Circle of Life East Hartford

Arts for All
Tango Definitions

Embrace - hug, embrace.  Open embrace, close embrace

Salida - beginning or ending, walking step  Multiple walking steps is Caminar.  There are three tracks the leader can walk in; in front of follower, to follower's left or right

Cruzada - cross refered to as walking to the cross (salida cruzada).

Ocho - twisted front or back step made after a pivot.

Giro - 4 steps going around the leader, 2 ochos (one forward, one back) alternated by side steps.
Also called a grapevine step or molinete.

Ocho cortado - a cut ocho where the follower is led to the side and brought back to a cross.

Sandwichito (El Sanguchito) - a partner's foot is sandwiched between the other partner's feet.  Beginning with a foot catch or stop, called a parada.

Sacada - displacing your partner's foot with your own.  Done on the outside foot.

Boleo - to throw.  A flick of the leg during a turn front (Castigada) or back.  It could be in the air or on the floor.

Enrosque - to twist.  Added to the twist is usually a hook behind the pivoting foot.

Tanda - a set of usually 3 or 4 songs with similiar style.  It is customary for partners to dance entire Tanda together, but could excuse themselves with a thank you after any song.

Cortina - is the partial song usually of very different character that divides the tanda.  It means "curtain".

Parada - to stop.  Leader uses pressure in the hand on follower's back to stop follower in mid weight transfer to a split weight stance.  Sometimes the leader will touch his foot to follower's sending foot and is sometimes called a foot catch.  This is the first part of a sandwich or barrida (foot drag)

Dissociation - a separate twist in upper and lower halves of body.  This is not a Spanish word, but is used by all the teachers to describe the twist that happens in any turning step.

Traspie - triple step with a cross step.  A walking step with a syncopated cross using two beats of music.