Tango as an industry has had a very interesting response to the recession.  (Note: the content of this post is based on subjective and anecdotal evidence from talking to organizers, teachers, and DJs across the US and some from abroad.  My sample size was low and there may not be any statistical significance, but this is what I observed.)

In the second half of 2008 and the first half of 2009 as the recession was first ramping up, it seemed as though people were steadily increasing dancing relative to the past.  Classes seemed to be more full, milongas more packed than they’ve ever been, and everyone was commenting on how great the recession has been for tango.  No one really understood why this was the case, but the most common explanation that I heard had to do with the fact that people seemed to need human connection more than ever and tango was a great (and relatively cheap) way of accomplishing just that.  Another reason I heard, and the most compelling to me, is that milongas and practicas provide great “bang for your buck” in terms of hours of fun per dollars spent (relative, say, to a movie or going to a bar).  Of course this does not explain the increase in classes and festival attendance which, arguably, have a much lower “fun return on investment”.

In the second half of 2009, it seemed like people were moving further away from classes and festivals and more towards just the milongas/practicas.  Attendance levels at all tango events were still higher than in early 2008, but classes started to fall off and festivals definitely noticed a slightly lower attendance than they were expecting based on the previous year’s numbers.  If this observation is correct, than the second reasoning offered above may have been growing in prevalence in people’s minds.

In the last month or two of 2009 and the beginning of 2010, people I spoke to said tango overall is shrinking.  Organizers report fewer entrants, teachers report fewer students (especially beginners), and every tango professional reports that their income is taking a hit.  I find it interesting that the tango industry cycle is offset by the global economy by about 1.5 years.

What have you noticed in your work or travels?  If you are a dancer, do you find that there are more or less people at the events you attend regularly?  If you are a professional, are you finding that there are more or less dancers or students at your event?