----You are not totally alone, but all of you should stay home.
----They are probably doing it to make you leave. I would.
----Are you sure it is tango you want to learn?
----Cheers (and please don't move to New York),

====

"How to Grow the Tango Community" is a common theme I come across  in
Tango communities.

This thread was started by a member expressing a preference for
alternative music like "west coast swing." His post saying he finds
"much of the traditional tango music, whiney and uninspiring" was
turned by another lister into a "bias and hatred of tango."

IMHO, Tango is not a good "entry level dance:" it is simply too
difficult (though not impossible) to learn as a first dance. So it
might be, that attracting dancers with prior experience from other
dances would be a good way to "grow the community."

However, I find that when people come from other dances and bring
their slightly different skill set and preferences for music, etc,
they are greeted by a small but very vocal group with the unfriendly
and unwelcoming statements seen above. No wonder most don't stick
around. The statements above even contain a version of my least
favorite and often heard phrase: "That is NOT Tango!"

While I find that most of the members of the Tango Communities I've
experienced are warm and welcoming people, there are enough vocally
passionate ones who project a less than friendly atmosphere to
newbies, who simply leave to find someplace where they are more
welcome.

All of this is IMHO, YMMV and all that.
Flames Cheerfully ignored.
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