Story of making the mother website, tangoislands.com.
***** This article was written in April 2007. Some of the information and links may not be up to date *****
EARLY SUGGESTIONS AND FIRST PREPARATIONS:
We value your ideas and opinions. Thank you for taking the time to respond to our letter about growing and uniting the tango communities of Hawaii. Here is a recap of what we discussed previously by email:
EARLY SUGGESTIONS AND FIRST PREPARATIONS:
We value your ideas and opinions. Thank you for taking the time to respond to our letter about growing and uniting the tango communities of Hawaii. Here is a recap of what we discussed previously by email:
1. Brief description of who we are and what we are doing in Hawaii.
2. Ideas about the growth of Tango in Hawaii.
3. List of Forerunners of Argentine Tango on Four Islands and how to get in touch.
4. Ideas+ Meet in Kauai for weekend workshops and milongas
+ One monthly milonga rotating on Four Islands
+ Creating a Not for-Profit Website containing contact information for the four islands.
1.
We are a couple who travel to teach and dance tango. It has been great to share our way of dancing with such wonderful communities. It is amazing to see Tango growing and flourishing here in Hawaii and yet we can't help but notice that each community stays pretty independent and unaware of what is going on elsewhere. We would love to see these different groups getting together. More experienced communities can help the fledgling ones take flight while newer dancers can infuse the community with much needed enthusiasm and a new perspective. With a cohesive network there is no limit to the growth and development of individuals and the whole. Any activity is difficult without support and cooperation. With more exchange between islands any obstacles can easily be surmounted and the success is shared by everyone.
2.
There are four islands with at least one or two tango communities with strong leaders in each. On these four sister islands is the full range of very beginning to mature and experienced in all capacities, dancers, instructors, dj's, organizers, etc. Already in Maui there are two festivals a year drawing big name, world class tango instructors and many dancers from all over. Dance in Maui is flourishing and will continue to under the care of Gawain Bantle and Shastro. In Oahu there has been an existing community when no one even knew what tango was, led by George and K'ai Garcia who travel the world to teach tango, perform and judge competitions. Bruce and Yoko Wee, also on Oahu are a young and talented couple who will be teaching in the UH Outreach program. We are proud to see tango just budding in Hilo and taking baby steps even in Waimea on the Big Island, where Gordon Motta is introducing tango to a brand new group. On Kauai, Maurizia Zanin hosts great instructors and organizes weekend events several times a year. This particular community is small, devoted and a little far away.
We are a couple who travel to teach and dance tango. It has been great to share our way of dancing with such wonderful communities. It is amazing to see Tango growing and flourishing here in Hawaii and yet we can't help but notice that each community stays pretty independent and unaware of what is going on elsewhere. We would love to see these different groups getting together. More experienced communities can help the fledgling ones take flight while newer dancers can infuse the community with much needed enthusiasm and a new perspective. With a cohesive network there is no limit to the growth and development of individuals and the whole. Any activity is difficult without support and cooperation. With more exchange between islands any obstacles can easily be surmounted and the success is shared by everyone.
2.
There are four islands with at least one or two tango communities with strong leaders in each. On these four sister islands is the full range of very beginning to mature and experienced in all capacities, dancers, instructors, dj's, organizers, etc. Already in Maui there are two festivals a year drawing big name, world class tango instructors and many dancers from all over. Dance in Maui is flourishing and will continue to under the care of Gawain Bantle and Shastro. In Oahu there has been an existing community when no one even knew what tango was, led by George and K'ai Garcia who travel the world to teach tango, perform and judge competitions. Bruce and Yoko Wee, also on Oahu are a young and talented couple who will be teaching in the UH Outreach program. We are proud to see tango just budding in Hilo and taking baby steps even in Waimea on the Big Island, where Gordon Motta is introducing tango to a brand new group. On Kauai, Maurizia Zanin hosts great instructors and organizes weekend events several times a year. This particular community is small, devoted and a little far away.
One comment we keep hearing has to do with the expense of travelling around 3 -4 years ago. Inter island airfares were expensive until about a year and a half ago. Now with sales on fares ($19 on Hawaiian) this is no longer an excuse. Another possibility to look into is the Superferry starting up this summer http://www.hawaiisuperferry.com It will have to compete with the airlines and vice versa, hopefully one way or another facilitating inter island travel. We have found it incredibly rewarding to travel between islands and experience their individual beauty. Which is why we encourage you to make use of all the wonderful resources already within your grasp and to keep the lines of communication open and connected.
3.
Who's Who and What's Where: (as of 2007)
Gawain Bantle on Maui http://loveoftango.com
George and K'ai on Oahu http://islatango.com/
Bruce and Yoko on Oahu http://weetango.com/ (new, for support of Tango in Oahu)
Gordon Motta in Waimea on Big Island. email at mottarts@hialoha.net
Maurizia Zanin on Kauai. email at maurizia@tangokauai.com
Larry Richelli on Kauai. email at larry@alohatango.com
Larry Richelli on Kauai. email at larry@alohatango.com
4.
Workshops on Kauaii Maurizia is helping us to organize two weekends of workshops and milongas, sort of a mini festival. It will be an excellent opportunity to meet your fellow tango addicts on a neighboring isle, experience how they dance, the special places they meet, the music they listen to, as well as invest and share in the development of tango in Hawaii. In Kauai there is a list of Hosts for outer island travelers to facilitate and encourage visiting. They also have one of the most beautiful and unique milonga places we have ever seen, La Milonga Redonda created by Geo Hoffberg. It is an open air, tiki torched, beautifully floored dance space in the round with a tropical romantic twist.
Kauaii Host List:
1 BR+/share kit/bath no smoking/Koloa $40/night Lynne Torres 808-332-9767 lynnetorres@yahoo.FR
1 BR+ bath/share kit no smoking/Prinville $40/night Ralph Kitashima 808-639-8842 ralphkitashima@msn.com
Yurt w/futon & tents no smoking/Kapaa negotiable Geo Hoffberg 808-346-3628 2geo@earthlink.net
Chatroom/Evite/Blog
We have opened a blog to create a forum for discussion, to share information, promote events etc. It is open to everyone and should make it easier to get your news out and create a communication network and a database of contacts.
First off, please feel free to respond to these ideas, let us know if you'd like to be involved and how. Write any suggestions, or ideas you may have.
Monthly Milonga on Four Islands.
We challenge you to create a monthly late night milonga that rotates from island to island. So, three times a year each of the four islands could host the monthly event and once a month all Local and visiting Tangueros can have a great reason to island hop. This would also create a great venue to introduce visiting instructors and attract outer island and even the occasional mainland dancer.
Creating a Not for-Profit Website.
Soon, within the next few weeks we will put together a not for-profit website with all the contact information provided us. We will send out a link for you to take a look at and respond to. The home page will have contact information by island and details for curious tango dancing visitors. This website will be open to any individual or group with an interest in promoting tango in the Hawaiian Islands.
Finally, thank you for your time. We look forward to hearing from you. More importantly we look forward to crowded milongas and friendly exchange between island communities.
Tropical Paradise by day and Tango Rendezvous by Night.
Sincerely,
Murat & Michelle
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