By VALERIE SAEGER
Staff Writer
Members of the Cultural Communications Club are taking their pre-festival tango lessons at Gold’s Gym this year to satisfy a requirement that in-school instructors be insured.
The club’s dance instructor, who previously worked with the club in its Zumba fundraisers, is not insured, club adviser Sabina Campbell explained.
“It’s just that we’ve had people come in to teach the kids how to dance before, and Mr. Gleason never did anything to interfere,” said Campbell.
Principal James Gleason said insurance is a requirement for students’ protection.
“I recommend that the club finds an instructor that has liability insurance. Just because it took place in the past and procedures weren’t followed, doesn’t mean you keep doing something that needs to be corrected,” Gleason said.
“The thing is, I don’t want anybody else. I’ve worked with her at all the Zumba lessons and I like her,” Campbell said.
“If somebody were to get hurt,” Gleason said, “we need that insurance.”
Campbell will no longer bring the instructor to the students, but bring the students to the instructor.
The tango classes will be held at Gold’s Gym in Howell where Campbell held the previous Zumba fundraisers, she said.
Campbell said it was not the plan she had in mind, but as long as kids still sign up to dance in the festival, everything will work out.
Seniors Bryan Brown of Manasquan, Meghan Fredericks of Sea Girt and Kayla Tice of Matawan said they look forward to their participation in the tango.
“My favorite part is how everyone works together toward a common goal,” said Brown.
Fredericks added that the last year’s Zumba class was, “a strange mix of people,” but by the end everyone got along and became really close.
Tice emphasized how all participants in the Tango dance can’t be self-conscious. She said she loves how everyone gets into the dancing.