5457 Tango Co-op?
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:06:51 -0500
From: buffmilonguera@aol.com
Subject: [Tango-L] Tango Co-op?
To: tango-L@mit.edu
I am sort of playing around with the idea of setting up a membership
organization - but even if I do something like that, it's way, way far
off - but I'd love to hear from anyone who has done it....basically I
imagine folks pay some amount per year as members which entitles them
to discounted workshops, free admission to milongas, etc. If you are a
member of something like this in your community - can you let me know
how it works/is working?
thanks
b
Have you joined the Buffalo Argentine Tango Society Yahoo! group yet?
It's easy, and the best way to make sure you know what we're doing and
what's going on with the Argentine tango in and around Buffalo......go
Society > follow the directions to join BATS_tango. Thanks!
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Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:18:32 -1200
From: "Michael" <tangomaniac@cavtel.net>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango Co-op?
To: buffmilonguera@aol.com, tango-L@mit.edu
I found this on the internet
https://www.tangotravelercard.com/color_tango_products.htm
Michael Ditkoff
Washington, DC
> I am sort of playing around with the idea of setting up a
> membership organization basically I imagine folks pay
> some amount per year as members which entitles them to
discounted workshops, free admission to milongas, etc.
> thanks
> b
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:26:24 -0700
From: Tom Stermitz <stermitz@tango.org>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango Co-op?
To: Tango-L <tango-L@mit.edu>
The first and most important question is "What is the purpose of the
Club?"
In my opinion, the best role of a tango club is to nurture community,
which means taking a neutral or encouraging stance with respect to
local teachers.
So, look carefully at whether your goal is to help or compete with
local teachers. If you are doing workshops and classes, you will be
setting up an antagonistic relationship with local organizers. Also,
consider financial risk and liability (injuries from poor instruction
or what to do when a creepy guy grabs a sixteen year old).
There is a particular rule of thumb for community building: You need
to have 25 couples in one room in order to create the critical mass
for good social interaction and growth. Maybe there is enough Salsa in
Buffalo so you can have five teachers with 50 people each, but tango
is more specialized, and an individual teacher has a hard time
creating the snowball effect.
On the other hand, Teachers are usually better than organizations at
one-on-one instruction, group classes and privates. Organizations are
usually best at nurturing the broader community. Individual teachers
should be able to succeed or fail on their own merits or personalities
without causing a rift in the community.
In cities without a broader organization, there is a tendency for the
tango events to be "silo-ed" with individual teachers, (Class 1, Class
2, Milonga). Competitive instincts (and insecurity) motivate teachers
to hold tight to their students and not inform them of other events.
If you have a club that is neutral and serving the needs of all the
teachers, then the confident teacher will want their students to mix
in the community for marketing purposes.
Economies of scale favor a larger organization when it comes to
advertising expenses, relating to arts funding and grants, and renting
a dance space.
A club needs to serve the broader needs of all the dancers, so it may
be constrained to serving the lowest common denominator. If the club
is inviting teachers for workshops, they have to serve everybody, not
just the young and athletic.
An individual teacher can choose a tighter focus, for example,
specializing in show dance or nuevo which are accessible to a smaller
subset of the community. Also, an individual teacher can sponsor a
workshop, and then offer specific, follow-on instruction so the
visitor's contribution isn't just wind blowing through the grass.
Tango Colorado follows the model of cooperating with and helping local
teachers.
The club doesn't really "do" anything, except organize the community-
wide practices and a few special events. They rotate through the local
teachers for beginner classes allowing them to pitch their on-going
classes. If a newcomer doesn't fit with teacher X, they might fit with
teacher Y. Teachers all have their own styles, but the students end up
trying out different teachers and mixing with each other at the
practices, so most people can dance a variety of styles, not just the
one favored by their teacher.
Tango Colorado can afford to rent a big space (actually we own it,
now). It can afford advertising. Officially neutral, it lists all
teachers, DJs and local organizers in good standing on its web site.
Good standing pretty much means dues are paid up; it doesn't say
anything about teaching ability, that is up to the wits of the
individual teacher. A teacher has to be pretty egregious to be removed
>from approval. Yes, there is a behavior code, but again, nothing about
skill or ability.
There are other models around the country.
One of the most successful is the U of Michigan tango club. For the
past several years they have had three ongoing classes operating in
adjacent rooms, followed by a practice. The Advanced and Intermediate
classes come over to the Beginner room for the practice, so in effect,
the community comes to the newcomers. If they have 50 beginners in the
room, suddenly the social energy explodes to 100 people. I imagine
that it takes good people skills for a club to manage the
personalities of the different teachers.
Boston Tango Society follows the model of a club that does a lot of
teaching and workshop organizing. In the old days, they did not even
permit professionals (income earning dance teachers) from belonging to
the club. Maybe they have changed that policy.
You'll have to ask people in Michigan and Boston how well their clubs
work for the greater community.
On Jan 15, 2008, at 8:06 AM, buffmilonguera@aol.com wrote:
> I am sort of playing around with the idea of setting up a membership
> organization - but even if I do something like that, it's way, way far
> off - but I'd love to hear from anyone who has done it....basically I
> imagine folks pay some amount per year as members which entitles them
> to discounted workshops, free admission to milongas, etc. If you
> are a
> member of something like this in your community - can you let me know
> how it works/is working?
>
> thanks
> b
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:03:09 -0500
From: buffmilonguera@aol.com
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango Co-op?
To: stermitz@tango.org, tango-L@mit.edu
thanks Tom - I've already incorporated the Buffalo Artgentine Tango
Society as a non-profit, and I regularly get 25-35 folks to the
milongas I organize, 40-50 (not necessarily all tango dancers) for a
gala "dress-up" events associated with visiting artists, and sell maybe
50 workshops when I bring someone in....(that doesn't mean 50 people,
because any 1 person can take more than one workshop, etc.)
I see BATS as a portal - sort of. I organize a couple of milongas each
month - I advertise that they are free and open to the public, and I do
them at various bars, restaurants - this brings folks in. Then they
get on my e-mail list, find out about new events, and so on and so on
:). I have also successfully partnered with other non-profits by
providing entertainment and demonstrations. Generally, we're just
there to dance, so it's really just a milonga to us...to the event's
attendees its great music, fun to watch and something they've never
seen before. Sometimes, the visitng artists perform at these
fundraisers. I had a great experience bringing two artists to a
performing arts high school here, and those kids really, REALLY took to
it!
Other than bringing folks from out of town in, BATS does not directly
work with any local teachers - or, more accurately, works with all of
them. I do not (and will not) teach, and I promote everyone's events.
If there are teachers at my events (other than the monthly milongas),
I always offer them an opportunity to perform something - even folks
from those "franchise" dance studios. I also encourage teachers to
bring any brochures or flyers they want to, and announce up-coming
events.
So far, I have been fortunate in that I could personally absorb some of
the up-front costs of a weekend of workshops, etc., and then have those
costs reimbursed. But my ability to do that is limited and if I want
to go to another level, I need working capital. Also, so far I have
never been in the red - although a couple of times, I just broke even.
But I know it's coming - an inadvertant conflict with another event,
bad weather or burst pipes at the venue I've rented - something is
bound to happen that will screw up my budget.....so having some working
capital for that too would be helpful....which is why I was interested
in what other communities do.
thanks everyone for your ideas and suggestions....
barbra
Have you joined the Buffalo Argentine Tango Society Yahoo! group yet?
It's easy, and the best way to make sure you know what we're doing and
what's going on with the Argentine tango in and around Buffalo......go
Society > follow the directions to join BATS_tango. Thanks!
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:26 am
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango Co-op?
The first and most important question is "What is the purpose of the
Club?"
In my opinion, the best role of a tango club is to nurture community,
which means taking a neutral or encouraging stance with respect to
local teachers.
More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! -
https://webmail.aol.com
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:48:28 -0800 (PST)
From: "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango Co-op?
Hi buffmilonguera,
It?s sound as if you?re off to a good start. However, I?d
be concerned about investing so much of your own financial
resources if your intent is to be a non-profit. With your
current activities, I don?t see the advantage of being a
non-profit instead of a for-profit, unless you?re applying
for grants or gain a marketing advantage. Grants can be an
excellent source of capital for you.
As for memberships, it seems to work very well for Tango
Colorado, the Univ. of Michigan, and other places.
However, there seemed to be issues with Boston. I don't
know if they have been resolved, yet. Membership does
gives voting rights and that may bring about new issues
you'll need to explore.
Trini de Pittsburgh
--- buffmilonguera@aol.com wrote:
> thanks Tom - I've already incorporated the Buffalo
> Artgentine Tango
> Society as a non-profit, and I regularly get 25-35 folks
> to the
> milongas I organize, 40-50 (not necessarily all tango
> dancers) for a
> gala "dress-up" events associated with visiting artists,
> and sell maybe
> 50 workshops when I bring someone in....(that doesn't
> mean 50 people,
> because any 1 person can take more than one workshop,
> etc.)
>
PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society
Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh?s most popular social dance!
https://patangos.home.comcast.net/
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