[Tango-L] Call for Papers/Presentations for a Tango Academic Conference (Part 2)

[Brian Dunn]

 (continued from previous Part 1)
Tango360T 2011 CONFERENCE THEMES
>From Wikipedia:  An academic conference is a conference for researchers (not
always academics) to present and discuss their work. 

For 2011, the Tango360T conference will have four main themes:
- "Tango as an Academic Pursuit" - Can one expect to soon see Argentine
Tango as an undergraduate degree program at the University level in the
United States? What progress is being made? What would such a program look
like? Can we develop a consensus on what to include? What to discard? Are
there existing historical models of a "street art" becoming "academically
respectable"? Is such respectability even desirable? 

- "Tango as a Spiritual Practice" - Many people already view their tango
involvement as containing many elements of a spiritual practice - but,
uniquely among mainstream spiritual traditions, a spiritual practice for
those in couple relationships of varying duration.  How can individuals,
tango partners, and tango communities best advance the tantalizing promise
of tango as a powerful arena for individual and collective spiritual
development? What spiritual practices are available and practical within the
domain of tango that would let one maximize its "spiritual development
potential"? 

- "Tango as a Commercial Enterprise" - What's it like in the trenches of the
USA (and world) tango economy? Can someone make a living as a full-time
tango teacher/organizer? What about the "nonprofit model" of tango?  How can
we all best foster the growth of local communities which can become the
bedrock of the emergent tango culture?  What's the best way to cooperate
with other aspiring professionals in what often appears to be a fiercely
competitive environment?  What are the success stories, and the cautionary
tales, and what can we learn from each?

- "Tango: the Shadow Side" -  For all the pleasure that many of us draw from
tango, why are so many tango aficionados so unhappy so much of the time?
Does tango make you meaner and less compassionate, or the opposite - or
both? Is tango actually a fantastic tool for exploring and coming to grips
with the shadow side within each of us, whether or not we see such a quest
in spiritual terms?  What level of responsibility for their "shadow side"
would it be useful to expect of ourselves and our fellow tango aficionados? 

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE FUN TO YOU?
- If you are a tango lover who would jump at the chance to participate in
explorations of these themes,

- If you are a current or aspiring "tango professional" who would want to
contribute your experiences to the discussions in a formal way as a
presenter,

- If your current work in tango could truly benefit from discussing these
themes with some VERY experienced veterans of the tango scene

- If you don't feel you have anything to contribute on these themes (except
your interest and curiosity), but would really like to meet and dance with
those who do,
.we hope you'll consider joining us in exploring this exciting new direction
in tango!

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSALS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
Full details are available on our website at www.danceoftheheart.com under
the "Tango360(tm) Link from the main page.
 
PRESENTERS NEED NOT BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT TO PARTICIPATE. 
Our venue includes high-speed internet access and video projection
facilities sufficient to allow for effective remote presentations using
Skype or similar video-chat technologies.  (Of course , we'd love for you to
be here - it would be hard to dance with you by video chat ;) ;))

While the goal of the event is to promote face-to-face contact, discussion,
and ongoing networking around topics of shared interest, we expect to
publish at least partial proceedings of the conference in some form.

Deadline for submissions is June 1.  Some slots for each theme are already
filled.  We will select from among those proposals submitted to fill the
remaining presentation slots. We'll let you know as early as we can if your
theme is too similar to one already submitted and accepted, in case you wish
to submit an alternate proposal.  We'd love to work with you to refine your
ideas in advance of your presentation, as time and resources allow. 

Our upcoming Facebook page and website page will be announced on our own
website at www.danceoftheheart.com - please visit us there for more details!

Abrazos,
Brian Dunn
Dance of the Heart
www.danceoftheheart.com
"Building a Better World, One Tango at a Time"