| Teach Yourself Tango Terms |
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| Monday, 29 January 2007 | |||
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Abrazo, abrazos. From the verb abrazar to hug or embrace. In tango, the embrace Adorno. An adornment or embellishment. Performed with the feet only it can be complicated or simple but must be in time with the music - and one's partner. Similar terms: firulete, lapiz. Amague. The verb is amagar to threaten. In tango it means an embellishment that either partner makes before taking a step. It may simply be a tap of the foot or a frappé. Apile. More dramatic form of the 'milonguero style' which is danced to slow music, for example Pugliese. The pyramid formation is held for longer and the movements are as slow as the rhythm of the music dictates. Bailar. To dance. Shall we dance? Bailamos? Bailongo. A place where people dance Barrida. From the verb barrer, to sweep. A gracrful sweeping motion of the foot across the floor. Boleo. From the verb bolear meaning to throw. A boleo cis executed by the woman and can be either high or low. It is important to keep the knees together and to swivel on the supporting leg as the other leg is swung back. Cabaceo. An invitation to dance from man to woman without words. The man looks at the woman and indicates with a movement of his head that he would like to dance. If she accepts she will move towards him, if she refuses she will look away. Cambio de frente. Change of face - or change of direction. Caminar. To walk. Before you can dance tango you need to walk tango. Learning the tango walk and practising it is essential. Campana. Bell, a canyengue term. Carasita. Literally little carousel. The man supports his partner on her left leg while he turns in a backwards circle. Carpa. A tent shape that is created when a man leads the lady onto one foot, then steps back so their bodies create a tent shape as she leans at an angle.
Cayengue. This word has a number of meanings. In no order, it is the style of tango that was popular from about 1900 to 1940. In a close embrace, with bent knees, dancers move to a 2/4 tempo similar to today's milonga. The woman does not perform the cross. Orchestras that played cayengue include Francisco Canaro, early in his career, Roberto Firpo and Francisco Lomuto. Colgada. Not a step for beginners the word actually means incomplete, retained, pending. The steps involves the couple spinning at the end of an inside barrida with both dancers leaning out away from each other spinning until the man leads a back step outwards. The shape the dancers form is like an ice cream cone - the opposite of volcada. Contrapaso. When one foot is locked behind the other is is called a contrapaso. Corridita. Little run, a canyengue term Corte. Cut. In tango this is done by holding for several beats or syncopating. Cortina. This is the word that describes a musical interlude in between a bracket or tanda of music at a milonga. Cruzada. The cross which is done when one foot is placed in front of the other. Cunita. Often called Hamaca. It is the rocking back and forth that can be done in order to mark time or change direction. Derecha. Right (Left is izquierda) Desplazamiento. A word used instead of Sacada to describe displacing your partner's leg or foot with your own. Enrosque. From the verb enroscar - to coil or twist. As the woman dances a molinete (wheel steps around the man) he pivots on one foot, hooking the other leg behind or in front of the pivoting leg. Firulete. An adornment or embelllishment. Gancho. The hook. Can be performed by either the man or the woman and describes the action of one dancer 'hooking' one leg at an angle around their partner's leg. Giro. Turn Golpecitos. Little steps done by rhythmically tapping the ball or underside of the foot on the floor. Golpes. Toe taps with the foot tilted. The lower leg should rebound and the knees stay together. Guapo. A handsome man. Habanera. An Afro-Cuban dance of the 19th century that is one of the forerunners of modern tango. Also a side-together-side step done by the man as he leads the woman into backward ochos. Hamaca. Marking time by rocking backwards and forwards. Horqueta. Sling. A canyengue term Izquierda. Left (Right is derecha) Junta. From the verb juntar to close. The essence of elegant tango is ankles and knees that come together or pass by each other closely between each step. Junta also helps to maintain balance, also essential to elegance. It applies to both the man and the woman. Lapiz. A pencil. In tango it describes the circular motion on the floor with the toe or inside edge of one foot while maintaining balance on the other foot. It may be a small adornment or a large sweeping arc which precedes the woman moving into a molinete. Latigazo. A whip is latigo. This describes the whipping action of a leg in the boleo.l Lento. Slowly Liso. Smooth. Salon Tango was also known as Tango Liso. Llevada. The verb llevar means to carry or take along. A llevada occurs when a man uses his upper thigh or foot to carry the woman's leg to the next step. Lunfardo. Tango slang or underworld terms which were derived from Spanish and Italian slang. Lustrada. The verb lustrar means to polish. When a woman performs lustrada she strokes the man's leg with her shoe. A man may do it to himself but never to a woman. Marca. La marca is the lead - a good lead is essential to tango. From the verb marcar. Media Luna. A delicious pastry - it literally means half moon. The tango step involves a sweeping motion of the leg which is always in contact with the floor. This step is usually danced by the woman and may be led with a sacada or used to bring the woman to an inside gancho. Milonga. This word may refer to a piece of music in 2/4 time; a dance salon where people go to dance, or a dance event. Milonguero (man), milonguera (woman). Someone whose life revolves around dancing tango, or someone who has mastered the dance and the essence of tango. Formerly used to describe those who frequented milongas in the early part of the 20th century. Milonguero cross. Another term for ocho cortado. Milonguero style. Dancing in close embrace which has also been described as apilado style, confiteria style (after the milonga venue) or club style. Originated and used in crowded clubs where dancing with full upper body contact (though never with either partner hanging off the other) was necessary. Milonguita. Depending on who uses it this may be used to describe a milonga or a prostitute! Mira. From mirar to look it means Take notice! Or Look at this! Molinete. Windmill. The woman dances around the man stepping side-back-side-forward using forward and backwards ochos. A common figure in tango that requires both man and woman to have good posture, balance and technique. Ocho. literally eight. Used to describe a figure eight, one of the basic steps of tango along with the caminado (walk). It was used in the early days of tango when the women wore long skirts to show how elegantly they danced with their feet and knees together, as they left their ochos in the dirt of the dance floor. Ocho cortado. Cut ocho. A step that is used to change direction or stop it involves going left or right instead of continuing backwards. Easier to watch than describe. Go to the Tango Video project for a couple of interpretations. Orquesta. Orchestra - the term orquesta tipica is used to describe an orchestra of the Golden Age, or in the style of the Golden Age. Parada. A stop. The man stops his partner with the pressure of his hand on their back. If this is led properly the woman will stop with her feet apart and her weight centred. The man may touch her foot with his as a cue. Pasada. Passing over. This happens when the man has stopped his partner with his foot and then leads her forward over the foot. This is an excellent opportunity for the woman to adorn and she may trace the floor with her foot - or she may simply decide to step over the man's foot. Paso. Step Picado. Flicking up the heel when turning or stepping forward. Piso. Floor - the dance floor is Pista. Planchadoras. Wallflowers- women who sit on the sidelines and are not asked to dance. Planeo. Pivot or glide. A popular step used by the man when he has stepped forward then pivots, tracing his foot on the floor. His partner will dance around him. Women can also dance planeos. Porteno, portena. Residents of Buenos Aires Postura. Posture. Crucial to dancing elegant tango, the ideal posture has the shoulders over the hips, the body moves forward from its centre over the balls of the feet. Practica. A practice session. Different to a milonga in that dancers help each other and work together on their style. More casual. Punteo. Point. Similar to golpes it describes rhythmic tapping of the toe on the floor. Resolution.Resolution or close of a basic pattern. Ritmo. Rhythm Ronda. La ronda is the used to describe line of dance. Moving counter clockwise round the floor is vital to floor etiquette. Rulo. A curl. Many use lapiz to describe this movement which occurs at the end of a molinete when a man curls his food in and around his partner, then extends it quickly to touch her foot. Sacada. From the verb sacar to take out or to get. Used to describe the action of displacing the leg or foot of one's partner. See Desplazamiento Sandwiche or Sanguchito.To sandwich one's partner's foot between one's own. Seguir. To follow Syncopation. Syncopation. To accent beats in music that are normally not accented. Dancers may describe it as cutting the beat which is not it's true meaning and can cause disagreement between musicians and dancers. Tanda. A set of dance music which can be either three, four or five songs. The non-tango music between the sets is called the cortina. The custom is to dance the entire tanda with one partner. If one partner says thankyou before the tanda is finished it can mean that they no longer want to dance. How tandas are constructed (same orchestra, same era, same style) can be a source of argument amongst tango DJs. Tango de Salon - also called Salon Tango. The elegant, social style of tango which is usually danced with a slightly open embrace. Tango Fantasia - also called Stage Tango. A show style of tango that takes steps from ballet, ballroom and gymnastics. Tango Liso. A dance style that is smooth and without fancy figures or steps. Tanguero (male), Tanguera (female). Those who are passionate about tango music, dancing tango, talking tango.... Traspie. Triple step. A walking step which typically has a syncopated cross. Vals. Tango Waltz in 3/4 time. Villa Urquiza style. The style popularized by dancers from Club Sunderland in Buenos Aires. It is a traditional style of dancing where the woman is the focus. Volcada. A falling step from the verb volcar - to capsize. The leader will bring his partner forward so she falls off her axis, then he catches her. It needs the close embrace. Voleo. see Boleo Yumba. Powerful, dramatic musical accent as found in the music of Osvaldo Pugliese. Zapatos. Shoes! Good, well-designed tango shoes are crucial to dancing tango elegantly and well. Last updated 16 October. 2008 A WORK IN PROGRESS. TangoAustralia thanks Antonio for his help with this resource. If you would like to contribute or comment please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it We would like to apologise for the lack of Spanish accents on the words...we realise this affects the pronunciation and we are working on this problem. c. 2007. This article is Copyright Tango Australia and may not be copied without written permission from the Publisher. Comments (1)
John Ashley
said:
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Every dance has its special terms. This section will introduce you to some of the common terms - and is updated from time to time. If you have one you would like to add, or a comment you would like to make please send us an
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I just starting learning tango yesterday - and this is a good resource  Now to explore more of your website. |
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