Not only did the beginners have a handle on things.... the program was entertaining enough for the advanced dancers. We had a number of bouncy and highly entertaining dances in the mix that got everyone laughing breathlessly. Discovered a few more favorite dances in the process (the dances with the pousettes were brand new to us, too!).
Totally going to save that program to whip out when we have a large group of beginners show up.
And then we were so far ahead of schedule that we got to the point in the program where we hadn't actually plotted out what would happen if we finished 12 dances in 3 hours. So I decided to tackle a more difficult dance at the end. Pony Express is entertaining, and not all that difficult, but confusing as heck to teach. The structure is completely abnormal for an English dance, and it's quick. That one will take a few more attempts to sort out. Pony Express is one of those dances that everyone loves once they figure out what's going on, though, so you haven't seen the last of it. :)