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Tuesday Night Tango: "2012 SURVEY"
Archive Edition
At the end of December 2012, Capistrano's, the long-time venue for Tuesday Night Tango closed its doors.
In the process of hunting for a new space, dancers in the area participated in a Survey to share their thoughts about the local Tango scene, and to offer their ideas and suggestions for the night.
Below, an archive edition of The Survey, along with a rundown on the many responses that helped inform both the shift to a new venue and Tuesday Night Tango's updated format.
2012 Survey Results
With venue changes in the wind, The Survey below went out in early December 2012 — on paper to dancers in Ventura, Oxnard, Santa Barbara and Ojai; via email to those in the Quantum Tango "loop"; and on the web at www.QuantumTango.net.
Dozens of dancers responded to The Survey and generously shared their thoughts, including: newcomers to tango and dancers with decades of experience on the dance floor; students, active social dancers, and tango teachers; leaders and followers; local dancers, visitors from beyond the "neighborhood," and tangueros who used to live nearby and have since moved away to new communities in the Bay Area and beyond.
A rundown on a few major themes revealed by the 2012 Survey:
89% prefer Tuesday ... 11% favor other days of the week Time of Day: 76% prefer the same time ... 18% like a later hour, 6% like earlier Location:
65% prefer the present Ventura/Oxnard area ... 35% would like a spot
further north ... and closer to the freeway is better for mostVenue:
82% enjoy a restaurant settings ... although some prefer to focus on
their dancing rather than eating/drinkingAtmosphere:
100% like the "open-minded" approach of Tuesdays — though several
also enjoy the more formal atmosphere of a traditional milongaFloor: 100% like a smooth surface ... and 35% of those prefer wood floors Music:
77% enjoy a mix of traditional + newer music ... 23% favor "classic"
tango soundsFormat:
90% prefer a format that mixes an open práctica and a milonga ...
10% would favor a shift toward a more "traditional" event
25% especially like Tuesday Night for its feedback + active learningInterests: opportunites to learn; the chance to dance with many partners Sense of Needs: strong(er) social dancers; more/better instruction; regular events Tuesday + Needs: "stick around"; add more study/learning; cater to all levels of dancers Outreach: email reminders, online calendars, websites + personal relationships Other Issues:
interest in social events + parties; in field trips/carpools to L.A. events;
in more/different opportunities to learn tango; in emphasizing
strong floorcraft + good/traditional tango etiquette
Share Your Thoughts + Input
This recent change in venue offered us as dancers a good opportunity to revisit the idea of Tuesday Night Tango -- both to assess its place in our local Tango Scene, and to ponder how the night might best respond to the ever-evolving needs and interests of both individual dancers and our wider Tango Community at large.
In that spirit, dancers were kindly invited to take a few minutes to share their thoughts and feedback about Tuesday Night Tango, perhaps by way of The Survey below:
- For your convenience, The Survey is also available here as a printable .pdf document ...
- You can also find hard copies at: Monday Night Tango in Ojai ... Tuesday Night Tango in Ventura/Oxnard - and/or ... 12/12's Milonga Cambiante at Nutbelly...
- You can share your thoughts via email .... U.S. Mail ... in person ... and/or by dropping off your survey in one of the Monday or Tuesday Night donation buckets.
- Don't care for surveys? No worries: We're always happy to hear your thoughts in person -- or give Stephen a call ...
Take "The Survey" + Help Create the
Night
Like tango itself, Tuesday Night Tango and other similar gatherings are both artistic creations and a communal expression of ourselves as dancers -- a meeting ground, a collaborative event, a community resource.And since we all make Tango happen by coming together to share our energy, insight, generosity, and love of the dance, thank you for your participation in The Survey below.
Your thoughtful answers will help inform & shape Tuesday Night Tango in the coming year, and add your voice to the good work of keeping Tango strong, vital, alive and growing in our community.
- To take The Survey on paper, please download this printable version on .pdf ...
- To answer The Survey digitially, please copy any interesting questions below, paste them into a reply email, add your thoughts, and send it all to Stephen ...
The "Tuesday Night Tango" Survey
Thank you for taking part ...Kindly respond to any – or all – questions below that happen to catch your eye ...
(In this digital version, look for sample responses appearing in blue italics ... feel free to adopt / adapt any of these which may apply ... and/or, in the best tango tradition, improvise your own replies in any way you wish.)
Survey: Some Basic Questions ...
Day of the Week :
Since it first got under way back in 2008-09, this event has been held on Tuesday Nights.
- Should we stick with Tuesdays ... or look to shift to some other night of the week?
- If not Tuesday, what other day?
Yes, I love Tuesdays, let's keep it on Tuesdays ...
No, I always dance in Denmark on Tuesdays ...
I'm easy -- sometimes I'm free on Tuesdays, sometimes not ...
The only opening in my busy schedule is a weekend after Mother's Day, 2017.
Time of Day :
For the last four years, dancing on Tuesdays has run from about 7:30 to 10:30-plus -- just over three hours.
- Should the evening start earlier? ... Start later?
- Go longer? ... Something else?
A 7:30 start time is just about right ...
A later start and/or longer night would be better for me ...
I'm usually in bed by 7:30 -- any chance of "Tuesday Breakfast Tango"?
I like to work on my tan while I dance, so daytimes are best.
Location :
Our current venue is roughly an equal distance from dancers in Ojai, Santa Barbara and Thousand Oaks.
- Does a location like this work – or does it seem "too far away" for you?
- Should we try to move further north? ... Or south?
- Do you ever carpool to Tuesday Night with a friend? ... If so, how often?
I don't mind driving a bit for tango ...
I never drive more than 10 minutes for tango ...
Location doesn't matter -- my friend does the driving ...
No car = no tango ...
Closer to the freeway would be nice ...
I have a boat, any tango on Anacapa Island?
With door-to-door limo service, Tuesdays could be anywhere ...
Venue :
In our area, weekday social tango is most often held in a working restaurant where we buy something and can push the tables back to create a dance floor.
- Does a public venue like this appeal to you?
- Do you like being able to eat, drink, meet friends and socialize during the evening?
- Are you comfortable supporting a restaurant that gives us time & space to dance?
Yes, restaurant settings are good ...
No, I prefer to dance in less "public" spaces ...
I like a high end spot with nice decor, a good menu, and a bar ...
A modest restaurant is better for me ...
I never eat where I dance ...
I like to cook -- what about my house?
Atmosphere :
Since the beginning, Tuesday Night Tango has been a mixing ground -- a meeting place for tango dancers of different levels, styles, tastes, backgrounds.
- Does this "open-minded" approach appeal, or do you prefer a more traditional / formal event?
- Do you like the chance to engage with a wider mix of people? ... Why or why not?
I like the Tuesday mix -- it's friendly ...
Tuesdays feel chaotic -- there should be more of a "common style" ...
I prefer dancers who share my own background & approach ...
I like dancing with everyone ...
Not my scene -- too many beginners on Tuesday ...
The Tuesday water feels deep & fast -- there are so many good dancers ...
Floor :
It's rare to find a perfect dance floor -- and size, shape & surface can vary quite a bit from place to place.
- What kind of floors work (best) for you -- wood, tile, cement, flagstone?
- Rectangular ... or any shape?
- What feels "too big" -- or "too small"?
- To help adjust to any surface / conditions, do you carry more than one pair of shoes?
"Big enough floor" & "relatively smooth" are key -- other details don't matter ...
I only dance on polished mahogany from Patagonia ...
I can adapt my tango to fit most situations ...
No worries -- I keep an extra dance floor in my wallet ...
Uh-oh, my other shoes are flip flops, swim fins, and roller skates ...
Music :
More than most events, Tuesday Night Tango has been known to play a wide selection of music for dancing -- everything from "Golden Age" classics to contemporary tango sounds.
- Does a range of music appeal to you?
- What kind of music most interests / energizes you?
- What is easy for you to dance to -- or hard?
- Do you like a DJ who can play requests? ... Tandas or no tandas?
I only want to dance to my favorite songs ...
I enjoy hearing things I've never heard before ...
As long as there's a beat, I'm good ...
If it's not "Golden Age," it's not tango ...
... What's a tanda?
Format :From the outset, Tuesday Night Tango has been a hybrid event -- a cross between a práctica and a milonga -- aimed at welcoming beginners and experienced dancers alike.
- Does this format appeal to you? ... If so, what do you like (most) about it?
- If not, what would you add or change to make it better?
- Do you use Tuesday Night Tango more for practice / learning, or more as a social dance event?
I like the práctica-milonga mix -- let's keep it ...
I only go for the social dancing ...
I like the chance to get feedback & work on my tango ...
I wish Tuesday Nights offered something more -- like workshops or a class ...
What I long for most is a stylish blend of tango, bingo, trapeze and karaoke.
Survey: A Few "Bigger Picture" Questions ...
More about your own needs and interests as a dancer ....
Where do you see your own tango going in the coming year?
In what ways are you still growing, evolving, refining what you do?
Any topics / issues / ideas you would like to develop & explore? ... If so, how?
What's (still) hard for you? ... What comes more easily?
Your sense of the needs / interests in our Tango Community ....
What would most improve the dancing in our area?
Ponder Tango Dancing Situations where you had the most fun -- or Learning Situations where you made the most progress:
What insights from these experiences might enrich our Wider Tango Community?
What else might add to our collective skills, pleasure, and enjoyment?
How can we as dancers help bring more of these ideas into play?
How can Tuesday Night Tango best respond to these various needs and interests?
Go away? ... Stick around?
Expand the night? ... Narrow the focus?
Add (more) opportunities to study / learn?
Cater more to newer / beginning dancers? ... To experienced / advanced dancers? ... To both / all dancers? ... How?
Or: "All is well: Let's keep things the way they are" ...
Outreach and Communication ...
The best ways to keep in touch with you about local tango dancing & events?
- Personal relationships & invitations
- Websites
- Email reminders & newsletters
- Online calendar listings (e.g., TangoMango)
- Flyers
- Social media (Facebook)
- News groups (SBTango on Yahoo)
- Word of mouth
- Something else ...?
What (other) key Tango questions or issues seem to be missing -- or -- have been overlooked in this survey?What other areas / ideas are important for our Community to investigate, consider, know about, or address?
Survey: An Optional "Personal Profile" ...
How often do you come to Tuesday Night Tango?Often / sometimes / rarely / used to / never been / want to / have conflicts ...
If you used to come on Tuesdays, but don't (much) any more -- why did you give it up or stop?Outgrew it / lost interest / not fun / bad event / got busy / got bored / got married / too dull / too edgy / too hard / too expensive / too far away / quit tango / moved away / moved to BsAs / something else ...?
What role do you dance? leader / follower / both ...
How long have you been dancing tango? __________ months / years
Do you take any classes, workshops, or lessons? yes / no... If so, how often? _______ per week / month / year Local ... or elsewhere?
How often do you go out to dance tango socially?_________ days per week / month / year Local ... L.A./regional ... or beyond?
What aspect(s) of tango appeal to you the most? (check any / all that apply):
- social dancing ...
- the music ...
- people + friends ...
- mastering something new / hard ...
- all the lovely feelings that come up ...
- all the snazzy steps + shapes we make ...
- close embrace ...
- open embrace ...
- "traditional" tango ...
- "nuevo" tango ...
- practicing ...
- performance ...
- competitions ...
- classroom learning ...
- health/exercise benefits ....
- anthropology/culture ...
- something else?
How often do you practice tango during the week?_________ hours/week At home, or at a práctica? Solo, or with a partner?
* If you wanted to add more practice to your tango, what would help you get there?
Okay: I've Completed "The Survey" — Now What ...?
Share your feedback with us:
- Drop off a hard copy in one of the buckets in Ojai / Ventura / Santa Barbara ...
- Pass it along to Stephen in person on a Monday or Tuesday ...
- Return your thoughts via email ... or ...
- Print out & send back by snail mail -- look for details on this downloadable .pdf version of "The Survey"
Thank you for your thoughts, interest and participation ...
Salud.
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