English
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 musi ...
A sweep; a sweeping motion: One partner’s foot sweeps the other’s foot and places it without losing contact Barridas are done from either the outside or the inside of the foot of the receiving party The technique is different for the inside and outside ...
The basic pattern There are several basic patterns the most common of which is the 8-count basic
Bicycle: A circular movement of the feet led by the man in the vertical plane with the couples feet pressed together as in a barrida
Well stood (literally) standing straight up Elegantly and gallantly presented See Pinta Postura
From bolear - To throw: a boleo may be executed either high or low Keeping the knees together with one leg back swivel and return on the supporting leg with a whipping action of the working leg Sometimes spelled Voleo See Latigazo
(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 Also see Codigos
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 righ ...
A deep check and replace usually led by the man as he steps forward left Useful for avoiding collisions and making direction changes in small spaces May also refer to a subtle shifting of weight from foot to foot in place and in time with the music done ...
Fall: A step in which the man steps backward sinks on his supporting leg and crosses his working leg in front without weight while leading the lady to step forward in outside position sink on her supporting leg and cross her working leg behind without wei ...
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 t ...
Change: as in cambio defrente change of the front or face; or cambio parejas change the couple (change partners)
A crossing and walking step which the man initiates at 3 of the 8-count basic as he steps forward right in outside right position pivoting to his right on his right foot and leading the lady to pivot on her left foot stepping side left (side right for the ...
To walk: The walk is similar to a natural walking step but placing the ball of the foot first instead of the heel Sometimes taught that the body and leg must move as a unit so that the body is in balance over the forward foot Another style requires stre ...
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 rhyt ...
The crab: A repetitive pattern of walking steps and or sacadas in which the man advances turned nearly sideways to his partner
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 footwor ...