In the second of our series on Australia's Tango Clubs we interviewed the members of one of the biggest  clubs.

"Our vision is to ensure that all tango dancers, whether they are beginners or experienced, have a warm and welcoming experience when they enter Tango Synergy's events," said the organisers of Sydney's Tango Synergy Club when asked about their venture.  "Why do so many teachers not dance with their students? We dancers will improve a whole lot faster if teachers dance with us."

Different needs
Tango Synergy was formed on Valentine's Day in 2007 by a group of Sydney tango dancers simply because they "wanted to organise a regular milonga that offered different embraces, styles and events" and one that allowed them to play all types of tango and non-tango music. They also wanted tango dancers to come together outside dance school events.

The group found that their outdoor milonga required insurance so after talking it over with the Canberra Tango Social Club they decided to create a non-profit organisation and take out insurance.

The response from dancers
The initial response was very positive. "We were so encouraged by the enthusiasm and involvement of dancers from different schools, it really felt like we had achieved a great thing for Sydney's tango," they said. The first event that Tango Synergy created was at the Italian Forum. "The comments we received from the diners and restaurant owners were really encouraging and positive. They loved being entertained by dancers who enjoyed this outdoor milonga and it generated a lot of interest from the diners who took fliers about dance class information.

"We had our skeptics, who were more comfortable scoffing from the privacy of their anonymity on various forums, but fortunately no heed was paid to these negative vibes, and eight months later we are still here and we have hundreds of dancers enjoying our events."

Synergy with the modern and the traditional
Tango Synergy was originally setup to fill what the group believed was a void that existed in Sydney's tango scene. Now it is providing both traditional and modern music at different milongas "so that we are not exclusively catering to the tastes of one group of dancers. The dinner milonga at the Jacana in North Sydney is 100 per cent traditional music until 11pm."

"Recently we realised that we must have guidelines particularly around DJ'ing and song request etiquette, so that respect for the DJ's efforts are acknowledged and heeded," said the spokesperson.

This year's Yulefest milonga (see picture) was a huge success. More than 60 dancers travelled to the Blue Mountains for a winter weekend. The highlight was a milonga held in the newly renovated Grand Ballroom at Katoomba's stately Carrington Hotel.

Excited by this success the group advises that "we are currently planning our Christmas Party across a full weekend in the highlands at Bundanoon together with tango dancers from the Canberra Tango Social Club".

The profits
Profits from events held by the group go into the Tango Synergy bank account.

"Tango Synergy now owns an ipod with an ever growing list of songs," they told TangoAustralia. "Our shopping list includes a sound system, portable dance floor and ideally a live band for our Christmas Party. We also need $500 annually for insurance and venue hire annually".

In the future of tango
In the next 12 months, Tango Synergy plans to "hold more jam sessions where experienced dancers can pass on their knowledge together with more free workshops similar to the Canjengue workshop that Nelson taught in the Blue Mountains this year.

"We feel that we add spice to the normal milonga schedule, offering a point of difference we hope will encourage more tango dancers to stay in the social dancing scene," they said. "Often dancers are unaware that there is more to tango outside the dance schools.

Tango Synergy would like:

• "More tango dancers in Australia for a better experience for us all.
• Less of a drop out rate--thousands of people must have tried tango only to drop out for some reason--do schools know and understand these reasons and do they do anything to reduce the likelihood of this occurring, for example exit surveys?
• More young people getting involved and falling in love with tango.
• Dance schools working together for better dance socials. If this were happening already, there would be no reason to have Tango Synergy.
• More visiting teachers offering better value workshops.
• More synergies between tango groups around the country for group weekends away increasing the variety in our tango lives.
• Less emphasis on competition which takes dancers away from the social scene (while they're practising with their partner) and more emphasis on sharing knowledge on the dance floor."

Joining in

"We encourage dancers who frequent our milongas, practicas and events to become members. Our members and volunteers are our strength" they said.

Advantages according to the committee are:

• "Our insurance allows members to host their own (non-commercial) milonga under our umbrella.
• Discounted practicas and milongas
• A supportive network of tango dancers
• Creating synergies with tango groups such as the Canberra Tango Social Club and organizing social weekends away of tango dancing."

You can join on the website or sign up at events. Each member receives a membership card, which they can use for discounts at any of our teacher sponsored classes or milongas.

Annual membership is $40 and a half year membership / concession is $25.

Go to http://www.tangosynergy.org

Sydneytango calendar

Early in 2009. Tango Synergy took over the Sydneytango calendar. This is an events based website that provides Sydney tango dancers with information on classes, workshops and special events as well as milongas. 

This article is copyright TangoAustralia 2007. It may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher