/16 Am. Foxtrot 3 Argentine Tango 1 E. C. Swing 1 Am. Waltz 2
4 04/22-05/21 Am. Waltz 3 Bolero 2 W. C. Swing 1 E.C. Swing 2
  06/03-06/04 No classes, Richard is on vacation
5 05/27-07/2 E. C. Swing 3 Bolero 2.5 Rumba 1 W.C. Swing 2
6 07/8-08/6 W.C. Swing 3 Night Club 2-Step 2 Cha Cha 1 Rumba 2
7 08/12-09/10 Rumba 3 Viennese Waltz 1 Tango 1 Cha Cha 2
8 09/16-10/15 Cha Cha 3 Demand Nightclub 2-Step 1 Tango 2
9 10/21-12/3 Tango 3 Demand Samba 1 NightClub 2
  Winter 2010 12/07-12/09 & 12/14-12/17 Workshops To Be Determined

*Please Note: There will be no ABD classes during the week of Thanksgiving.*

*Demand classes usually determined by student-vote, at the beginning of Richard's last level-three (sometimes level-four) class of a five-week session; determines what will be taught for the subsequent five weeks, and will now be the same for Don's classes as well.

NOTE: "Intl" is short for "International Style," rather than "Intermediate."

American vs. International
American style dancing is done mostly in the United States and Canada while the International style is done all around the world (including the U.S. and Canada) and is the style that will be danced at the Olympics. American style dances were codified with ease of learning (and sales) in mind, and so tend to have patterns that are easier to mix-and-match. Most beginners find the American style easier to learn and to dance socially, since a dancer with only one figure in a dance can be functional (although a bit boring) on the floor, whereas International style dances tend to have smaller patterns which must be fit into longer sequences in order to get to a point where a sequence can be repeated.

One way to think of it is that International style patterns are syllables and American style patterns are words you use in forming dance sentences. The International style was also codified more for descriptive clarity than with ease of teaching (or sales) in mind, and so some difficult skills are included fairly early in the syllabus, while the American style builds up to these skills over time. Eventually, the two skill sets are quite similar, the two styles just take two different paths to achieve their goals.

Once you've attained a certain amount of skill in one style, it is easier to learn the other, and in some cases the differences are quite minor (especially between Smooth and Standard).

(From kungfuballroom.com)

Hancock Recreation Center
811 E 41st Street: [Map]

Schedule
Download Print Version - 2010

Scholarships for Teens
ABD scholarships are available to junior high or high school students 18 and under who could not otherwise afford to attend our dance classes.

Dance Class Guidelines
Austin Ballroom Dancers is a social dance club dedicated to providing an enjoyable dance experience for its members and guests. These guidelines are a list of good manners and acceptable behavior.

  1. Please limit talking in class while the instructor is teaching.

  2. Please turn off your cell phone's ringer during class.

  3. Please arrive for class a few minutes early if possible so you won't disrupt the class by coming in late. If you can't help being late, please come in quietly.

  4. Since dancing is mostly in close proximity with others, please take care of all odors, bad or, even your best perfume or cologne can be overpowering, and some people might be allergic to it.

  5. Be open to switching dance partners during class as it tends to increase learning for all partners.

  6. When partners dance and are not at the same skill level, or one is having trouble with a particular step, it is right for the more experienced dancer to dance at the level of the less experienced one without unsolicited teaching,or rude comments. Work with your partner to correct the step or indicate that he or she may need further instruction from the teacher but, please do not teach.

 

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Please don't hesitate to contact us with any comments or questions.

Austin Ballroom Dancers, PO Box 4571, Austin, TX 78765