[Tango-L] Buffalo Tangothon

[Floyd Baker]

Hello everyone...

Here's an idea I put out last week in our Buffalo Tango Newsletter.
It's being well accepted and perhaps will become an even bigger event
than anticipated.   Suggestions have come in on improving it (they're
included below).., including one to move it to Rochester to be more
convienient to everyone in the western *half* of NYS instead of just
the 'end'.   


The Tangothon.

All instructors wishing to partake would give a *free* Tango lesson to
all who attended....   That would in fact *be* the event.    Multiple
instructors giving classes, in one big workshop, and all of it being
totally free to everyone who came to it.  

Instructors will be able to give back something to the Tango
communities that have given them so much.   Everyone attending would
benefit greatly and therefore the communities they come from would
too.   Along with these free classes, instructors would be able give
private lessons, and perhaps more benefit as described below..   

The length of each lesson, likely either 55 or 80 minutes.., and the
number of days the event is held will be determined by  the number
of instructors who wish to join in.  

The overall  benefit of the event would be that the best ways and
means to teach, learn and dance Tango would tend to come to the
surface.   The students would have the opportunity to learn a little
from a number of different  instructors.   These should be geared more
to the philosophy of the instructor's method of teaching.   To get the
various concepts they each have, other than a particular level or any
specific audience.   It is generally agreed that Tango students need
to study with many different teachers to understand Tango fully. Most
instructors themselves will tell their students that.., and this would
be a very good opportunity to them to do so.   And at no cost to
themseves at all..  It's win-win.  

Instructors too may see good ideas and concepts from each other. Those
they would then adopt into their own teaching.   So in this way the
entire level of understanding of Tango would raise, which should
create a whole new wave of teaching too.   

All students who come to this free event must agree to take *all* the
classes.   It is not being held for people to pick and choose their
favorite instructor.    The sole idea is to give people a chance to
see multiple methods of instruction and to gain a broader
understanding of Tango.   To not have to take them *all* would defeat
the entire purpose and good of it.    Everyone can go back to their
favorite instructor when it's over.
  
To help insure this we have devised a way to encourage a student's
full participation.

For every instructor giving a class in the workshop, the student will
put up $20.00 before the workshop begins.      For example six
instuctors would require an up-front payment of $120.00 per person
attending to get in the door.   But that money will be given back to
the student, in it's entirety, when the workshop is completed.   So in
the end, they pay nothing.

Unless they do *not* take all classes... 

If a student leaves early, they will have agreed to forfit $20 for any
class or classes they have not taken.   IOW, the classes taken are
free.  Those not taken are charged for.., by pre-agreement.   Any such
'forfitted' money will go directly to the instructor who's lesson was
skipped.   To help apease their 'disappointment'..  :-)   That would
also cover coming late at the start of the workshop and missing the
first class.    It's a very easy concept...   If you can't be sure of
being at or staying for all the classes, for all the good they will do
you, be ready to pay for the ones you miss..., or just don't come at
all.

One more note...  The sequence of the instructor's classes will be
done by pulling straws at the start of each time slot.  So no one
knows which instructor will be next until the class begins.

I'd certainly like to hear from instructors who would like to partake.
>From CA's Golden Horseshoe as well...   More ideas and suggestions..
Where it may be held.  Whatever one thinks is needed.

Many thanks...

Floyd

***

That's it folks...  :-)  

Maybe a good idea for a lot of other areas too, eh?    A nice thing
for people to do, for Tango's sake...

Tango on...

Floyd

     Buffalo Tango - Argentine Tango - How To Tango
     * * * * * *  www.buffalotango.com  * * * * * *