Learning rock at the bar, on Wednesday nights, with Rock O Mans

Classes in a bar, on purpose

A Wednesday evening in September, at Chope et Compagnie, boulevard René-Cassin. We stopped by during the beginner class of Rock O Mans, the nonprofit that teaches six-count rock. The idea has been the same from the start: hold the classes in a bar rather than a hall. “We never wanted to be in a hall, because with a hall, only the people who already know it's in there come,” explains its founder, who started the classes as a student. At the bar, people who stop in for a drink see dancing, and many end up on the floor.

The group has been through several bars. It has been here for three years, in a place big enough to hold between 100 and 140 people every Wednesday. It has about 125 members. The hard core, seven or eight friends, has been the same for fifteen to twenty years.

An evening in three classes

On Wednesdays, each class lasts 45 minutes and is followed by 15 minutes of open dancing.

• 7:30 PM: beginner. The basic step and about five moves, always the same ones. You can start any time: “if someone wakes up in October or November” wanting to dance, there's no need to wait for next year. Newcomers mostly arrive in September and January.
• 8:30 PM: intermediate.
• 9:30 PM: advanced, for people who have done two or three years of rock.

The last class ends around 10:15 PM, then the floor stays open until about midnight. One payment gives access to all three levels: some people go from beginner straight into intermediate to learn new moves.

Coming alone is fine

You don't need a partner. When there aren't equal numbers of leaders and followers, everyone rotates: nobody sits out for more than a minute. Even couples get mixed up, so they can learn with other partners. All ages mix, from teenagers to people over 50, and all backgrounds: “here, you find everything.” The original idea hasn't changed: anyone can come, “whatever their income, whatever their background, whatever their age.” The classes are for teens and adults.

Other chances to see them

The nonprofit dances in period costumes, from the 1920s to the 1960s, at the Mans Classic, and has for ten to fifteen years. It also takes on, more rarely, performances for companies, and some members give private lessons: first wedding dance, bachelor and bachelorette parties. In summer, the rock nights continue on Wednesdays at the Gémerie guinguette in Arnage.

This club is well worth a visit: share this article with someone who wants to learn rock.

Getting there

• Address: Chope et Compagnie, 14 boulevard René-Cassin, Le Mans.
• When: every Wednesday, from mid-September to mid-June. Beginner at 7:30 PM, intermediate at 8:30 PM, advanced at 9:30 PM.
• Prices: per evening or for the year, ask the nonprofit.
• Try it: come at 7:30 PM for the beginner class, alone or with a friend.
• Contact: rockomans@gmail.com or 06 76 74 63 11.
• Rock O Mans on Sortir au Mans