Christy Cote's beginner boot camp at Dance Blvd, San Jose, CA - day 1
I attended the very first tango boot camp that Christy Cote gave many years ago. It was a brutal Saturday and Sunday. By the second day I was bleeding under my big toenail. Christy invited me to be a member of her volunteer 'elite tango force' for her first Beginner Bootcamp at Dance Blvd. in San Jose. Normally she runs them in San Francisco or Oakland.
Christy now splits the bootcamps into separate weekend days. Day 1 was Sunday, Sept. 22nd. The schedule was from 10:30 AM to 6 PM with an hour break for lunch.
Turnout was good; 17 participants, but volunteers were even larger! Some 20 of Christy's current or former students showed up to make sure the 17 paying students always had a dance partner. None of the volunteers were paid so this is a real attraction to Christy's boot camps as participants will always have an experienced partner to dance with. One of the participants drove down from Sacramento and another volunteer lived in Colorado and stopped by to help in the afternoon. I volunteered for both the morning and afternoon sessions. Most of the volunteers carpooled down from San Francisco so this was a pretty dedicated group of helpers for Christy to draw from. Sargent Bob, the volunteer organizer, gave all the volunteer strict orders NOT to instruct anyone. All instruction was to be done by Christy or any guest instructor she picked. That strictly enforced rule make for a very efficient bootcamp.
The entire class schedule was six hours. At least two of the older women participants had to stop dancing after five hours and just watch the final hour as their feet hurt too much. One reason for that was because the lack of a projector at Dance Blvd. meant that the tango history talk had to be scrapped and Christy replaced it with a very lively milonga class. Ending five hours of tango instruction with a one hour beginning milonga workshop really tested everyone's leg stamina!
The man (Sargent Bob) who organizes the 20 some volunteers is named Bob Naokes and he announced that he runs the free Tango for Parkinson patients at Standford neurology clinic (note that you do not have to be a Stanford patient to participate). He was very good and as it turns out, he organizes what must be the main attraction of day 1 of the boot camp...the mini milonga.
Just before the end of lunch break the experienced volunteers set up tables and chairs in the upstairs ballroom (the large downstairs ballroom was used for the morning session). Enough tables and chairs were assembled for all the students and volunteers and the space allowed for dancing was greatly cut down. Perhaps 1/4, or less, of the dance floor was used. This was a deliberate forcing of all dancers to use around a 2' by 2' square for their patterns. Traditional milonga etiquette was enforced. Cabeceo only was used. And unbeknown to the students, all volunteers were ordered to make sure that no paying student ever sat a tanda out. So all paying students were always dancing every tanda. Christy was the DJ and played two tango tandas. She even threw in a waltz tanda despite not teaching any waltz in the bootcamp yet. This was clearly the highlight of day 1 for the paying students. I hope the beginning leaders were able to navigate that crowded floor okay. I didn't see any blood on the floor so I guess they were just thrown into the deep end of the pool for their first milonga. In the middle of the milonga two guest instructors from the south bay were invited to 'perform' during the milonga. Andrea and Adrian performed a non-choreographed dance together and Richard Rey who teaches tango at Dance Blvd danced with Christy. Both Andrea and Richard were allowed to introduce their tango class times at Dance Blvd. after their dancing so that was generous of Christy to allow local tango instructors to advertise during her bootcamp.
This mini (but real) milonga was a testament to Christy's teaching technique. I could see how all the beginning patterns of the morning session were geared to allow absolute tango beginners to participate in a real milonga by that afternoon.
In another month, Day 2 of the bootcamp takes place. I've also volunteered for that so it will be interesting to see what Christy has planned for the second day. Christie does allow students to only sign up for one day so it's possible I'll see new students for Day 2.
I filmed all the review dances. They are all strictly basics but now I understand how her selection of material fits into that first day of the bootcamp. In theory, even an absolute beginner who can perform these patterns could successfully participate in a mid afternoon milonga that day as long as most of the other dancers on the floor are all hand picked volunteers.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYUd4RCDFSNrr5FYcEnLgNW0MZyweMpKa
Christy now splits the bootcamps into separate weekend days. Day 1 was Sunday, Sept. 22nd. The schedule was from 10:30 AM to 6 PM with an hour break for lunch.
Turnout was good; 17 participants, but volunteers were even larger! Some 20 of Christy's current or former students showed up to make sure the 17 paying students always had a dance partner. None of the volunteers were paid so this is a real attraction to Christy's boot camps as participants will always have an experienced partner to dance with. One of the participants drove down from Sacramento and another volunteer lived in Colorado and stopped by to help in the afternoon. I volunteered for both the morning and afternoon sessions. Most of the volunteers carpooled down from San Francisco so this was a pretty dedicated group of helpers for Christy to draw from. Sargent Bob, the volunteer organizer, gave all the volunteer strict orders NOT to instruct anyone. All instruction was to be done by Christy or any guest instructor she picked. That strictly enforced rule make for a very efficient bootcamp.
The entire class schedule was six hours. At least two of the older women participants had to stop dancing after five hours and just watch the final hour as their feet hurt too much. One reason for that was because the lack of a projector at Dance Blvd. meant that the tango history talk had to be scrapped and Christy replaced it with a very lively milonga class. Ending five hours of tango instruction with a one hour beginning milonga workshop really tested everyone's leg stamina!
The man (Sargent Bob) who organizes the 20 some volunteers is named Bob Naokes and he announced that he runs the free Tango for Parkinson patients at Standford neurology clinic (note that you do not have to be a Stanford patient to participate). He was very good and as it turns out, he organizes what must be the main attraction of day 1 of the boot camp...the mini milonga.
Just before the end of lunch break the experienced volunteers set up tables and chairs in the upstairs ballroom (the large downstairs ballroom was used for the morning session). Enough tables and chairs were assembled for all the students and volunteers and the space allowed for dancing was greatly cut down. Perhaps 1/4, or less, of the dance floor was used. This was a deliberate forcing of all dancers to use around a 2' by 2' square for their patterns. Traditional milonga etiquette was enforced. Cabeceo only was used. And unbeknown to the students, all volunteers were ordered to make sure that no paying student ever sat a tanda out. So all paying students were always dancing every tanda. Christy was the DJ and played two tango tandas. She even threw in a waltz tanda despite not teaching any waltz in the bootcamp yet. This was clearly the highlight of day 1 for the paying students. I hope the beginning leaders were able to navigate that crowded floor okay. I didn't see any blood on the floor so I guess they were just thrown into the deep end of the pool for their first milonga. In the middle of the milonga two guest instructors from the south bay were invited to 'perform' during the milonga. Andrea and Adrian performed a non-choreographed dance together and Richard Rey who teaches tango at Dance Blvd danced with Christy. Both Andrea and Richard were allowed to introduce their tango class times at Dance Blvd. after their dancing so that was generous of Christy to allow local tango instructors to advertise during her bootcamp.
This mini (but real) milonga was a testament to Christy's teaching technique. I could see how all the beginning patterns of the morning session were geared to allow absolute tango beginners to participate in a real milonga by that afternoon.
In another month, Day 2 of the bootcamp takes place. I've also volunteered for that so it will be interesting to see what Christy has planned for the second day. Christie does allow students to only sign up for one day so it's possible I'll see new students for Day 2.
I filmed all the review dances. They are all strictly basics but now I understand how her selection of material fits into that first day of the bootcamp. In theory, even an absolute beginner who can perform these patterns could successfully participate in a mid afternoon milonga that day as long as most of the other dancers on the floor are all hand picked volunteers.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYUd4RCDFSNrr5FYcEnLgNW0MZyweMpKa
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