The Tango-L mailing list archive
Digest from 19 Sep 1999
to 20 Sep 1999
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Reply-To: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango
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Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 03:00:04 -0400
Sender: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango
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Subject: TANGO-L Digest - 19 Sep 1999 to 20 Sep 1999 (#1999-11)
There is one message totalling 124 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Community Survey
Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 16:01:51 -0600
From: Tom Stermitz <stermitz @CSN.NET>
Subject: Community Survey
I've been on the tango list for over four years and it has always
fascinated me to hear how communities develop. I've watched and
helped our community in Colorado grow. Since I maintain a mailing
list I am fairly aware of how things have changed over time, but I
don't really know how to compare what we have with other communities,
other than the few I've had the opportunity to visit.
For example, we started almost five years ago with a workshop by
Daniel Trenner and Rebecca Shulman sponsored by an organizer of
vintage ballroom events who had a good mailing list of social
dancers. We were all stunned by the power of tango, and once tango
hit it hit hard, doubling the community in size every year. I thought
it would level off this year, but it looks like we'll double again by
the end of the Fall, with 250 - 300 beginners or intermediates
(however you define them) in classes with one or another local or
visiting teacher.
To what do we owe this growth? Was it the hard work of a few or is it
simply the nature of tango to have such power and attraction? In
Colorado we have to compete with wonderful weather, hiking, camping
and skiing opportunities, yet tango is growing whereas the ballroom
dance community is pretty weak and ineffectual.
Is this happening everywhere, or did we do something different?
I am interested taking a measure of where we all are and how we all
got here. This will help satisfy my own curiosity, but collecting
this information could make it possible to get an idea of what works
and what doesn't.
I would appreciate both subjective and objective comments from people
on the list, teachers or organizers, or those lucky few who get to
travel to all the different communities.
I'd like to know facts and numbers of students, teachers and years of
development. On the other hand some of the most interesting aspects
are very subjective, so please fill me in with opinions and beliefs.
Again, I will be discrete, yet try to report real information.
Respond in essay format or just list specific items of interest.
I'll summarize the responses for the tango list, and/or post them to
the web, being careful to protect the innocent.
Here are some questions to help you think:
Give a brief history of your community.
What is your population (within 30-45 minutes, or whatever makes sense)?
When did your community first start?
When did it really start to grow?
How many milongas per week, what price, what's the attendance?
How many beginner and intermediate students taking classes?
How many beginners, intermediates and advanced in the community?
Ratio of women to men in classes or at dances?
How many "professional" or really advanced dance couples?
How many practices per week?
Do you have a high percentage of older or younger dancers?
How many of your dancers have visited Argentina?
What single factor or factors have most helped things go forward or
held things back?
Is there only one really significant organizer or teacher? or are
things split among two or three people or a committee? Is there a
participatory organization (club) or are there only individual
organizers?
Are people wanting to be stage dancers or is their focus social dancing?
What styles are popular? Fantasy? Social/Salon?
Close-embrace/Milonguero? The new "liquid tango" of Gustavo and his
students?
Tolerance for women leaders or men followers?
What national or international teachers or schools of tango have had
the most influence? Gustavo School? Gavito? Pugliese School? Dinzel
School? Stage Teachers? Milongueros or Social Dancers? Others? (I'm
not trying to offend, I can't list them all).
Are you strongly oriented to one style or multiple styles?
Do people go back and forth or stick with one?
What percentage of visitors and local teachers use the 8 Count Basic,
how many use a more "walking" approach?
Is the focus figures that we break apart, or smaller elements that build up?
What happened to the original "core" group?
What does your community "feel" like? A bunch of elitist snobs or a
bunch of shallow imitators? Friendly and accessible or separate and
private?
Are the local teachers succeeding in turning out decent students?
Are there one or two really good local teachers, or are they just
good enough to keep things going until the next master teacher?
Are the workshops attended well?
If so what is the secret? If not where is the failure?
Prices? Advertising? Politics? Attitudes?
Local politics are everywhere, yet with growth do they dissipate or
change focus? Is your community split among a couple teachers? or is
it mostly personality? or is it dance style?
Tom Stermitz
2612 Clermont St
Denver, CO 80207
Chautauqua Publishing / Ragtime Interiors
"On-Line Arts & Crafts Movement Resource Directory."
(303) 388 - 2560
stermitz @ragtime.org
http://www.ragtime.org/ragtime/
http://www.tango.org/dance/
End of TANGO-L Digest - 19 Sep 1999 to 20 Sep 1999 (#1999-11)
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