[Tango-L] Argentine Tango Dancer Census

[Keith Elshaw]

Enjoyed reading Tom's take on things.

This really is a topic of great importance; having any sort of "true"
numbers would be of benefit to so many promoters.

Of course, we can't know very "true" numbers. But trying to get a "true"
grasp of "pretty true" would be useful. "Useful!"    ;-)

I know it can't really be done - but I believe we should always trying to
have a reasonable number at hand.

I'll give you my take on Montreal.

It's really difficult, because things have been in a constant state of
change for the last three years. Old-timers who can really dance don't
show-up any more. Big events don't happen like they used to. The scene has
too much going-on, meaning mostly everyone's numbers are sort-of down
over-all week-by-week.

So, we all know that there are more people than ever in the scene. But no
one has numbers to show it.

Five years ago, I canvassed promoters and found a consensus that there
were perhaps 2,000 tango dancers in Montreal.


Since then, the tango schools have been recruiting and training a
continual stream of new dancers. A lot stick.

It is possible to go to a place and not know many people there (I am one
of the ones who hasn't been going around much since things have changed.
If the good dancers aren't going out, there isn't incentive for me to go
out. We are all in the same boat).

So, a realistic count for Montreal could be 3,000 in all. Wow. But you can
still put on a milonga where you only get 60 people where you used to get
160 because things are so dispersed now. I mean - there are 3 or 4 things
a night many nights a week. Certainly something on any night. Too much, in
a way.

If you came from outside and inspected the scene for a month, maybe you
would say we have 500 dancers.

If you've lived here for 3 years, you might say we have 1,000.

If you've lived here for 10 years, you know we have at least 3,000.

Yikes!

I'm thinking - well - the challenge is to get them all out again/together.

I know what I describe is what it is like everywhere. We have more than we
can show. No?

People fall away. Often because of a break-up that is too hard. No good
partners. Dumb promoters. Whatever.

So, I think we all have latent numbers of significance. That, being
latent, are not countable.

We who do the thing just have to keep going in the right way so the
opportunity is there for everyone old to come back and for the new ones to
stick.

I am up for contributing to a discussion about all this if anyone else is
interested ...

It's a big topic.

Cheers to all