625 Man's Greatest Fear - The Dance Floor
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 11:41:03 -0400
From: Randy Pittman <tango22@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject: Man's Greatest Fear - The Dance Floor
Hola Tangueros & Tanguears,
Man has climbed the highest mountains
Explored the deepest oceans
We've even sent man to the moon
But my god don't ask us to get on DANCE FLOOR
This new subject line is in response to the discussion on marketing of Tango. Next to public speaking the dance floor and dancing is man's =
greatest fear.
I've been in the dance industry for 30 years. The majority of people that I have witnessed joining the dance world are looking for a change =
in their life. Some just broke up with their girlfriend or boyfriend, some just got divorced or are widowed. The second largest group that =
joins dancing were enticed by a local show or performance. When Hollywood produces a dance movie, dance studios have a hugh surge of new =
students. Depending on the dance 60% to 90% drop out and give up. Learning any form of dance is hard and most people give up before they =
get to the fun part. I have noticed that those who saw a show and joined because of the beauty of dance, that they have stayed the longest =
and many are still with us.
Yesterday one of our adult students stopped by with his son. When someone asked the boy if he wanted to learn to dance he yelled no and =
ran. Later that afternoon the father stopped by again,this time I had 12 other children learning swing. After fifteen minutes the same boy =
that yelled no I don't want to dance was asking to join the group.
If the kids of Argentina are not flocking to Tango what makes us think that children of other cultures will be interested in our sacred dance =
of Tango. All of my kids are learning Tango and they like it. If you want the youth of our world to join in the dance you need to interest =
them by showing them that other children do it also. The problem is very few are participating.
Dancing is visual, flyers help, ads in the newspaper help but TV marketing is the best way to get to the couch potatoes. Yes, I know =
that everyone thinks TV is cost prohibitive and in most cases it is. Most my dancing life people have been telling me I need to be a =
non-profit organization, I always replied we already are. Most instructors don't make alot of money in dance. That is why so many have =
a real job and have fun with dancing at night. One of the benefits of being a not for profit is the public broadcasting stations. I have 3 30 =
min. dance programs on the air for the last month and will be continuing for 2 more months. The phones are ringing and the people are coming to =
the studio. In Miami we are using all the old ways of marketing that work and developing cost effective new ways or promoting the art of =
dance. If you only Tango, your missing out on lot of fun, plus limiting your studio business.
Yes it is a lot of work and I hope to report on the results in the near future.
Dance Forever
Randy
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 15:59:15 -0400
From: Keith Elshaw <keith@TOTANGO.NET>
Subject: Man's Greatest Fear - The Dance Floor
In many ways, I am a typical male. I don't stop to ask directions if
seemingly lost - I just keep searching. Drives women crazy, I know.
Becoming a fluid leader was a long struggle for me. I thought the way I was
taught was the way it was. I was taught numbers and everything in right
angles. You start here, you finish over there. That is a sure way to get
into trouble on the dance floor. And it's memory-based, so you can't lead.
When I saw better men dancers, I wanted to be like them - but thought there
was some kind of magic to it that I couldn't figure out.
I stuck because even with the frustration, the music, tango's magic and the
opportunities for personal development hooked me. (I encourage all beginners
to listen to the music a lot when they aren't dancing).
So I developed an acute sense of how to help beginners avoid what I went
through - or at least get through it faster.
I wish all teachers showed movement in the context of a crowded dance floor
early-on. We've all seen someone think they have it in class ... but be
unable to take it to the floor. This is a big factor in the drop-out rate.
Keeping a passing lane open, moving in the line-of-dance, making quick
adjustments to direction instead of barrelling on through with a pattern
when there's no room are easily incorporated if taught in the beginning.
It's easier to learn something right the first time than have to go back and
un-learn - learn again. These are the guys who won't ask for directions,
remember. It's a most natural thing for a follower mentality - but a new
leader is concentrating on doing what he knows (what he was taught).
A helpful exercise is to impinge obstacles (people, posts, walls) around a
leader and ask him how he will get out of it ... then show him options. This
is the best way to communicate that his "steps" are not carved in stone (as
beginners tend to think). With this kind of understanding of how it works,
he will be more confident about inviting people to dance in a Milonga.
So, teachers have a lot to do with getting men to stick.
And from what I've seen, most teachers don't like to get into this area
much. Maybe they didn't have the hard time I did getting it going.
My Canadian 2 cents worth - worth only one US cent, I know!
As always,
Keith
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 15:39:48 -0500
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: Man's Greatest Fear - The Dance Floor
Keith Elshaw wrote:
>It's easier to learn something right the first time than have
>to go back and un-learn - learn again.
I agree, and I find it amazing how many teachers offer shallow or even
incorrect learning to meet the needs of students who seek an instant
ability to dance tango.
I think a teacher who teaches basics needs to provide a foundation for the
next level of learning as well as providing some facility to move about the
dance floor.
Of course, some teachers may feel that they are in a position where they
have to meet the needs of students who demand an instant ability to tdance
tango... I do not think such students are good candidates for long-time
participation in a tango community.
This relates to the issue of marketing. I do not think a solid tango
community can be developed on the basis of mass marketing which would most
likely project tango as sexy and passionate. I think tango dancing must be
marketed for what it is, an opportunity for a select group of dedicated
individuals who are seeking a lifetime of self expression with the arms of
other individuals.
With best regards,
Steve
Stephen Brown
Tango Argentino de Tejas
https://www.tejastango.com/
P.S. My apologies for including portions of a private message in a posting
I made yesterday.
Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 01:55:05 +0200
From: "Kohlhaas, Bernhard" <bernhard.kohlhaas@SAP.COM>
Subject: Re: Man's Greatest Fear - The Dance Floor
> From: Keith Elshaw [mailto:keith@TOTANGO.NET]
> Sent: Friday, June 21, 2002 12:59 PM
[...]
> I wish all teachers showed movement in the context of a crowded dance
floor
> early-on. We've all seen someone think they have it in class ... but be
> unable to take it to the floor. This is a big factor in the drop-out rate.
[...]
> Keeping a passing lane open, moving in the line-of-dance, making quick
> adjustments to direction instead of barrelling on through with a pattern
> when there's no room are easily incorporated if taught in the beginning.
That is the problem when tango is taught by teaching patterns. It's sad
that people who normally can avoid a collision when walking down
the street can't do so on the dancefloor, because all they know is that next
step of the pattern.
So teachers should focus on the basic walking and change of direction for
beginners to get them comfortable on the dancefloor fast.
But then will the beginners honor this kind of teaching or aren't they
sometimes the ones who demand big patterns and flashy moves (and only
patronize those teachers who teach those "fancy" things)?
> A helpful exercise is to impinge obstacles (people, posts, walls) around a
> leader and ask him how he will get out of it ... then show him options.
This
> is the best way to communicate that his "steps" are not carved in stone
(as
> beginners tend to think). With this kind of understanding of how it works,
> he will be more confident about inviting people to dance in a Milonga.
There aren't that many basic positions, so I find it very useful to mentally
break down new movements I learn to those basic positions. Then I only have
to know how to change direction from that basic position.
A general comment: One of the most memorable exercises I ever learned in a
tango
class, was the "Protect Your Follower" exercise. The leader's primary job
was to protect his follower, so that no other couple would run into her. A
lot of times this meant that I would place myself between my follower and
the "threat" or get her otherwise out of the way. Ever since then I have
been much more aware on the dance floor about potential collisions coming up
than I used to be.
Bernhard
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 23:32:56 -0600
From: Bruno Romero <romerob@TELUSPLANET.NET>
Subject: Re: Man's Greatest Fear - The Dance Floor
In response to the last emails I get the feeling that all the topic is exclusively about teaching Tango, but we forget that are other dances as =
well. swing, jazz, rock and roll, etc. Why not play them in a class to make students relax. It does not have to be ballroom style if this is =
not your style. Tango is a folk dance but it is not the only dance. A milonga that plays only tangos is good perhaps for an exclusive core =
group of tango aficionados, but people outside the milongas dance other dances. Those who know other dances as well as tango would be the best =
tango ambassadors. Outside the milongas in a dance club noone will play only boleros, or only east coast swing, or only vienesse waltz. The =
milongas in Buenos Aires are no exception. If learning to dance argentine tango becomes a mind draining experience and results in a drop =
out rate then why not play other dances that are popular in your area?
Bruno
