Main Words to know

• Actively Grounding Leg: most commonly referred to as “the standing leg,” yet we are not “standing” on it… we are actively grounding ourselves in equilibrium and potential for movement with this leg — it is the one that is active and the only one that moves our center/equilibrium/us through space.

• Bandoneon:  an iconic instrument of tango that looks similar to an accordion, but is quite distinct with note differentiation on both the push and the pull.  It was invented by German instrument maker Heinrich Band. as a traveling church organ that found its way into the brothels of Argentina and thusly forming a new “religion”:  Argentine Tango.

• Cambio de Peso (el/un):  exchanging of weight from one actively grounding leg (sole of foot) to another.   This exchange may be laterally (side to side) from one ball of foot to another (parallel system) or ipsilaterally which will feel like the dancers’ backs travel in an easy curve as weight shifts from one ball of foot to another around a central axis – think of a revolving door - this enters dancers into crossed-system.  

• La Caminata: The Walk.  Tango is a walk embraced. Tango es la caminata.  The ability to walk in harmony with another human to the music, in equilibrium together and with everyone else on the dance floor is the mark of the true spirit of social Argentine tango.

• Cantante(s) (los/las):  Singers.  The singers of Argentine tango in the 30’s and 40’s were often times classically trained in operatic and other voice.  I highly recommend diving into the world of tango via a particular cantante!

• Compás (el):  a musical measure (4 beat). Also means a compass (navigation)

• Contra-cuerpo/Contralateral: contra-lateral movements are when we allow our torsos to rotate around our center (axis/spine/etc) without tension and without control.   When we walk forwards and backwards, naturally and without tension, our bodies will perform contra-lateraly sway w/o effort or intent.  If we walk in a care-free manner allowing our arms to swing “la-dee-dah” like this will have contra lateral movement… meaning if the right foot is landing our left arm would be swaying forwards as we walk forwards into the next step as the left leg is sent forwards the right arm would be swaying forward… this allows us to walk a straight line without tension of effort.

• Cortina(s):  a little “curtain” of non-tango music between tandas.  Can be any genre of music that does not sound like the tanda is continuing so that dancers know the tanda has ended and it is time to clear the dance floor (always clear the dance floor during a cortina to be respectful of others, doesn’t matter if you plan to dance with the same person!)  Cortinas last as long as it takes for the dance floor to clear, generally 45 seconds, thereabouts.

• Crossed-System: Sistema Cruzado - crossed-system is a fascinating alignment between dancers that allows for many interesting and pleasing possibilities of movement, most iconically with the backward ochos.  However, this system is far greater than just back 8’s - which are just inside partner walking in this system.  Dancers enter this system with an ipsilateral weight exchange (cambio de peso) with only one dancer exchanging resulting it both dancers now being on the same actively grounding leg (left & left, or right & right).  Dancers can move either in inside-partner alignment or outside-partner alignment same as parallel system.  The cross (el cruce) is also possible and very accessible in this system, as well.  Think of crossed system as the hips both facing in intercardinal directions (no twisting at the waist, coiling yes, but no twisting) bof a navigational compass – NW-SE, NE-SW – and this will help orient if beginning/practicing by facing Tango North (line of dance – in parallel system your hips would face N-S and the axes would shift side to side from ball of foot to ball of foot).

• El Cruce: The cross.  Often and mistakenly referred to a “la cruzada,” but its correct terminology is: el cruce.   The cross can happen in either system where one leg is invited and given space to naturally (safely) cross over the other. For example if you place the back of your right knee on the front of your left knee… your right foot would then be crossed over the left (outside of both feet touching, pinky toe side).   El cruce can be forwards or backwards in how the free leg flows freely into this position and can happen in either system (crossed and parallel).

• Cycle(s):  DJs generally play an evening of music in a cycle of tandas at a milonga.  If you go to a social event (milonga) you will most likely hear this cycle:  tango tanda ~cortina~ tango tanda ~cortina~ vals tanda ~cortina~  tango tanda ~cortina~ tango tanda ~cortina~ milonga tanda ~cortina~ and the cycle repeats.

• Dissociation: I never use this term in dance.  Association is a better exploration.  It has been used to explore movements by separating the torso from the legs; however, if we associate movements by allowing the torso to move without tension, it will always associate properly with out our lower half.  If you are walking forwards and backwards and you look and feel like John Wayne, stop!  We don’t want to walk like John Wayne (he walked ipsilaterally forwards and backwards).  The right side of my torso will sway naturally toward my left leg as it completes a forward movement, contra-laterally forwards and backwards.

• Frase(s): a musical phrase.  “2 compás en un frase (2 measures in one phrase).”  It is good practice to dance the musical phrase and honor the space inbetween frases.  

• “Futuring”:  a Puerta al Tango phrase meaning our free leg does not bend, lurch, tug-at-the-leash us into anticipating directions or movements.  The present is a much cooler place to remain relaxed and ready and living viscerally the music, together. 

• Inside Partner:  por adentro - is a navigational alignment where the dancers are moving through space full torso to full torso – or,  center line through center line — or, nose-sternum-navel aligned with nose-sternum-navel (easier to orient in open embrace).  Inside partner navigation exists in both systems of travel. In parallel system the dancers move mirroring each other.  In crossed-system it results in the infinitely various forms of walking ochos (8’s)

• Ipsilateral:  ipsilateral movements are an excellent method to flow in and out of crossed-system.  Ipsilateral is the opposite of contra-lateral movement.   Our hips remain in line with armpits and if our left half is traveling the entire left side of our body moves in the same direction (even when arcing)... there is no twisting at the waist.

• Juntar: to gather, to bring together.  When we bring ourselves back to center to either stop or pause; we bring our legs underneath us.  I do not agree with “collecting the feet together” because this often leads to imbalance.  The gathering in a juntar entails bringing the energy back up to a neutral feeling and then dropping back in for traveling movement.  It may entail un cambio de peso, but not necessarily.  See Rozar / el Roce

• Line of Dance - La Ronda.  This flows counterclockwise and the poet Enrique Santos Discépolo equated this with keeping time from moving forwards while we dance… living in the present.  

• Melodia (La) - The melody.  Dancing the melodic phrasing of tango is lovely.  Dancers may choose to express the music together by flowing with the voice of the cantante(s), or a sweeping violin or bandoneon, even the contrabajo (the upright base).

• Milonga (music): an African word (Yoruban) meaning “harmonizing instruments.”  It is both a musical style and also a social event.  Milonga music may sound faster, but if you take it slow and find a bebop, catlike march you slip right into the current of its rhythm, no sweat.   Milonga tandas play several times in an evening at a milonga.  See Cycles and Tandas

• Milonga (social): social gathering to dance 

• Milonguera | Milonguero: a person who lives by the way of Tango, often going to milongas and being in the spirit of social Argentine Tango.

• Mugre - “con un poco de mugre, pibe!” was said to me once to help me understand how to convey feeling milonga music.  It translates to “put a little dirt/grease on that technique, kid!”   Tango, vals and milonga are better when we go with feeling over polished technique.  Have fun, live, make mistakes and keep the flow relaxed… “con un poco de mugre…” this dance is more lively and fun.

• Navigator:  “leader”

• Ochos:  most commonly realized in crossed-system, however they are possible in parallel system.  The easiest to access is just by walking in crossed-system navigating inside partner alignment. It is just a walk.  Contrary to the norm, the ochos do not need the “follower” to pivot themselves alone.  They may if they choose, but this is a common misconception of the movement as this dance began to be taught in steps instead of feeling.   Ideally the ochos should feel liberating for the dancers’ hips and create a serpentine flow… walking a line the way a fish would swim a line.  Optimally the navigator will create an ipsilateral gathering pivot off each contralateral forward or backward walking line of travel in order to offer more pleasing dynamic, musicality and assist the realizer in their pivots (so they need not pivot themselves or over-pivot for no reason).

• Parallel System: Sistema Paralelo - parallel system is the most common system to begin learning tango.  Most commonly in a “mirrored” alignment so when one dancer is on their left actively grounding leg the other is on their right – basically the same side just as if looking in a mirror.   Parallel system has inside partner and outside partner navigation the same as crossed-system.  Parallel system also has the possibility of inviting the cross (el cruce) in various forms, just like crossed-system.  Navigationally if the dancers are facing the line of dance (Tango North) their alignment will be N-S and their weight exchanges would be traveling W-E/E-W on a compass.

• Pausa (la/una): a pause that still captures movement and subtlety… like a river reed (el junco).

• Realizer:  “follower” - we use realizer because it is more appropriate for the role.  These dancers have equal creation of any moment… they realize the ideas invited to them into reality.   They move their own-selves through space, independent of the navigator (“leader”), but striving to harmonize connection and intention.

• Ritmo (el):  Rhythm

• La Ronda: “the round.”  La ronda is the line of dance of the dance floor regardless of its shape.  Dancers flow in lanes (preferably staying in their lane the entire time) that at least the outer 2-3 lanes will flow counterclockwise (meaning the dancers will navigate left turns at each corner (unless its a round floor).

• Rozar | el Roce:  most commonly called “the brush” in tango.  We use “to sweep.”  Rozar is a form of gathering where we do not gather our feet (I don’t suggest ever collecting the feet until it is a precise choice of marking musicality).  El roce (the sweep) is when we come back to/through center with the intention of maintaining movement (even with a pause) in an active “driving” state.   We stay “in gear” so to speak.   We use the roce to to know we are always centered and with clear equilibrium for ourselves and mostly for our partner’s benefit.   If you wear corduroy pants you will hear the pleasing “zzsshhhwwwwooop” every time you have proper roce… we want our upper thighs to come back through center… not our feet… our feet will topple us off balance in the sweep.  Rozamos (we sweep) to keep the flow in motion with little caricias (caresses) as our own upper thighs pass through center before we move on.   Remember, tango only has forward, backward and side movements!  There are no diagonal steps (when legs part in a diagonal fashion).  If we come back through center with el roce and add a pivot you will find much more pleasing turns and giros.  Also, cuando rozamos (when we sweep) properly on and through every movement you will also find, naturally, perfect position (state-of-being) for safe and effortless pivots.

• La Salida: an exiting movement, one that bridges one musical idea into another. This step may be very rich in feeling as it transitions between sentimientos.  Learn every subtlety you can in these seemingly simple fundamentals so that one day soon you may truly feel the beauty La Salida can offer you. 

• Open Side:  Lado abierto - open side is the side with the open space when the dancers are embraced… the side where the hands are clasped.  Most commonly, but not restricted to:  navigator’s left arm and realizer’s right.  Blind/Closed side (lado ciego/lado cerrado) 

• Outside Partner: Lado afuera  is when ½ torso aligns with ½ of their partner’s torso (either the blind side or the open side of the embrace).  Outside partner, both blind side and open side, exists in both systems (crossed & parallel).

• Sentimiento(s) - feeling (sentimental), emotion from memories.

• Sistema Cruzado:  crossed-system.  Dancers will both be on the same actively grounding leg (left & left, or right & right).  Inter-cardinal directions are one way to think of crossed-system as the dancers hips will be facing the NW-SE or NE-SW if we say that Tango North is the line of dance and navigator’s (leader’s) front for reference (not restricted to this scenario).

• Sistema Paralelo:  parallel system.  (see parallel system)

• Tanda (una, la): a grouping of 3-4 songs (temas) separated by cortinas where two dancers mutually agree to dance together.   A tanda can be broken at any time if one of the dancers does not feel safe.   A tanda is typically 4 tango songs grouped together coherently as one orchestra in a similar time period and most accurately with the same cantante singing unless it’s an instrumental tanda.   Milonga and vals tandas are typically 3 songs (temas) in length.  Tanda originates in meaning “a collective agreement” (a northern African work, most likely Yoruban).

• Tema (un, el): a track.  One song.  “4 temas en una tanda de tango, 3 temas en una tanda de vals” = “4 songs in a tango tanda,  3 songs in a tanda of vals.”