1225 Tango Packs
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 15:47:22 -0700
From: Tango Guy <tangomundo55@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Tango Packs
Dear Listeros, Both Tom Stermitz and Brian Dunn posted e-mails concerning traveling and practicing in packs.I'd like to know if other tango communities have Tango Packs and what has the experience been. Here is a summary of what Tom and Brian said along with some of my own thoughts: Pack Agenda1. Practice together weekly with partners of simular level2. Learn from each other3. Critique each other4. Video tape members so each can see how they look when dancing5. Talk tango talk and about issues of the larger local tango community at pack gatherings, outings, dinners, etc.6. Travel together7. Share expenses 8. Bring in special teachers who are not commonly know (and therefore not expensive) for a week or so of workshops for pack members. (Teacher can stay at someone's home to save expense.) 9. Packs can be formed because the pack members are dissatisfied with one or more aspects of the general tango community Pack membership1. Members should be of a simular level of ability2. Members need to be socially compati
ble with one other3. Membership numbers need to be kept low (I think not more then 12 or so) (Whenever membership exceeds a certain agreed upon number, the pack can be split into 2 new packs) 4. There needs to be gender balance (unless members prefer same sex dancing)5. Members could agree on a simular dance style6. Members need to reside near each other7. Membership needs to be by invitation only to insure that the other 6 rules are maintained8. Non-members can be invited from time to time. (This can be used to get to know prospective new members.) I belong to a group that can reasonably be called a Tango Pack (Though we don't call it that) and it seems to be working for us. Tango Packs may be the basis of a clique. However, the membership may have been a clique to begin with, which has formed into a Tango Pack. Cliques are a natural consequence of large social groups. Pack members need to dance with non-members at non-pack functions. In this way, individual skills can be tested in the wider community in
addition to the fact that non-pack members can learn something themselves. Warm RegardsTango Guy
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 19:05:41 -0600
From: Tom Stermitz <Stermitz@RAGTIME.ORG>
Subject: Re: Tango Packs
>Dear Listeros, Both Tom Stermitz and Brian Dunn posted e-mails
>concerning traveling and practicing in packs.I'd like to know if
>other tango communities have Tango Packs and what has the experience
>been. Here is a summary of what Tom and Brian said along with some
>of my own thoughts: Pack Agenda1.
Brian talked about getting a group together for mutual support in
practicing. That is certainly a helpful activity.
My original suggestion to travel in groups was inspired by the
concept of the Lindy Exchanges. It is about having a week or weekend
of wild partying and bringing back the positive energy, not about
serious practicing (valuable as that may be!).
Your ideas are fine, but you really don't need no steenking rules to
have a great party...just get 10 or 12 of your tango friends together
for a "tango invasion" to the next city down the road. Next time they
will return the favor, so in the end you get TWO parties out of it.
The only rule I suggest is to deploy a gender balanced assault force.
One reason is that you want to show both the men and women of the
target city your skills. When they return the favor you want to get
both men and women to visit.
More importantly, you don't want (for example) a group of traveling
ladies coming back gushing about how great the guys are in "X City",
implying perhaps something negative about the local men.
The secret is, that the grass is always greener on the other side,
for men AND women. Something primordial about trying to get a better
mix in the gene pool, I think.
Or maybe you just try harder when you don't know your partner?
The idea of travelling in a pack is the main point. One person
doesn't have a huge influence on tango in a city, but 10 or 20 people
coming back from a festival or a trip to Buenos Aires brings back a
disproportionate amount of excitement.
By chance I was chatting just today with a key Denver operative in
the lindy exchange movement. He claims Denver sponsored the 3rd
"official" exchange, but agreed that Chicago initiated the idea by
launching a "Lindy Invasion" of San Francisco with 30 or so people.
The invasions evolved to invitational exchanges.
Across the US there are big or small lindy exchanges every weekend of
the year. Many swing dancers travel once a month to dance. From
Denver, he estimates 30 people might travel that often, and a larger
number travel several times a year.
This sounds like a it could get expensive, but the Lindy exchange
movement was precidely a reaction against expensive dance camps. The
emphasis is on a weekend of intense dancing rather than master
workshops, so prices can run $25 - 75 for dance pass, and
traditionally the locals host 2, 4 or even 12 guests in their houses.
Free lodging, $50 for 30 hours of dancing, $250 for airfare...this is
a lot cheaper than a ski weekend in Aspen, even with the airfare!
The reasons to travel are precisely the same as in tango...fresh
partners, fresh view of the dance, a chance to learn new things, a
weekend of wild partying, lots of new friends, etc.
We are starting to see more tango events like the Lindy Exchanges,
where the emphasis is more on dancing than workshops.
For example, the all night milonga weekends are like that. Has anyone
done a count?
Nowadays, a really special weekend will have 5-milongas from Friday
to Sunday, much as Portland does during their Valentango & October
Tango Festivals. There are probably 8 or 10 tango festivals in the US
each year with this amount of dancing.
At the Denver festivals we'll get big packs from certain cities
(Boston, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Portland, Ann Arbor,
Houston, & Memphis sometimes send 12 or even 20). Santa Fe &
Albuquerque are within driving distance of Denver (5-6 hours). Salt
Lake is 12 hours. We'll get 10 or 15 from each of them.
Other cities, never send more than 2 or 3 people (LA, Chicago, New
York, Miami, Phoenix). I guess those cities have many opportunities
to dance locally and a high enough level of dance that they don't
feel the need to travel much.
--
Tom Stermitz
https://www.tango.org/
stermitz@tango.org
303-388-2560
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 18:24:00 -0800
From: Dan Boccia <redfox@ALASKA.NET>
Subject: Re: Tango festivals (was tango packs)
> We are starting to see more tango events like the Lindy Exchanges,
> where the emphasis is more on dancing than workshops.
These festivals have had a huge world-wide impact on tango I feel. Those of us who are hopelessly addicted to these festivals have formed a family of sorts. The name of the game is just like Tom said, dance your brains out, then dance a little more, and maybe study a bit while you're at it. Dancing with such a wide variety of people from wide backgrounds and experience bases helps evolve the dance, propelling its energy into the future.
Minimum expense, maximum dancing, an open attitude, music and overall energy rooted in the traditions of tango while allowing and encouraging the art to evolve, venues that reflect the character of the host city, and someone or some team with great organizational skills and a lot of energy and vision to line the whole thing out - that's the general recipe.
For me, the biggest benefit to all this partying is that the only thing that matters is having a good time - that means everyone, no matter how they dance, has to manage crowded spaces because there are so many people, etc. It also means that sometimes men dance with men, women with women, men follow and women lead, whatever, just DANCE and have a great time. Those taking notes about this "alternative" behavior" are spending too much time thinking (and not dancing) - the rest of us could care less. And that doesn't mean that this "alternative behavior" is expected, it's just accepted - each to his or her own, and everyone is respected as long as they contribute positive energy to the event.
I like what Eric J said - start with the passion, excitement, whatever, and let the form come out of this.
Let's keep the energy rolling and evolving -
Dan Boccia
Under a brilliant sunny Alaskan sky
Date: Thu, 1 May 2003 16:10:44 +0000
From: Jay Rabe <jayrabe@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Tango Packs
I agree with Tom about not needing "steenking rules." It doesn't have to
be complicated. Here in Portland we are frequently treated to the pleasure
of a "pack" from Eugene that carpools the 2-hr drive to enjoy Monday or
Saturday night milongas in our larger community. Less frequently several
people will come down from Seattle. Neither group is regularly gender
balanced. But they're still always more than welcome. It's always nice to
have some variety on the dancefloor.
J in Portland
Date: Thu, 1 May 2003 09:40:08 -0700
From: Tango Guy <tangomundo55@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Tango Packs
Dear Tom, Thanks for your thoughts and ideas. They give me a clearer idea of what can be done with Tango Packs. One of these days we might come and "invade" Denver ourselves. My ideas were not meant to be rules but a summary of ideas of myself, you and Brian concerning Tango Packs. If a pack wants to make rules, that's ok. They can make whatever rules (if any) they want. SmilesTango Guy
Tom Stermitz <Stermitz@RAGTIME.ORG> wrote:>Dear Listeros, Both Tom Stermitz and Brian Dunn posted e-mails
>concerning traveling and practicing in packs.I'd like to know if
>other tango communities have Tango Packs and what has the experience
>been. Here is a summary of what Tom and Brian said along with some
>of my own thoughts: Pack Agenda1.
Brian talked about getting a group together for mutual support in
practicing. That is certainly a helpful activity.
My original suggestion to travel in groups was inspired by the
concept of the Lindy Exchanges. It is about having a week or weekend
of wild partying and bringing back the positive energy, not about
serious practicing (valuable as that may be!).
Your ideas are fine, but you really don't need no steenking rules to
have a great party...just get 10 or 12 of your tango friends together
for a "tango invasion" to the next city down the road. Next time they
will return the favor, so in the end you get TWO parties out of it.
The only rule I suggest is to deploy a gender balanced assault force.
One reason is that you want to show both the men and women of the
target city your skills. When they return the favor you want to get
both men and women to visit.
More importantly, you don't want (for example) a group of traveling
ladies coming back gushing about how great the guys are in "X City",
implying perhaps something negative about the local men.
The secret is, that the grass is always greener on the other side,
for men AND women. Something primordial about trying to get a better
mix in the gene pool, I think.
Or maybe you just try harder when you don't know your partner?
The idea of travelling in a pack is the main point. One person
doesn't have a huge influence on tango in a city, but 10 or 20 people
coming back from a festival or a trip to Buenos Aires brings back a
disproportionate amount of excitement.
By chance I was chatting just today with a key Denver operative in
the lindy exchange movement. He claims Denver sponsored the 3rd
"official" exchange, but agreed that Chicago initiated the idea by
launching a "Lindy Invasion" of San Francisco with 30 or so people.
The invasions evolved to invitational exchanges.
Across the US there are big or small lindy exchanges every weekend of
the year. Many swing dancers travel once a month to dance. From
Denver, he estimates 30 people might travel that often, and a larger
number travel several times a year.
This sounds like a it could get expensive, but the Lindy exchange
movement was precidely a reaction against expensive dance camps. The
emphasis is on a weekend of intense dancing rather than master
workshops, so prices can run $25 - 75 for dance pass, and
traditionally the locals host 2, 4 or even 12 guests in their houses.
Free lodging, $50 for 30 hours of dancing, $250 for airfare...this is
a lot cheaper than a ski weekend in Aspen, even with the airfare!
The reasons to travel are precisely the same as in tango...fresh
partners, fresh view of the dance, a chance to learn new things, a
weekend of wild partying, lots of new friends, etc.
We are starting to see more tango events like the Lindy Exchanges,
where the emphasis is more on dancing than workshops.
For example, the all night milonga weekends are like that. Has anyone
done a count?
Nowadays, a really special weekend will have 5-milongas from Friday
to Sunday, much as Portland does during their Valentango & October
Tango Festivals. There are probably 8 or 10 tango festivals in the US
each year with this amount of dancing.
At the Denver festivals we'll get big packs from certain cities
(Boston, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Portland, Ann Arbor,
Houston, & Memphis sometimes send 12 or even 20). Santa Fe &
Albuquerque are within driving distance of Denver (5-6 hours). Salt
Lake is 12 hours. We'll get 10 or 15 from each of them.
Other cities, never send more than 2 or 3 people (LA, Chicago, New
York, Miami, Phoenix). I guess those cities have many opportunities
to dance locally and a high enough level of dance that they don't
feel the need to travel much.
--
Tom Stermitz
https://www.tango.org/
stermitz@tango.org
303-388-2560
Date: Fri, 2 May 2003 20:55:47 -0600
From: Russell E Bauer <russell_bauer@LYCOS.COM>
Subject: Lone Wolf - was Tango Packs
>>Both Tom Stermitz and Brian Dunn posted e-mails
>>concerning traveling and practicing in packs.I'd like to know if
>>other tango communities have Tango Packs and what has the experience
>>been.
Sherrie Pallotta wrote:
ARE YOU PEOPLE KIDDING ME. YOU SOUND LIKE INVADING IMPERIALIST ARMIES. WE
HAVE ENOUGH AGGRESSION, TAKEOVERS AND NATION BUILDING IN OUR WORLD, DO NOT
MAKE DANCE OR LET DANCE BECOME ANOTHER VEHICLE FOR THIS AGGRESSION. MY GOD,
FIND ANOTHER OUTLET FOR YOUR NEED TO DOMINATE, AND LET THE DANCING LIVE IN
THE LAPS OF THE GODDESSES. YOU ARE CROSSING THE LINES OF SANE LIVING,
SHERRIE PALLOTTA, CLEVELAND. MOVE ON BROTHES, MOVE ON.
+++++++++
Hi all,
I rather travel alone. But don't get me wrong. I still want to use tango as a vehicle for aggression and have a need to dominate. I think going alone I can still do that. It'll be just more covertly than the more overtly aggressive pack.
Russell Bauer
"Raul"
Denver, CO
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