Tango terms...
Adorno - Adornment, embellishment.
Agujas - Needles: An adornment for the man done with the working foot vertical with the toe into the floor while pivoting inside a molinete.
Amague - (from amagar - to make a threatening motion) a feint: An amague is used as an embellishment either led or done on one’s own, and may be used before taking a step. An example of an amague may be a beat (frappe) before taking a step.
Apilado Style - Piled on: As used in tango, the reference is to the way a jockey is " piled on" his horse, when racing-hugging the neck.
Arrabalero - A person of low social status. A person of simple and direct ways who speaks plainly and uses coarse language. A slum dweller.
Arrastre - From arrastrar - to drag.
Arrepentida - Repentant To change one’s mind: A family of steps which allow a couple to back away from a collision or traffic jam in a minimal amount of space and on short notice.
Barridas Atipicas:
Barridas - sweeping steps, dragging steps
Barridas Atipicas - atypical, uncommon barridas
The term barrida (sweeping steps) describes how one of the dancers, either man or woman, using his/her foot moves his/her partners foot away from its original position. By referring to Barridas as Atipicas, the teacher means that the starting position or the position to end with will be an uncommon position--far different from the starting positions or ending positions in basic barridas and thus, more complicated.
Bandoneon - An accordion like musical instrument originally created to provide missionaries with portable pipe organ music for religious services in remote locales which has been adopted by tango musicians to create the mournful and soulful sound of modern tango music.
Basico (from the Greek word “βάση” = base) - The basic pattern. There are several basic patterns, the most common of which is the 8-count basic.
Boleos (from the Greek word “βολή” = shot):
Boleadoras - there are two types of "boleadoras" (lassos with balls). The simplest type is used to hunt ostriches they consist of two round stones covered with leather and joined by a thin, plaited rope, some 8' long. The other type is different because it consists of three balls attached by ropes to a common center. The gaucho holds the smallest ball in his hand and twirls the other two above his head. After he aims, he throws them, and the balls go through space, spinning over themselves as did the old cannon balls, joined by a chain. So, when the balls run across any object, they lasso it, interlacing and getting strongly tied up.
Bolear (from the Greek word “βολή” = shot) - to grab an animal's legs with boleadoras
When the woman is led to pivot--strongly--in both directions: right to left or left to right, the speed of the pivot leaves her 'free leg' hanging behind her giving the impression that her 'free leg' moves independently from her body and by its own will! Note: This is only an effect and that this motion should always be led by the leader. The movement created in the space reminds us of the last moment when the ostriche tries to run away from the gaucho while her legs start to get interlaced by the 'boleadoras'.
Cabeceo - (from cabeza = head): Traditional technique for selecting dance partners from a distance at the milongas in Buenos Aires by using eye contact and head movements.
Cadena - The chain enchainement: An athletic and very theatrical turning figure which moves rapidly across the floor turning left or right, in which the couple alternate amagues (cuatros) or ganchos. Another variation involves the man stepping outside left or right in crossed feet and leading the lady in a change of direction to keep her in front of him as he turns, alternately going around her and bringing her around him.
Calesita - Carousel the merry-go-round: A figure in which the man places the lady on one foot with a lifting action of his frame and then dances around her while keeping her centered over, and pivoting on, her supporting leg. Sometimes referred to as the Stork when the lady’s leg is lifted in the cuatro position.
Cambio - Change: as in cambio defrente, change of the front or face or cambio parejas, change the couple (change partners).
Caminada - The walking steps a walking step.
Candombe - A type of dance originally danced by the descendants of black slaves in the Rio de la Plata region and still performed in Montevideo, Uruguay. Music of African origin with a marked rhythm played on a " tamboril" (a kind of drum). It survives today as a rhythmic background to certain milongas such as Azabache by Miguel Calo, Carnavalito by Lucio Demare, Estampa del 800 by Francisco Canaro and the very popular recordings by Juan Carlos Caceres.
Canyengue - A very old style of tango from the 1900s to the 1940s. The music from this era had a faster or peppier 2/4 tempo so the dance had a rhythmic flavor similar to that of modern milonga. A very close embrace was used as well as some unique posture and footwork elements. The tango of the arrabal.
Compadrito - Dandy hooligan street punk ruffian. They invented the Tango.
Compas - Beat, as in the beat of the music. The walking count or impulse of each measure, the simplest element of each piece of music.
Cortina - Curtain: A brief musical interlude between tandas at a milonga.
Cruzada - From cruzar - to cross the cross: A cruzada occurs any time a foot is crossed in front of or in back of the other. The lady’s position at 5 of the 8-count basic. May also be called Trabada.
Colgadas:
Colgar - to hang
Colgadas - hanging steps
We share axes when the man gets his feet close to the followers. This literal invasion of his partner's base creates unbalance for the follower. The unbalance is then controlled by the leader who quickly takes the energy of the followers 'soft fall' to open up the embrace and holds the position with his own weight by leaning backwards. This technique creates for the follower, the sensation of " hanging" from the leader.
Colgadas Caidas:
Colgadas - see colgadas
Caidas - fallen
Enrosque - From enroscar - to coil or twist: While the lady dances a molinete, the man pivots on his supporting foot, hooking or coiling the working leg behind or around in front of the supporting leg.
Entrada - Entrance: Occurs when a dancer steps forward or otherwise enters the space between their partners legs without displacement.
Estilo Salon Villa Urquiza:
Estilo - style
Firstly, there is an important misunderstanding with the use of the term " style" in tango. We should remember that there is no " one single way" to dance tango and likewise we should understand that there is no " one good way" to dance tango. Style doesn't mean to dance a certain way only and NO other. Style means to add certain character to certain moves or motions--to enrich your dance by giving a different attitude to it. Another access to the " style" or " dance character" is the choice of steps and moves. Knowing that the only goal is to express differently and with control, one could easily switch from one attitude to another in order to express different feelings, as we switch today from close embrace to open embrace depending on the step we execute.
Villa Urquiza - a neighborhood of Buenos Aires
During the golden age of tango (1940s), some of the finest dancers, such as Petroleo, Finito, etc came from the neighborhood of Villa Urquiza. The neighborhood had its very own way to express itself...with long, elegant steps, delicate turns, and over all a very particular musicality--practically in slow motion or " robatto" and, a perfect embrace line.
Ganchos:
Enganchar - to hook up
Ganchos - hooking up steps
When the follower or the leader hooks his/her leg up with the other's.
Giros (from the Greek word “γύρω” = around):
Girar - To turn around
Basic Structure of tango is composed by 4 walking bases: 2 open-side positions and 2 crossed positions (one forward, one backward). In the giro the man can be a base while the woman does the giro structure around him, viceversa, or both can be turning at the same time while the center of the couple remains free.
Milonga - May refer to the music, written in 2/4 time, or to the dance which preceded the tango, or to the dance salon where people go to dance tango, or to a tango dance and party.
Milonguero (feminine Milonguera) - Refers to those frequenting the milongas from the early 1900s to the present who were or are tango fanatics. A person whose life revolves around dancing tango and the philosophy of tango. A title given by other tango dancers to a man (woman) who has mastered the tango dance and embodies the essence of tango.
Milonguero Cross - A step in which the man leads the lady to step side left around him, reverses before she completes the step, and leads her back into the cross. Also known as ochos cortados.
Milonguero Style - A term originally given by Europeans and some North Americans to the style of dancing in a very close embrace also referred to as confiteria style, club style, apilado style, etc. Usually used in the very crowded clubs frequented by singles in the center of Buenos Aires. Milonguero Style is danced in a very close embrace with full upper body contact, the partners leaning into each other (but never hanging on each other) while using simple walking and turning steps. This style relies on music of the more rhythmic type as characterized by orquestas like those of D’Arienzo or Tanturi.
Milonguita - Questionably, an affectionate diminutive for the milonga. Milonguita is also a name used for the young girls brought from eastern Europe and France (Madame Yvonne) with the promise to marry a rich Argentinean, or the poor girls from the conventillos, all of whom ended up as a hostess’ or prostitutes in the tango bars.
Ocho - Eight (pl. ochos) Figure eights: A crossing and pivoting figure from which the fan in American tango is derived. Executed as a walking step with flexed knees and feet together while pivoting, ochos may be danced either forward or backward and are so designated from the lady’s perspective. El Ocho is considered to be one of the oldest steps in tango along with caminada, the walking steps. It dates from the era when women wore floor length skirts with full petticoats and danced on dirt floors. Since the lady’s footwork could not be directly observed the quality of her dancing was judged by the figure she left behind in the dirt after she danced away.
Parada - From parar - to stop a stop: The man stops the lady, usually as she steps crossing back in back ochos or molinete, with pressure inward at the lady’s back and at her balance hand and with a slight downward thrust, preventing further movement. When properly led the lady stops with her feet extended apart, front and back, and her weight centered. The man may extend his foot to touch her forward foot as an additional cue and element of style or he may pivot and step back to mirror her position (fallaway).
Piernazos:
Piernazo - leg'azo', big leg step
In general, the Piernazo starts from shared axes position. Teachers would describe this technique as an interrupted 'out of axis' boleo, that can be forward or backward. We can easily identify a 'piernazo' while seeing a couple dancing on the dancefloor, when the follower lifts up her leg around her partner's hips as if, embracing the leader's hip with one of her legs.
Planeos:
Planear (from the Greek word “πλάνο” = plan)- to glide
Planeos - gliding steps
In tango we refer to a glide, or planeo, when the dancer remains in contact with the floor with both legs, standing on one leg while the other is stretched to his side. While the leader finds this position, he leads the follower around him while he pivots on the standing leg.
(Note: that this motion can be done by either leader or follower.)
Sacadas:
Sacar - to take out
Sacadas - taking out steps
If we take any standing position, by either leader or follower, we can easily recognize two bases:
1) Supporting leg/base --leg on which the dancer is standing and has most body weight.
2) Working leg/base -- leg on which the dancer has the lesser part of his weight and the leg that he/she will work with or move.
For Sacadas, the leader looks for an intersection between his " working leg" and " her working leg" , then transfers his weight onto his working leg. This motion creates the effect that the leader is walking inbetween the follower's position,thereby taking her leg out of her leg's position.
Soltadas:
Soltar - to let go of, to release
The embrace is the strongest physical link between the bodies. When the leader decides to release his partner of the embrace, loosening or at times losing the link, we talk about a 'soltada'.
Vals Criollo:
Vals - Waltz, rhythmical structure on 3 beats--the first one strong and the 2nd & 3rd weak
Criollo - Creole, from Buenos Aires
In Argentina during the 40s, vals criollo was danced often within family parties such as, birthdays, weddings, etc. This tradition was taken to the milongas too, fusing the vals and the tango dance. The idea of dancing vals with tango steps makes the waltz very rich. Every time a foreigner sees the 'vals criollo' he/she describes it as 'un vals tangueado'.
Volcadas:
Volcar - to tip over
Volcada - leaning steps
A volcada is easily recognized by how the follower is led to lean forwards over the leader. Why do we use the term volcar? Because we, as leaders, have the impression that we drip our partners over our position while leading her, as if we were dripping a glass of water over ourselves.
