Re: [TANGO-L] Marketing and the age demographic

[Jai Jeffryes <doktordogg @YAHOO.COM>]

Thanks, Robinne, for the generous things you said
about my post about getting boys to dance.  I had a
variety of responses.

I had a lovely response from some teachers who teach
high school students.  They said that word of mouth
between the students has sustained interest in dancing
for them.

A lot of women commented to me that they don't want an
invasion of boys and a singles scene, they want more
men of integrity.  Well, where are they?  I maintain
my original suggestion, namely that worthwhile things
can be cultivated if you cultivate them.

--- Robinne Gray <rlg2 @CORNELL.EDU> wrote:
> But I'd be ambivalent
> about a youthquake in
> the tango community.  Our local swing community went
> through that a few
> years ago.  but it
> alienated many of the older,
> more experienced dancers.

>  (Please don't suggest
> that people start bringing their kids to milongas;
> let them go to
> Chuck-E-Cheese).

I find the tone a little bewildering.  The discussion
began with wondering how to attract dancers.  It
continues with concerns about how to exclude
"undesirables"... before they've even been attracted.

How can anyone not want to have kids involved in
anything that is healthy for them?

I think a "youthquake" in tango in New York would be
GREAT.  I would love to see burgeoning numbers of
dancers being turned on and having fun.  Of course you
can't bring youngsters to a lot of the events we have
now.  They shouldn't be out late and can't go to bars.
 That's why I originally proposed youth-oriented
activies with more fitting hours, no alcohol, and
chaperones.  The teachers who wrote to me told me that
they had great success in organizing activities at
school.

> we DO want to
> reach "others like
> us".

Naturally.  Don't stop that.  I'm not talking about
getting high school kids to dance in order to supply
new dancing partners to adults who are already
dancing.  I'm observing that those poor kids are gonna
be just like us in another 20 or 30 years!  (Sorry,
kids.)  How nice would it be if they could grow up in
a vibrant, lively dance community.  Hopefully when
they're older, the scene will be more developed than
it is now.

Jai


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