Age Limits
Children and teenagers 10 - 15 may take a class partnering with a parent or sibling, but only with a parent present. Children and young teens will not rotate partners with adults in the class. On the other side of the spectrum we’ve had students up to the age of 90 participate. If your doctor says it’s ok with him then it’s ok with us.

Dance Partners
Registration does not guarantee an equal balance of leaders and followers in any given class, but it usually works itself out fairly closely as Cianne has upper level students who volunteer to partner with students who attend a class solo. As we need some notice to have time to contact volunteers, please call or email Cianne as soon as possible if you wish to take a class but are without a partner.

Gift Certificates
Gift certificates are available for purchase for either group classes or private lessons, in any dollar amount you choose. Certificates make a great gift for family and friends for birthdays, anniversaries or any other occasion, and are an especially nice gift for an engaged couple.

How Long Does it Take to Learn?
How long it takes to learn to dance varies with each student - some people learn very quickly and can be dancing after the first lesson, some take much longer, and most fall somewhere in the middle. It also depends upon how much you practice what you learn. Since we only retain about 30% of what we learn the first time we see or hear it, to get the very best foundation of basics, we recommend that the majority of students take the Beginning Level 1 class at least twice before moving on to Beginning Level 2. If you aren't sure, ask the Instructor if the next level is right for you.

Private Lessons are available for singles or couples at a rate of $50/hr. If you want to learn to dance in a hurry for a special event, or would like one-on-one attention to your dance needs, call or e-mail Cianne to schedule a private lesson. Please note 24 hours notice is required to cancel or reschedule private lesson appointments. Except in the case of an extreme emergency, if less notice is given you will be charged for the lesson time.

Group Private Lessons are also available. Cianne has taught private group classes for employees of Aera Energy, Wells Fargo Bank, State Farm Insurance, Stockdale Country Club, and Bakersfield Country Club, as well as First Presbyterian Church members. She has also been hired to teach entire wedding parties, groups for Quincenieras, large families, and for Hoedowns, Barbeques and other private parties. Ask your employee activities committee to contact Cianne to schedule a group class for your department or your company. It’s great for stress reduction and allows employees to socialize in a relaxed, fun atmosphere. It’s also fun to plan a group class for a Singles Club, Youth Group, etc. Call or e-mail Cianne for rates and time availability.

Registration
Pre-registration is not required, but it does benefit the teacher to have prior knowledge of the number of people who will be taking the class, so she requests that you notify her by phone or email, then you can pay at the door the first night. We take cash or checks (made out to Cianne McGinnis) but do not accept credit cards. It is especially important to give early notice if you are coming without a partner, to give us time to try to even out the gender mix.

Cianne's upper level students often are willing to partner with students who attend a class solo, but we need notice to have time to contact them. If you make a commitment to attend a class solo, please be sure to contact Cianne if you find you are unable to attend. The volunteers often travel quite a distance to offer themselves as a partner, and when they get there and the new student doesn't show up, they are reluctant to volunteer again.

Please come a few minutes early on the first night of class to have time to get checked in, and please make every effort to be on time. If you are in class from the beginning you'll have a better understanding than if you come in the middle of an explanation; also, it's not fair to the rest of the class if the teacher keeps having to repeat information for latecomers.

Rotating Partners
Most teachers rotate partners throughout the classes, although it is not required and couples may request not to rotate. Please speak to the instructor prior to the class if you do not wish to change partners. As an explanation for why we rotate — even if you have a partner, it is the unanimous opinion of the best teachers that rotation in group classes accelerates the learning process of everyone in the class. Since many of our upper level students take beginning level classes to improve their own basics or to help even out the gender mix, by rotating you'll get a chance to dance with them and improve faster. Also, by dancing with various dancers of different levels you will get a better perspective of what a good lead will feel like. In large classes you may rotate through ten partners or more and then back to your partner over and over. Each time you get back to your partner, you will notice a difference in the feel of the lead or follow, and you'll have something to compare it with to help each other out. Also, when couples choose not to rotate, often they will start to bicker with each other about who’s doing this right and who’s not doing that correctly and they get frustrated and give up after a few lessons. Since we are all much more polite to strangers than we are to our loved ones (ironically) this does not happen when you rotate partners, and as a result the classes are a lot more fun. Plus, you get to make new friends who share an interest in dancing with you.

What to Wear to Class
Dress comfortably and casually. The only really important item of apparel is shoes. Comfortable shoes that stay securely on your feet are imperative. The best dance shoes have soles that are thin and flexible. Flats or heels are up to you, but avoid wearing thong-type sandals, shoes with no back, platform shoes, or shoes with rubber soles which stick to the floor, making it difficult to slide your feet or pivot. Leather or suede-soled shoes are best.