Next 7 week Pair-a-thon: September 12- October 30 2022
Why have 1:1 conversations with Awaken Tango network members?
This program facilitates one-on-one meetings between members of the intentional, values-centered Awaken Tango network. This is one of the ways we connect people embarked on a journey of exploring the potential of tango, spark cross-community conversations and collaboration, and continue to learn through sharing experiences.
Since we’re all tango people, we’re used to 1:1 connecting. Group Zoom calls can be great, but there’s something very “tango” about enjoying a one-on-one chat with a fellow tango lover. Think of it almost like a remote tanda! During COVID we found from our research that dancers really miss the social connecting from our usual tango scene, so we wanted to facilitate that. Our first round was so much fun we decided to continue and welcome all our newest network members. We are an emerging network. We’ve come together based on resonance with the shared values of the Awaken Tango impulse, but most of us don’t know each other yet! The program is a way that we are building the social fabric of our network, learning about each other, and feeling out the potential. We hope you join!
How does it work?
The program gives you the chance to connect one-on-one with another tango network member for ~an hour long conversation on Zoom. Here’s the basic rhythm:
- Match. Each week, you’ll have the opportunity to be randomly matched with a tango buddy for an hour-long conversation. (If you’re not available, you can skip a week!)
- Connect. Have a freeform conversation at a date/time during the week that works for you and your buddy
- Reflect. Share an appreciation or follow up with your buddy if you’d like to further explore something together
The program runs on a 8 week cycle. Each cycle has a weekly round. In each round members have the opportunity to be matched up for a one-on-one conversation.
The program is designed with lots of flexibility, each buddy will get to choose each week if they will participate in that round.
Here is what you’ll see:
- Are you available? At the end of each week (usually Thurs or Fri), you’ll get note asking if you’re available to me matched with a buddy.
- Here is your match! At the beginning of each week (Monday) you’ll get an announcement of which Awaken Tango network member you’ve been randomly paired with!
- Log your conversation. Mid-week you’ll be reminded to log your meeting with your buddy and share an appreciation/outcome with the network.
We had great feedback and hope to run more Pair-a-thons in the future if participants are enjoying it.
What are the benefits?
In the first round, people found the conversations helped them stay connected to tango, get inspired to do new projects, make new friends, learn about other communities, share helpful resources, explore ideas related to tango content, and lots of other things. Here is a snapshot of appreciations from that round!
Here’s what you might experience by letting the Universe randomly pick a partner from the Awaken Tango network for you to chat with each week:
- Surprising synchronicities! opening up to chance can lead to insights/connections
- A chance to share your work, a project, something you’re struggling with
- An opportunity to contribute to someone — hold space for them, listen, offer something
- Find out how another community/organization is working with tango’s potential now
- Help “lean in” to explore what Awaken Tango is all about and what we could become
- Explore the prompt by giving attention to the question of the role tango can play in society today
How can network members participate?
Each member of Awaken Tango just needs to let us know they want to participate. Send us the email address you’d like us to send matches to Korey, the Awaken Tango Buddy Coordinator, at korey@ko-arts.com.