Re: [TANGO-L] Starting a tango business

[Jay Rabe <jayrabe @HOTMAIL.COM>]

Let's see... wanting to start up a business that involves tango, one
component of which is full frontal contact between the sexes, with
occasional feelings of passion and deep intimacy if not sexuality, in a
country whose native populace doesn't condone hugging outside the immediate
family. Oh, and  you're broke too. Hmmm.

Well, if it weren't the tango, with its inherent addictiveness, I'd say give
it up. But with the large percentage of expats, especially lonely workers,
far from home, well, it sounds almost like the early years in BsAs when
tango began. So it's bound to be possible.

I'd suggest finding a restaurant or cafe that has a suitable floor, then
approaching the owners with suggestion that you be allowed to use their
floor on some off night to give a free or very inexpensive lesson, hoping
the students will buy food and drink to compensate the propietor. And build
from there.

You didn't say how much tango experience you have, whether you have taught
before, or perhaps you could solicit a partner that does have teaching
skills/experience. Oh, and an experienced and attractice follower as a dance
partner is probably essential. Demos/performances do a lot to sell the
concept and build your customer base.

Actually, I'm amazed that 100 people watch a weekly tango performance and
there isn't already some teaching going on. Are the 100 in the audience
predominantly the locals, restricted from participation by their customs?


    J in Portland


----Original Message Follows----
From: "Shatha K. Al-Muttawa" <skalmuttawa @YAHOO.COM>

Dear list members:

I am new to the list, and also to the tango. I took classes at Dance
Manhattan in the summer and enjoyed the milongas of New York. I am now in
Dubai, where the tango is almost unheard of. The tango activities are
limited to a nightly performance at an expensive Argentine retaurant (about
100 people have dinner and watch the performance there every night on
average), and an introduction to the tango in some of the ballroom dance
classes.

The last time a tango class was offered was in the fall of 2001. It was
offered by the Dubai Marina Beach Resort to 16 students, and was waitlisted.
The teacher says she knows about 30 people who dance the tango in Dubai, and
she says the tango is not popular here for two reasons: 1) There is nowhere
to dance and 2) people who take classes here want to start dancing in night
clubs right away, and they are usually not interested in understanding the
music or being patient.

I imagine starting a dance school/cafe here would be profitable. Since many
of you on the list have businesses related to the tango, I thought I might
discuss this with you. I am fresh out of college, and the only business
experience I have was a reporting internship at Inc. Magazine, where I read
hundreds of small business's audits and review statements.I wrote a
(primitive, I imagine) breakdown of finances, but I don't know whether to
take my idea any further, or if I should, where to take it from here.

The population of Dubai is 1.2 million. About 20 percent of this number are
Arab UAE nationals, which leaves 80 percent of the population as expats from
India, Britain, Russia and other countries. In the 20 percent locals, women
are not allowed to interact with men they are not related to, so schools,
hospitals and many places are segregated. The expats go to night clubs and
live as they please. However, a large number of them are construction
workers and other laborers who pretty much only work.

I would appreciate any ideas or guidance about any aspect of starting a
tango business, especially in Dubai. Also note that I am broke (as I
mentioned, I'm fresh out of college, and all the money I made in the summer
was spent on tango lessons), so I think I will have to find investors--but I
don't know the first thing about that, either.

Thank you in advance!

Shatha K. Al-Muttawa
Tel: 00 (9715) 0 841-2882


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