[Tango-L] Weight of words

[Floyd Baker]

Here's my version of the above...: 

There are Milongas once a month now, for the past few months.., in the
same place I used to hold them every week.   They now draw 30 monthly,
where we were getting 40 and 50 weekly, until the 'politics' started.

Someone simply turned the electric back on to the Tango Dancers neon
sign and,  voila, most of it worked.   Nothing was really 'repaired'.
(Unless something has happened in the last couple of weeks.  But I
don't believe so.)

Visiting Tango instructors are quite often the same ballroom sponsored
and title awarded "A/Tango Champions"...   What are A/T 'champions'? 

Our Tango community has been converted back to taking anything that's
available dance wise.  The way it was before Tango started to grow
here.  

And just for the record...:

I never tried to make money with efforts to grow Tango...   I never
charged for any of the 125 or so dances I held.., and it was a *lot*
of work...   Everything was for Tango.  It is my hobby and everyone
should expect to pay for 'hobbies'.  So it was then free for everyone
who partook of my hobby.  The workshop charges went to the instructors
and I covered some of their additional expenses on my own.  Car
rental, air fare, etc. to make the workshop prices lower.   When I
provided the festival bus last summer, I ate half the cost of the bus
so people would have what I considered a 'reasonable' ticket price.
When I had vinyl bumper stickers made, I paid for half that cost and
sold about 80 of them for $3 each just to get the word and the Tango
URL out there and seen.   I have about 20 left... Anyone want one? 

I've spent thousands of my money doing nice things for Tango here in
Buffalo and WNY..., and I've never told anyone that before.  

Now it's different.   I was hoping others would come in to help...  To
cooperate...  To cause more growth, more venues, more good instructors
being brought in...  But it was 'organized'.., into a 'club'.., with a
leader.., instead.    :-(

Almost not worth trying.., you know?   

Floyd 





On Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:01:26 -0400, you wrote:

>I honestly have resisted being part of these particular threads - but I 
>really do want anyone and everyone passing even reasonably near Buffalo 
>to come dance with us.
>
>I generally have about 30 folks at my regular monthly milonga - and 
>we're not too "gender imbalanced" :).  When I have visiting 
>instructors, I usually "sell" something like 50-55 sessions (includes 
>repeaters who are taking more than 1 workshop), and I usually, not 
>always, fill as many privates as we can schedule.  I've had almost 60 
>people for two special "gala" milongas/dinner dances. I have even been 
>able to get some tv coverage for some of our events and a feature in a 
>local glossy magazine is being done.  I am also happy to say that, 
>through our events, we have raised money to repair a public art 
>installation named, appropriately enough, the Tango Dancers.
>
>We have people aged early 20s to 80s - with varying degrees of 
>experience and different backgrounds - salsa, ballroom, swing and, of 
>course, our tango purists :).    I am actually proud of the fact that, 
>with very, very little exception, everyone dances with everyone and I 
>especially love the care that most of our leaders, and followers, take 
>to make sure any "newbies" get a chance to dance - even if it's just a 
>walk around the floor.  There is a young man who does a monthly 
>Saturday night milonga, and he also gets a lot of folks - they tend to 
>be the younger dancers, but not exclusively.  He is more traditional in 
>his play-list, etc. which is great.  He does a lot of demonstrations in 
>the community which helps bring folks in - esp. people from the local 
>salsa crowd and the University.  As my monthly weeknight dance tends to 
>serve as an "entry point' for folks who may not have much, if any, 
>dance experience - I tend to play a little more alternative tango and I 
>throw in some latin and swing - which a lot of folks like - I know 
>there may be a lot of folks who would "disapprove," but almost everyone 
>gets on the floor for these "breaks" - so I must be doing something 
>right :).
>
>If any one finds themselves anywhere near Buffalo - let me know, I'll 
>try to find you places to dance, to stay and to make new friends.  :)
>
>Barbra
>

     Buffalo Tango - Argentine Tango - How To Tango
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