2

3
 Carlos Dall’Asta

THE TANGO BOOK

4
Original title: THE TANGO BOOK

First edition: April 2022

@ Carlos Dall’Asta, 2022

@ of illustrations : Carlos Dall’Asta, 2022

All rights reserved.

The total or partial reproduction of this work is not allowed, nor its incor-

poration into a computer system, nor its transmission in any form or by any

means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or others) without

prior written authorization from the owners of the copyright.

The infringement of these rights may constitute a crime against intellectual

p r o p e r t y.

www.thetangobook.net

Contact :

thetangobook@gmail.com

Social media pages:

Youtube: The Tango Book

Instagram: the_tango_book

Facebook: The Tango Book

5
 For Buenos Aires,

for the Maestros of all times,

and for all those who share the love for Τango

6
Acknowledgements

There are many people who have made it possible for this book to see the

light of day, who with great patience and interest were by my side, believing

in me and in this innovative project. Therefore, I would like to express my

gratitude to those valuable people.

First of all, I want to thank my f a t h e r, Juan Carlos, who knew how to recog-

nise in me, since I was a child, my love for drawing, painting and reading. My

mother, Claudia for her understanding and support in pursuing my dreams.

To my parents for always being by my side.

Thanks to my p a r t n e r, Maria Karageorgou who did the Greek translation and

who helped me in the preparation of the book, providing all her knowledge,

especially in the chapter on embellishments, and helping in the develop-

ment of this particular method of learning. The result of a collaboration of

more than 16 years - contributing to the transmission of the knowledge of

tango from our dance academy: “Danzarín”.

To my wife Julietta Romina Terra Maropoulou for her unconditional support,

her English translation of the t e x t , her help with the Greek and Spanish edi-

tions, and as a Classical Ballet teacher her valuable artistic and pedagogical

contributions, especially in the chapter on figures.

To Katerina Papagianni, for her meticulous curation of the Greek edition and

for giving me important advice and observations that enriched the work.

To Victoria Chávez for her important contribution, with her enormous kind-

ness and professionalism in curating the English edition.

Μany thanks to David Rogan, for the corrections in the English edition.

Wa r m thanks to my sisters Stella Maris, Yanina and Analia, for their sincere

comments and enthusiasm; to my writer friends Martin Vitale and Niki Kara-

georgou for their helpful comments.

To musicians Marios Panteliadis and Kostas Zigkeridis for the kind and val-

uable collaboration in the chapter on music and rhythm.

To graphic designer Kostas Argyriou for his patience and great profession-

7
alism, his contribution was decisive in the final graphic realisation of the

book.

F i n a l l y, I would like to mention in a v e r y special w a y, the arrival of my

d a u g h t e r, Amaryllis Rosario, in my life, giving me more inspiration to con-

tinue creating and advancing in all that I love.

I thank you with all my h e a r t !

8
s t ne t noC

og
o
P
u
lre 9

o
n
rId
tu
oc
n
it 11

sesaB

Basci elmenst 21

The eosrl 25

The conneocint 29

The pou
se
tr: emb
ac
re, axsi and feet 33

Apu
e
a
tr, orn
ft csr
o and back o
csr 47

e
lla
lP
a
r and csr
o sye
stms 57

Cam
niat 61

ecnaD

Setps 69

Emsb
h
ie
lm
l enst 79

e
g
su
rF
i 107

Unti 1 125

Unti 2 147

Unti 3 185

Unti 4 199

Unti 5 223

Unti 6 243

Unti 7 257

Unti 8 267

Unti 9 281

Unti 10 297

9
 ecnaD rol f

Dance sye
tls 317

M
olniga codes 321

c i su
M

Myutcsial o
fr dancesr 331

Rhyhtm
ci keys 347

O
c
ah
srest and snigesr 355

y r o t s iH

a
n
T
g
o 379

M
olniga 387

sV
al 393

yr teoP

Thoughst about a
n
T
g
o 399

E
op
g
liue 405

About h
te author 406

oB
g
b
iarilphy 411

nIdex of giu
fers, emb
sh
ie
lm
l enst and se
tps 412

10
11
eugo l orP

The reason I wrote this book

I am from the south of Buenos Aires. I was born and raised in the neighbour-

hoods of La Boca, San Telmo and Barracas. Tango and the visual a r t s are

two basic pillars in my life. Two complimentary disciplines, the one neces-

sarily extroverted regarding creation with someone other than oneself and

the other more introverted and lonelier.

I was 15 years old, when I began to learn to dance tango with my three

sisters and my parents. My father was coming mostly to help, since he

already knew how to dance very well. The moment when for the first time

I attended a tango class was strongly engraved in my m e m o r y. In that first

contact with the dance I felt that something revealing was happening. In

tango coexisted, in an absolute harmony: meditation, concentration, strat-

e g y and technique, subtlety and precision, connection and s e n s u a l i t y, order

and anarchy, a sort of spontaneous creation in real time, in the present. I

remember comparing tango to chess; even though in tango, the intense ex-

perience of the music touched all my senses.

Years later, I graduated the School of Fine A r t s “Manuel Belgrano”, then

I had my bachelor ’s degree from the National University of A r t s with

a specialization in painting - 10 years dedicated to my academic for-

mation in Visual A r t s . For my university thesis, I wrote about "Tango

in Argentine Painting". In the meantime, I attended different dance

seminars with innumerable “maestros” at the University of Tango,

located in the neighbourhood of Almagro. With my bicycle, I went through

all the milongas that existed in the c i t y.

L a t e r, I moved to Athens, Greece, where I created my own academy of dance.

After 17 years in teaching, I felt the need to create a book that could tran-

smit the most important things about tango in an instructive and artistic

way. A book and, at the same time, a guide for professionals as well as for

amateur dancers.

There were two challenges that I faced, when creating this book. The

first challenge was to achieve to explain to the reader the figures of the

dance through a clear drawing, a drawing that would contain the elas-

ticity of the movement and the expressivity and, at the same time, to be

11

12
analytic and instructive. After an arduous s t y l i s t i c search I reached the de-

sired result: a book in which the written element is accompanied, support-

ed, enriched with a series of artistic drawings.

The second challenge was how to develop a system in writing for easy de-

coding and immediate knowledge transmission, which enables the reader

to understand, in depth, every element of the dance, and simultaneously

provide the tools to create, with this knowledge, a personal style in the

dance.

The development of this personal method is the result of many years

of experimentation and teaching and I am very moved by the fact that

now is the time I can describe it and share it with the readers of this

book. The ultimate purpose of the book is to deepen the dance of tan-

go, and learn how many alternatives and possibilities there are; for ex-

ample, how many ganchos, sacadas, barridas, boleos, etc. there are.

Besides being a source of knowledge, this book also serves as a:

Learning guide

Reminder of steps and figures

Reference material

Method for teachers and students

Source of inspiration for the creation of movements

Essential material for any professional or amateur dancer

12

13
no i t cudo r t n I

Traditionally the old tango professors taught how to dance mainly through

steps. In order to provide definitions, we could say that a step is a set of

movements that combined in a certain way form a unit, which has a certain

beginning, development and end, and it often has a specific name. These

steps are taught progressively according to their different degrees of com-

p l e x i t y. Often, the first step we start to learn is the “cuadrado” (square),

later we continue with the “paso basico” (basic step), following the “ochos

adelante y atrás” (forward and backward eights) and their inclusion in the

basic step. According to the tradition, this way we learn the other steps and

figures. So, the steps that were traditionally taught later were, for example

(most of them popularly known) “media luna” (half moon), “ocho con rebote”

(eight with rebound), “ocho cortado o arrepentido” (cut eight or regretful),

“la calesita” (carousel), “el espejito” (little mirror), “la cadena” (the chain),

etc.

This traditional technique was based on a somewhat rigid structure of the

embrace and the walking, consolidated by oral tradition - that is, by word of

mouth. The most important thing was the correct execution of the step and

the function of the technique served that purpose.

In the 1990’s however, a kind of revisionism of the tango dance took place.

This was an era in which Tango was approached from another perspective,

generating questions about the traditional p e d a g o g y. Tango nowdays is up-

dated and enriched. The substantial change came from the greater care pro-

vided, no longer for the steps, but in the technique per se. It is about a more

scientific perspective of the dance.

The pervasiveness of new t e c h n o l o g y, audio-visual media, as well as the

spread of the internet, made tango more accessible to a wider public and

permitted the analysis of details, influencing the learning of the dance. De-

tails that were unnoticed before, now could be analysed in depth.

Here, it is important to note that in the past, in terms of "codes", dancers

were not allowed to "copy" one another. Steps, details and particular styles

of the “milongueros” were ardently executed and the idea of some other

dancer doing them was not conceived. It was a matter of respect. However,

13

14
currently, in this era of great knowledge dissemination, those kind of codes

no longer exist. Now, it is essential to study the dance in depth, through the

observation and the research of different sources, interchanging knowledge

and learning to distinguish the information that would help us in our own

artistic evolution.

The historical turning point in the evolution of tango in the 1990’s provid-

ed a greater possibility for understanding the constitutive technical el-

ements and expanded the creative possibilities. Thus, a great evolution of the

sacadas, ganchos, volcadas, colgadas, alteraciones, soltadas, boleos etc.

occurred. Concepts like axis, dissociation, rotation, off axis, dynamics,

musicality , are increasingly used and show a change of era in the evolution

of tango.

The pedagogical innovation of the 1990s radically changed the way of

approaching the language of tango, awakening a growing interest in the

dance in new generations.

Even the traditional terms of “man” and “woman”, indicative of the different

roles, are now often replaced by those of “líder” and “seguidor”, referring

to the one that leads and the one that follows. In this book, we will use the

English terms of “leader” and “follower”, since they are more international,

neutral and easier to understand.

First, let us explain some terms that we are going to use later in this book,

which are fundamental to understanding its method.

Step: a specific name for a combination of movements and figures. If we used

grammatical terms, we could compare the step with a sentence that consists

of various words, which has a complete meaning.

Figure: is the element that can be integrated into the steps or into a cho-

reography. Grammatically, we could say that it is the “word”.

Embellishment: is an element, whose function is to beautify and to enrich

the steps or the figures, without interrupting their development and without

affecting them d i r e c t l y. The embellishment is not led by the leader, it is an

independent movement, beyond the “marca” (direction) of the leader.

It is worth mentioning that often some figures can be considered embe-

llishments, this is related to the intention and the context in which they are

performed.

14

15
Book structure

This book is composed of the following chapters: Ba s e s , Dance, Dance floor,

Music, History and Poetry.

Chapter Bases

“Basic elements” delves into the embrace and the walking.

“The roles” and “The connection” mention the different roles existing in the

dance couple, which complement each other through the understanding of

a broad idea of the connection.

“The posture: embrace, axis and feet” presents the elements of a correct

posture.

“Apertura, front cross and back cross” and “Parallel and cross systems”

provide guidelines for the decoding of the steps and figures.

“Caminata” delves into the action of walking and its parallel and crossed

ways.

Chapter Dance

Here the steps, embellishments and figures that exist in the tango dance

are grouped.

“Steps” presents the most important steps, which are grouped according

to their level of c o m p l e x i t y. The development of the steps should be done

g r a d u a l l y, searching for a correlation between them.

In “Embellishments” all the embellishments of the dance of tango are gath-

ered, from the most basic and important, to the most sophisticated.

“Figures” presents the figures organised following a specific pedagogical

logic, classified by increasing levels of d i f f i c u l t y. Likewise, each figure, as

well as its possible combinations, are deeply analysed. The text is accom-

panied by explanatory drawings for better understanding.

15

16
Chapter Dance floor

“Dance s t y l e s ” gives the tools that help us distinguish the different ways of

dancing tango so we can be able to dance them observing their peculiarities

and expanding the range of possibilities in our dance.

“Milonga codes” mentions the most important social codes within the ambit

of the milonga - the tango dance night.

Chapter Music

“Musicality for dancers” and “Rhythmic keys” analyse an essential issue,

which has to do with rhythm and m u s i c a l i t y, whose objective is a better

understanding of the music of tango by the dancers.

“Orchestras and singers” describes the most important orchestras and

most outstanding singers that can be heard and danced in the milonga.

Chapter History

“Tango”, “Milonga” and “ Va l s ” , briefly presents the History of tango, high-

lighting the context in which the music and the corresponding dance were

created.

Chapter Poetry

“Thoughts about Tango” exposes the thoughts and some personal per-

ceptions of many a r t i s t s and representatives of the genre, directed to the

enrichment of our own perception of the art of tango, contributing to its

deeper understanding.

In the final Index, all the existing figures, embellishments and steps con-

tained in this book are arranged a l p h a b e t i c a l l y, to help the reader find them

in the future.

16

17
Here, I would like to briefly mention my personal motivation for the cre-

ation of this book, which is sharing knowledge and experience - because

when we share knowledge with those around us, we all learn b e t t e r.

It is also good to mention that information by itself does not create knowl-

edge: it is the organisation of the information where the key lies in order to

create conceptual connections, so then to be able to experiment a s s e r t i v e -

ly and thus, evolve.

This book, through a pedagogical and artistic approach, tries to achieve a

near utopian objective: unify all the existing tango figures, highlight their

possibilities and enrich the vocabulary of the dance. Thus, in an original

way, it tries to contribute to the expansion of this living dance that we love

so much.

The invitation to creation and enjoyment is open.

Carlos Dall’Asta

17

18
19
s e s a B

20
21
 Basic

Elements

22
23
ci saB s t neme l E

The two basic elements of tango are the embrace and the walking .

Learning how to dance tango means to get closer to a world where the

basic element is the connection with the other person. That is precisely the

function of the most distinctive symbol of this dance: the embrace. This

particular embrace has a great c o m p l e x i t y. This is where we meet face to

face not only with our pair, but also with our fears, and maybe through

this singular embrace we can overcome them. That closeness to the oth-

er person is of vital significance. In the dance, one should cooperate with

the other and go in search of a u n i t y, create a consistent bridge where

dialogue is possible. This way, the two partners complement each other

without losing their own independence. We are talking about the complex

process of conquering one's own sense of liberty through the connection,

through a shared game. The difficulty lies in achieving that delicate balance.

Before dancing tango, those who go on to dance it do something that is

e a s y, subtle, deep, and sophisticated: they walk i t . Historically in the milon-

gas, the old “milongueros” instead of being surprised by the steps of a cou-

ple, they appreciated the posture of the couple, the way they walked and

if that walking had elegance and q u a l i t y, what do those feet express while

promenading. S e c o n d l y, they paid attention to the steps. It is clear that

in tango, this particular walking arises from full improvisation. The learn-

ing of the steps through an organised way is of great importance, because

this is how the dancer achieves a discursive clarity in his way of dancing.

We learn dance steps in order to be able to interpret and express through

dance our deepest feelings. Those who dance tango, who walk while doing

some pauses and some steps begin a journey into oneself. From there aris-

es the introspective quality of the dance.

23

24
25
The Roles

26
27
ehT se l oR

I think it is extremely important to understand both the importance and

the scope of each role, from two perspectives: one basic and the other ad-

vanced .

First of all, it is fundamental to understand that there are two clearly de-

fined ways to interact and to coexist within the dance. Assuming a certain

role means to exercise it fully, with awareness, and taking the due respon-

sibility it requires. Both people should own an active attitude towards the

other and understand the complementarity of the role assumed.

Let us analyse both roles from the two perspectives mentioned:

Basic perspective

The leader, a role traditionally attributed to a man, is the one that decides

what movements to do, the figures to develop, the steps to execute. He has

a protective attitude controlling the situation. He looks for s t a b i l i t y, some-

thing clearly evident in the way of stepping (with the whole sole of the foot).

He is the one who mostly moves on, heads forward when walking, attempts

to follow properly the dance line in the milonga, calculates the spaces in

the complex environment of the dance floor, where many people interact

s i m u l t a n e o u s l y. He cannot give himself the freedom to close his eyes at the

moment of the dance. That would go against his role as the leader.

The follower, a role traditionally attributed to a woman, has a different

attitude. The follower has to be alert to execute the movements, figures,

steps proposed by the leader. Her attitude is listening, responding, comple-

menting. She concretises the idea to be developed, from an alert attitude

- something that becomes apparent in her way of stepping (mostly on the

metatarsal area of her foot). She is the one that mainly goes backwards, and

walks backward when circulating on the dance floor.

27

28
Advanced perspective

Dancing also means to have a dialogue. In order to maintain a fluid and in-

teresting communication, both roles need to exercise the sense of “speak-

ing” as well as that of “listening”.

When the leader leads, what he actually does is propose, invite to a-

ction, take the initiative, neither pressing nor pushing his p a r t n e r. Mean-

while, the follower while following the mark of the l e a d e r, a t t e m p t s to com-

plete this proposition, but in an a c ti v e w a y, and certainly not in a pas-

sive or submissive w a y. The more advanced the level of knowledge of both

dancers, the more interesting and richer in propositions will be the inter-

action - the dance.

Even though we talk about two clearly differentiated roles, it is essential

to understand that, in a certain level, both roles can and must be mixed.

This is the most interesting p a r t of Tango, in which the leader knows how

to “listen” and to accept the propositions of the f o l l o w e r, while the latter,

besides following, knows how to “speak”, to generate movements, figures,

s u g g e s t i o n s .

This advanced way of dancing occurs when both dancers have a high level

of knowledge of the technique, the steps and the figures.

Yi n g - Ya n g

The Y i n g - Ya n g drawing constitutes a p e r f e c t metaphor for this interaction

between the two roles. This symbol p r e s e n t s a circle with two p a r t s with

an S shape, one white and one black. In the white p a r t appears a black spot

and in the black p a r t , a white spot. Y i n g - Ya n g symbolises the balance of

forces. In simple terms, we could say that in every leader there is some-

thing of a follower and in every follower

there is a p a r t of a leader.

In this sense, the Y i n g - Ya n g reminds us

of the idea of balance between oppo-

sites. A f t e r all, the most essential issue

in dancing is, u n d o u b t e d l y, the search

for h a r m o n y.

28

29
The Connection

30
31
ehT no i t cennoC

Having a correct posture in tango means, e s s e n t i a l l y, that one is “in con-

nection”. It is about something much wider and profound than simply being

conntected to one's p a r t n e r, though. It is a total connection, which is devel-

oped in four levels:

• Connection with the other

• Connection with the space

• Connection with the music

• Connection with oneself

Connection with the other: our intention is directed towards the partner

that we have in front of us. The centre of the body and the torso are slightly

inclined towards our p a r t n e r. In this way, we are directed towards the part-

ner and in turn, we address them in order to create a “dialogue”, a couple

dancing.

Connection with the space: this slight forward inclination keeps us active,

alert and e x p e c t a n t , and makes us aware of the surrounding space.

Connection with the music: the position of the body itself makes us more

sensitive and pay attention to the pulsation, the rhythm, the m e l o d y, and

music as a whole.

Connection with oneself: this is the result of the conscious connection of all

the above. We are more deeply connected with ourselves when we perceive

and sense the way in which we are connected to the other, the space, the

music.

All these, both at a personal or group level, are what happen in a milonga

full of people. The space where the dancers move is often not large enough,

though; this fact can influence the different movements they make. The mu-

sic merges with the dancers, who move as if they were navigating the sea.

In the particular context of the milonga, a vital and intense connection with

the “other” is achieved with the p a r t n e r, with the people dancing around you,

and l a s t l y, with yourself. This results in a total connection that is magical!

31

32
33
The Posture:

E mbrace,

A xis

and F eet

34
35
ehT : eru t soP , eca r bmE Axsi

dna teeF

The correct posture in tango is a complex and multifaceted issue. The par-

ticularity of the embrace of tango is based on the intention of the couple to

create a space for dialogue and to “build” a communication bridge between

two people. It is not only about a correct technique, but also about the in-

tention of meeting.

A “good” embrace should be both stable and sensitive. Experience and ma-

turity are needed to achieve a generous embrace, one that invites without

pressing, which listens and can be understood at the same time.

It would be a good idea to try not to fall into the trap of clinging to a strict

and rigid idea of what a "correct" embrace means in tango. We are talking

about a form of expression, in which the dancer themselves will change sev-

eral times, especially as time passes and their experience increases. Howev-

e,r I consider it necessary to understand what a correct embrace means and,

thus, have a guide that will help us not to fall into habits, which often create

difficulties in the way we dance and do not respect the anatomy of the body.

There are three key aspects to posture that we will focus on at a technical

level: the embrace, the axis, and the feet.

The embrace

In tango, we position ourselves facing each other, without the necessity of

being in exact symmetry. The embrace of tango has two parts to consider:

one open side and one closed. The right hand of the leader as well as the left

hand of the follower constitute the closed part of the embrace. In the same

way, we can say that the left hand of the leader as well as the right hand of

the follower make up the open part.

The elbows should have a diagonal position down and at the same time to be

in front of the lateral muscles of the body. One of the most frequent errors is

keeping them pointing back or to the sides.

35

36
The hands should be relaxed, without pressing, nor squeezing, but with the

right amount muscular pressure.

In the open part of the embrace, the hands should be located at the eye

level.

The axis

It is necessary that both dancers individually keep their own axis. By “axis”

we mean an imaginary vertical line that begins in the feet, is projected be-

yond the highest point of the head and has a slight inclination forwards.

Therefore, we are not talking about an exact perpendicular line, but rather a

slightly diagonal forward one.

The activation of the centre of the body, which also has a slight forward

direction, accompanied by the torso, influences in the creation of this incli-

nation.

The feet

All the sole of the foot should be used, having a good sense of the floor, and

from there slightly press with the metatarsal (the forefoot). In this way, the

heel will not have so much weight.

Stepping right is not an easy task, as it seems at the beginning. It requires

attention and very precise work. The heels are slightly joined, creating space

between the metatarsals, enough so the partner’s foot can be located. Such

position of the feet provides the dancer a greater stability than there could

be if the metatarsals were joined.

The knees should be relaxed, enabling the feet to react quickly to stimuli.

The abductors should be minimally rotated outwards, this helps in the acti-

vation of the centre of the body.

36

37
 Lado abierto

del abrazo

con los codos

hacia abajo /

Open side

of the embrace

with the elbows

down

37

38
Posición de la mano

derecha en la espalda

cerrando el abrazo /

Position of the right hand

at the back closing

the embrace

38

39
40
 Posición de la mano

izquierda en la espalda

cerrando el abrazo/

Position of the left

hand at the back

closing the embrace

39

41
Lado cerrado

del abrazo/

Closed side

of the embrace

40

42
Ty p e s of Embraces

When we dance, the t y p e of the embrace varies depending on the moment

or the elements executed. Being able to i d e n t i f y the different t y p e s of em-

braces allows us to enrich our dance, as we can choose the most appro-

priate t y p e to adapt in each moment. A c t u a l l y, there is not “correct” and

“incorrect” t y p e of embrace, but one that s e r v e s us in each situation.

These are the different t y p e s of embraces, organised according to the lev-

els of complexity:

• Abierto / Open

• Cerrado / Closed

• Apilado

• Al revés / Reverse

14

43
Abierto / Open

The elbows are located

away from the thorax and

the arms are diagonally

outwards and downwards.

There is enough space

between the dancers, so

they can move easily.

A distinctive feature in this

type of embrace is the

frontal position between

the dancers.

42

44
45
 Cerrado / Closed

The elbows of the

dancers are located near

the thorax, with a slight

direction downwards. The

closer to the body the el-

bows located, the smaller

the space for mobility

will be. The arms usually

surround the partner in

an accentuated circular

way. Often the faces are

so close that the contact

of the foreheads can exist

during the dance. The

spatial limitation adds a

greater complexity to the

execution of the figures

and the steps of

the dance.

43

46
Apilado

It is an evolution of the

closed embrace. In this type

exists a greater closeness

between the dancers and a

constant contact in the upper

part of the thorax. The shared

axis gives the impression that

one depends on the other.

The level of complexity is

superior, as it requires a very

good control of the posture, as

well as trust in the partner.

It is important to avoid

“breaking” the waist in this

type of embrace.

44

47
48
 Al revés / Reverse :

It is generally used in

exhibitions. In this very

particular type of embrace,

the follower turns their

back to the leader, who

tries to be as clear as pos-

sible in the lead. Given the

high level of complexity,

usually the steps are fully

or partially choreographed.

45

49
Things to keep in mind

There should be a minimum space between both dancers at the top of their

centres of axis, which enables greater mobility during the execution of the

figures and the steps.

Try not to have tension in the torso, since instead of creating a bond with

the other person, the opposite effect would be achieved, that of rejection.

Something similar can happen with the hands. Tension can be very harmful

and create an imbalance in a shared axis.

There are various ideas regarding the location of the head. The most impor-

tant thing is to maintain a relaxed neck and to achieve a satisfactory pe-

ripheral vision, in which the partner is included, as well as the surrounding

space.

As Argentine tango is a dance of introspection, it is logical that the glances

of the dancers do not project entirely out of the couple. As it is not function-

al either to be directed to our partner all the time.

It is important to mention the “cadencia” (cadence) of tango; that is, the

subtle and particular way in the expression of the movement, especially

patent in walking. Briefly, we can say that this has to do with a dissociation,

a determined stepping and a clear direction for the partner. I consider it

the characteristic feature of tango which enriches the quality of the dance,

since it projects a sense of relaxation and confidence in those who incorpo-

rate it in their movements.

It is also fundamental for each one to work separately all the mentioned

elements, to be able to incorporate them later in the moment of the em-

brace. The greater the technical skill, the greater the understanding of the

body's posture, the degree of self-knowledge and the development of em-

pathy will be. Eventually, this will increase the chances that both dancers

will achieve a high level of connection.

46

50
 Apertura,

F ront C ross

and B ack C ross

51
52
,arut rep
A t no r F ssorC

dna kcaB ssorC

There are three basic movements to decode the dance, which arise from the

position between the dancers: Apertura , Cruce Adelante and Cruce Atrás .

We can add the Pivot as an extra element. These terms are commonly used

in the context of the dance.

Apertura / Opening: movement to the side, normally called “step to the

side” or “lateral step”. It describes the action of generating a lateral step in

relation to the axis of our partner.

Cruce / Cross: movement that causes a crossing in relation to the partner,

and can be forwards or backwards. Cruce is also the meaning given to the

fifth position of the basic step, when the follower places the left foot in front

of the right foot. In order to d i ff e r e n t i a t e it from the other cruces, we could

say that this is just a “cruce on the spot”.

Cruce Adelante / Front cross: normally called “forward step” or “half forward

eight”, it is a movement that “crosses” the legs in relation to the partner

while going forwards.

Cruce Atrás / Back cross: normally called “backward step” or “half backward

eight”, it is a movement that “crosses” the legs in relation to the partner

while going backwards.

Pivot: rotation on the axis.

These movements can be executed with either the right or the left foot.

49

53
Apertura / Opening

50

54
 Apertura / Opening

1
5

55
Cruce adelante o atrás /

Front or back cross

52

56
 Cruce adelante o atrás /

Front or back cross

53

57
Pivot

54

58
 Pivot

55

59
60
 Parallel

and C rossed

S ystems

61
62
l e l l a r aP dna

C dessor S m
setsy

The understanding of these basic concepts is v e r y helpful for the compre-

hension of the different forms of execution of the figures that make up the

dance of tango.

Parallel system: when a dancer's weighted foot is in front of his p a r t n e r ' s

weighted foot and they are related in a “mirror” mode.

59

63
Crossed system: when a dancer's weighted foot and the opposite p a r t n e r ' s

weighted foot are related in a “anti-mirror” mode.

Where both s y s t e m s are b e s t applied and understood is in the most funda-

mental act of the dance, that is when walking: the caminata .

60

64
65
Caminata

66
67
a t an imaC / gn i k l aW

The act of walking is the most important element of the dance. Some-

thing so basic and fundamental, as well as complex and advanced, since

it requires special attention to achieve the desired q u a l i t y. It allows us to

circulate on the dance floor and at the same time, it is the “canvas” on

which all tango figures are applied.

There are two t y p e s : the caminata paralela (parallel walking) and the

caminata cruzada (crossed walking) .

Caminata paralela / Parallel walking

Both leader and follower are e x a c t l y facing each o t h e r, and while one walks

forward, for example with the l e f t foot, the other goes backward with the

right foot s i m u l t a n e o u s l y. Then, the first one goes forward with the right

foot, as the second one continues with the l e f t foot, and so on. This type

of walking is more compact and creates a greater sense of connection for

the couple.

Caminata cruzada / Crossed walking

Beginning from the position of the parallel s y s t e m and a f t e r a change of

weight of one of the dancers, the couple walks this way: when one goes for-

ward with the right foot, the other one goes backward with their right foot.

N e x t , while the first one moves forward with their l e f t foot, the second one

moves backward with their l e f t foot, and so on. This t y p e of walking pre-

s e n t s a greater complexity than the parallel walking.

The t y p e of caminata , whether parallel or crossed, is something defined by

the leader or whoever is going forward.

In order to change from one s y s t e m to the o t h e r, the only thing needed is

the change of weight of just one of the dancers (not both at the same time).

63

68
This w a y, it is possible to interchange both s y s t e m s in the same caminata .

Caminata

parallel crossed

internal external

64

69
 Caminata

parallel

internal

65

70
Caminata

crossed

external

66

71
e c n a D

72
73
 Steps

74
75
spe t S

A paso / step is a combination of elements that connected in a co-

herent way create a u n i t y. O f t e n steps transcend time and become

known, becoming p a r t of the dancers’ repertoire. This is when we can

say they are traditional steps. Of course, the quantity of steps that

can be created is infinite. The most important thing, though, is to pos-

s e s s the fundamental knowledge of the most essential elements, so

that we can master a wider repertoire and create new steps with more

freedom. It is good to learn the steps in an organic and orderly w a y. This

creates a solid base, from which the steps emerge and are developed in an

articulated way.

In the Paso Básico / Basic step , already appear the three most important

movements:

• the cruce adelante / front cross

• the apertura / opening

• the cruce atrás / back cross

Then the fourth concept will be added to the other steps:

• the pivot

L a t e r, elements such as the οchos adelante / forward eights and οchos

atrás / backward e i g h t s will a p p e a r. In this w a y, with the addition of the

apertura / opening or paso lateral / lateral step , the giros / turns will be

created, whether they are right or l e f t .

The figuras / figures are defined p a r t s of the dance that we will analyse in

the n e x t chapter and in which we give special importance in this book.

The following steps are organised in a practical w a y, according to their

different degrees of c o m p l e x i t y. The order of the steps has a specific peda-

gogical sense. This learning line is recommended, as it is influenced by the

maestros of Buenos Aires.

71

76
Pasos / Steps

and the most important combinations of elements

Cuadrado / Square

The most important step, on which every other step is built, is the classic

cuadrado. It c o n s i s ts of six movements and it is considered the base of the

tango. It is also called baldosa / tile .

Básico / Basic

The second most important step is the basic step. A l s o considered the

base of tango, a f t e r the cuadrado, and it c o n s i s ts of eight movements

(five initial and three ending movements). In the f i f t h movement of the

basic step, the leader leads the follower to do a cross (classic cross of the

woman). The first p a r t of the basic step are the initial five movements until

the cross, while the l a s t three movements are the second p a r t .

I m p o r t a n t : o f t e n the second p a r t is called termination , as a f t e r performing

different steps and figures we end with the l a s t three movements of the

basic step.

Básico cruzado / Basic cross

This is also p a r t of the basic step, with the difference being that n o w,

the leader makes a change of weight in the third movement and enters

the cross s y s t e m . A f t e r the cross, we continue normally into the parallel

s y s t e m .

Básico + ocho adelante / Basic + forward eight

In the f i f t h movement of the basic step, in the cross, the leader leads the

follower to do a forward eight, and then end the step with the l a s t three

movements of the basic step.

Básico + ocho atrás / Basic + backward eight

In the second movement of the basic step, the leader leads the follower to

do a backward eight, and then continues the basic step.

72

77
Medialuna / Half-moon

This is a classic step. A f t e r the second movement of the basic step, the

leader marks to the follower two back crosses (a backward eight), an

apertura (step to the side) and two front crosses (a forward eight). The

leader follows these movements rotating on his axis without transporting

himself. At the end, we close with the l a s t three movements of the basic

step, that is, with the so-called termination .

Ocho con rebote / Eight with rebound

A f t e r the third movement of the basic step, the leader leads the follower to

make a back step with rebound with the m e t a t a r s a l area of the right foot,

which leads her to a forward eight. F i n a l l y, we close with a termination of

the basic step.

Ocho cortado / Cut eight

This is a very classic step, which was created because of the necessity of the

dancers in the milongas to adjust to a very small place. We wil find it also

as Ocho milonguero or Ocho arrepentido / Regretful eight . After the third

movement of the basic step, the leader leads the follower to make a back

step with rebound and then a side step with rebound as well, until ending

in the classic cross of the basic step. Historically, this step arises from the

following situation: the side step with rebound was the beginning of a giro

/ turn , but since there were other couples on the dance floor and a con-

vergence of people, the leader changes his opinion, marks a lateral rebound

and brings the follower to a cross, that is, the fifth movement of the basic step.

Básico + giro derecho / Basic + right turn

In the f i f t h movement of the basic step, that is, in the cross, the follower

begins a turn going to the right (the right side of the leader).

Básico + giro izquierdo / Basic + left turn

In the third movement of the basic step, the follower begins a turn going

to the l e f t (the l e f t side of the leader), a f t e r doing an apertura / opening .

Básico + lápiz + giro / Basic step + pencil + turn

This step is directed principally to the l e a d e r. At the moment of beginning

the turn to the r i g h t , the leader draws a circle on the floor with the point of

the foot, a lapiz / pencil (embellishment).

73

78
Básico + giro + barrida / Basic + turn + sweep

It begins with the basic, later enters to a giro and in the back cross of the

giro performs a barrida / sweep .

Básico + giro + barrida + boleo / Basic + turn + sweep + boleo

Similar to the previous, except that n o w, a f t e r the barrida and without lo-

sing the same dynamic of the movement, we perform a boleo / throw .

Básico + giro + barrida + gancho / Basic + turn + sweep + hook

Same as the previous, except that now at the end of the barrida we per-

form a gancho / hook .

Básico + ocho atrás + sanguchito / Basic + backward eight + sandwich

After the second movement of the basic step, we perform two back crosses,

that is, a backward eight, which we break with two paradas / stops that form

a sanguchito / sandwich .

Ocho + sanguchito + barrida / Basic + backward eight + sandwich + sweep

Similar to the previous, we continue the s t a t i c movement of the sandwich

with a barrida.

Ocho + sanguchito + barrida + gancho / Basic + backward eight + sandwich

+ sweep + hook

Same as the previous, except that in the end, a f t e r the sweep, we add a

more dynamic figure such as that of the gancho.

74

79
Salidas / Exits

T h e s a l i d a s a r e w a y s t o b e g i n t h e s t e p s ; w e c o u l d n a m e t h e m i n i t i a l

m o v e m e n t s .

Atrás / Back

This is the classic salida of tango. The leader begins doing a back step with

the right foot, while the follower initiates the front step with the l e f t f o o t .

Lateral (o del 40’ / or 40's step)

This is the second classic salida of the tango and surely the most used. Its

name comes from the golden age of tango, the decade of the 40's, a moment

of great tango effervescence, in which due to the spatial limitation created

by the large number of dancers on the dance floor, it became necessary to

develop an initial step that would be secure and more controlled than the

typical back step.

Both dancers begin with a lateral step, the leader with the left foot and the

follower with the right foot.

Americana

This popular salida was commonly associated with tango in Europe and

in the U . S . A . It was born in the 1920s, when the actor Rodolfo Va l e n t i n o

first brought it to cinema. At that time, it was n e c e s s a r y to do the largest

number of steps in only one s t a t i c shot (the famous plano-secuencia / se-

quence-shot ), due to the heavy weight of the filming camera. Such technical

limitations gave the origin to these movements in a vertical line, generally

directed towards the camera.

It c o n s i s ts of a simultaneous front step of both dancers in the same di-

rection, standing in a mirror position. It is also usual to bring different

movements into the dance, as it is the f i f t h or the third movement of the

basic step.

75

80
Cruzada / Cross

In this salida the leader changes his weight, from the l e f t to the right foot.

The follower remains as she is. Following, the salida begins with a front

step of the leader and a back step of the f o l l o w e r, in a cross s y s t e m .

Girada / Turned

The leader begins turning backwards and to the right with his right foot.

The follower continues the rotation of the movement with her l e f t foot for-

wards. In this w a y, an immediately change of front is achieved.

Adelante / Front

This is the less used salida. It is usually executed when due to spatial lim-

itation, the leader initiates a movement walking forwards and the follower

backwards. In order to avoid problems, a good clear change of weight is

necessary.

76

81
More advanced steps

Here I will number some of the most advanced and interesting steps to learn,

which I keep in my memory with a lot of love. I have learned them directly

from old maestros, although most of them were not and are not very well

known internationally, they possess the essence of teaching.

La medai vuetla / The hafl turn

This is a very popular step. Although there are different variants, here we

will analyse the two most important. We usually perform it going to the left

or to the right side. It consists of three basic movements that the follower

performs: a back cross, an open step and a front cross. Meanwhile, during

such movements of the follower, the leader stays on a central point, as if it

were their axis. The classic way to do it, is from the third movement of the

basic step (going to the left side of the leader) or from the fifth (going to the

right side of the leader).

El espe
o
tij / The tile mrior

In the second movement of the basic step, both dancers, in a simultaneous

way, are situated facing each other as if it were a mirror and develop the fol-

lowing movements: a backward eight, then a back step and a cross, ending

with a salida americana and an apertura / opening .

La Veó
rn
cia / The Veroncia

In the third movement of the basic step, the follower will make seven steps

into the turning code, beginning with a lateral step. All this will be performed

around the axis of the leader, who accompanies such movements from a

pinwheel, that is to say, with the weight on both feet. This step gets its the

name from a movement performed by the bullfighters while following the

bull, twisting on their own axis, without losing sight of the bull.

La Cadena / The chan

i

This step consists of three moments that are repeated. It begins in the

second movement of the basic step.

First moment: the follower does a back cross while the leader does a sacada

in front with the left foot towards the right foot of the follower.

Second moment: the follower locates the foot that received the sacada

slightly to her left, meanwhile the leader does an apertura.

Third moment: now it is the leader that does a back cross, while the follower

77

82
does a front cross, provoking a sacada in front.

The succession of such moments creates the well known step La cadena /

The chain or El encadenado / The chained . There are several versions.

La bciciela
t / The bc
iyce
l

In the second movement of the basic step, the leader changes his weight and

makes a front step into the cross system, while the follower makes a back

step. Before ending that third movement, both relax their knees and slightly

lower their centre. Here is where the bycicle develops, when the leader with

the right foot gets in contact with the right foot of the follower and both

draw a circle in the space, from bottom to the top, just if they were pedalling

in a bicycle.

El vavién / Swn
ig

There are many ways to perform it. It is about a step that is based on three

double times. The couple make simultaneous changes of weight, in the same

place and towards different directions, moving simultaneously, either one

entering into the legs of the other, or making lateral steps like a mirror. We

can find many combinations with the logic of the vaivén.

Cord
ia
ti / The run

This step consists of three or even more, quick movements. In this succes-

sion of movements, the leader is directed generally going forwards with tiny

steps, while the follower is directed with tiny and quick steps going back-

wards. The steps are performed in double time or even f a s t e r. It transposes

into the parallel system.

Los Ochos adealne

t que van atrás / The forward eights go
nig backwards

Los Ochos atrás que van adealne

t / The backward eights go
nig forwards

It is a demanding combination, as the forward eights, with a full pivot and

a great dissociation, are directed backwards, moving away from the leader,

causing in this way the leader to advance going forwards. In the same way,

the backward eights are directed towards the leader, causing him to move

backwards. It is a very demanding figure, since it requires great precision,

dissociation and correct activation of the centre. The follower should join

their adductors and ankles together also.

78

83
Embellishments

84
85
s t nemhs i l l ebmE

The adorno / embellishment is a component added to the dance that has a

certain a e s t h e t i c value and has the objective of enriching the step or the

figure, but without breaking i t s natural dynamic. It can be executed by both

roles, though is mostly made by the f o l l o w e r. It is an independent move-

ment that is not conducted by the l e a d e r. It can be performed with both

f e e t , in motion or in a s t a t i c w a y. In order to make an embellishment, it is

required that the dancers take the initiative and create the space needed.

The more closely the dancer listens to the music, the better their execution

of the embellishments will be.

There are five suitable moments to perform embellishments:

1. paradas / stops

2. ochos adelante ο a t r á s / forward or backward eights

3. caminatas / walking

4. giros / turns

5. in other figures

A N A LY S I S OF THE EMBELLISHMENTS

Patito / Duck: union of the h e e l s , with

the m e t a t a r s a l s open. The classic po-

sition of tango is accentuated, as the

m e t a t a r s a l s are opened a little bit

more than usual.

81

86
Rodilla / Knee: union of bent knees, while the heels are kept open.

Pisadita / Little stepping: small taps on the ground with the ball of the foot.

The heels are held together during the execution of this embellishment.

82

87
Cruce / Cross: the dancer places his free foot in front of or behind the base

foot. This is a classic and very popular embellishment mainly used during

the forward and backward eights.

Types:

• forward low

• forward high

• backward low

• backward high

83

88
Saludo cruzado / Cross greeting: elevation of the dancer's foot, crossing

over the base foot and descending onto on the outer side of the base foot.

Types:

• the foot starts flexed

• the foot starts out straight

• reverse flexed: the foot starts flexed on the outer side and goes

down onto the inner side of the base foot

• reverse straight: the foot starts out straight on the outer side and

goes down onto the inner side of the base foot

84

89
Saludo paralelo / Parallel greeting: elevation of the dancer's foot and de-

scending onto the inner side of the base foot.

Types :

• the foot starts flexed

• the foot starts out straight

• the foot starts flexed and then stretches

Sau
ld
o
ti cruzado / Cross tile green
itg: sma
ll eelvaoitn of the dance
s'r foot,

co
rssnig the sn
hi of the suppon
ritg elg and gn
og
i down the oue
tr d
sie of the

suppon
ritg leg.

Sau
ld
o
ti n
iverso cruzado / Reverse cross tile green
tig: sma
ll eelvaoitn of the

dance
s'r foot, gn
og
i up the oue
tr d
sie of the sn
hi of the suppon
ritg e
l g, crossnig

ti and gn
og
i down the nnier d
sie of the suppon
ritg leg.

Sau
ld
o
ti paraeo
l / Paea
rll tile green
tig: sma
ll eelvaoitn of the dance
s'r foot

and descent on the nnier d

sie of the sn
hi of the suppon
ritg leg.

Sau
ld
o
ti n
iverso paraeo
l / Reverse pae
ral tile green
tig: sma
ll eelvaoitn of the

dance
s'r foot, n
sirg up the nnier d
sie of the sn
hi of the base o
fot and descendnig

wtih the elg pep

rend
cu
a
ilr o
t the ground.

85

90
Castigada / Punishment: it is about a cross, which is performed high and in

a sharp way. It is like the follower wants to hit the supporting leg with the

free leg, over the knee.

Rulo / Curl: the dancer draws a tiny circle on the ground with the point of

the foot forwards, outwards, backwards and inwards. The knee of the free

leg of the dancer is kept bent and stable.

Types:

• large

• small

86

91
Rulo inverso / Reverse curl: the dancer draws a circle on the floor with the

point of the foot, backwards, outwards, forwards and inwards. The knee of

the dancer's free foot is flexed and stable.

Types:

• large

• small

Rulo inverso con cambio de frente / Reverse curl with change of front: the

dancer during the development of the forward eights, draws an inward curl

and makes a change of the direction of the hip. For this to happen, when

making the curl, the dancer keeps the knee stable and draws the embellish-

ment with the ankle. It also receives the name of Caracol (snail).

Types:

• the foot ends up stretched towards the floor

• the foot ends up stretched towards the floor

• the curl is made from the beginning in the air

and the foot ends in a back boleo

87

92
Rulo fouetté / Curl fouetté: this embellishment takes its name from the

term fouetté of classical ballet. The dancer, during backward eights, draws

with the point of the foot a tiny curl with an inward direction, while changing

the direction of the hips and stretches the leg.

Types:

• the foot ends up stretched out on the ground

• the foot ends up stretched in the air

• the curl is made from the beginning in the air

and the foot ends stretched in the air

Rulo vaivén / Curl swing: it is the alternating combination of rulo and rulo

inverso.

Lápiz / Pencil: the dancer draws with the point of the foot a large circle on

the ground, with an outward direction. The knee of the free leg is stretched.

Types:

• large

• small

88

93
Lapiz inverso / Reverse pencil: the dancer draws a circle on the ground with

the point of the foot, with an inward direction. The knee of the free leg is

straight.

Types:

• large

• small

Floreo / Flourishing: the dancer's

free foot makes small consecutive

circles from the bottom up, in an

outward direction.

89

94
Floreo inverso / Reverse flourishing: the dancer's free foot makes small

consecutive circles from the bottom up, in an inward direction.

Passé: consecutive crosses of the free foot, with the stable knee positioned

in front and at a certain distance from the base foot. The hip in turn remains

stable.

Types:

• bottom up

• from top to bottom

• on the spot, up

• the place, down

90

95
Pique: hit on the floor with the point of the foot. The accent can be up-

wards or downwards.

Types:

• back

• front

• to the side

Punteo / Tapping: the dancer makes consecutive hits with the point of the

foot. Unlike pique, in punteo many small hits are made.

Types:

• static

• in motion

91

96
Aguja / Needle: the dancer pa
l ces the foot in a perpendicular wa,y accentuates

the contact of the point of the foot with the ground and executes a change of

direction.

Taco / High heel: the dancer uses the high heel in a sophisticated way. It is

done at different moments such as during a step, accentuating the ground,

lowering the foot from above, projecting the foot, changing the direction of

the hip, in a cut eight, etc.

Proyección / Pr ojection: it is the projection of the free foot on the ground.

The greater the flexion of the supporting foot, the larger the projection will

be.

Types:

• back

• front

• to the side

92

97
Patada alta / High kick: dynamic projection into the air of the pointed foot.

Patada baja / Low kick: dynamic projection on the ground of the pointed

foot.

93

98
Elevaciόn / E l e v a t i on: lateral elevation of the free leg.

Types:

• static

• in movement

Caricia / Caress: the dancer caresses the partner's foot with the ankle.

94

99
Caricia alta / High caress: the dancer

raises the knee and with the adductor

caresses the outer part of the partner's

leg.

Caricia alta en proyección / High caress in projection: it is the same eleva-

tion of the dancer's foot as above, with the, with the only difference being

that now the leg is stretched in the air before going down.

Frote / Rub: light contact with the inner thigh on the outer thigh of the

partner.

95

100
Lustrada / Polished: the dancer caresses his own base foot with the ankle. It's

like he wants to polish his shoe as he rubs it

Types:

• back

• front

• to the side

Bandera / Flag: the free foot comes and goes like a front boleo and in a con-

stant counter-direction with the hips.

Types:

• static

• in motion (in continuous pivots)

96

101
Enrosque / Tw i s t : the dancer hooks the free foot over the ankle of the base

foot, then turns. It is often performed in the ochos.

Types:

• front

• back

Μolinete / Pinwheel: in an apertura, the dancer while keeping their weight

on both feet, turns on his axis.

Tornillo / Screw: hooking of the free foot

onto the base foot then pivoting. It pre-

serves the same logic as the enrosque, with

the difference being that in the tornillo the

weight is on both feet.

97

102
Ancla / Anchor: the dancer's free leg is “anchored” in the hole existing be-

hind the knee of the supporting leg.

Types:

• static

• in motion

(in continuous pivots)

Abanico / Fan: the dancer, during a pivot, low-

ers his centre and makes a large backwards

planeo / glide .

Cadera / Pelvis: the dancer moves his hips to the right and left, gently rub-

bing his knees during the movement.

98

103
Bajada / Lowering: the dancer lowers his centre, adopting a “sitting in the

air” position.

Types:

• static

• in motion

Sentadita / Sitting: the dancer, after doing a backward eight, lowers his cen-

tre and raises his free leg in a crossed way, over the flexed supporting leg.

99

104
Patineta / Skateboard: the free foot makes a movement imitating the action

of skating, from front to back caressing the ground.

Tocada / Touch: the dancer touches the partner's foot with his foot.

100

105
Rodillazo / Knee kick: in one pasada, the dancer touches the upper part of

the leg or the hip of the partner with his knee.

Pasada / Pass: when the dancer encounters an obstacle, he raises his knee,

starting the step in the air and giving the sense of a small suspension.

101

106
Entrada / Entrance: the dancer enters

the space between the partner's feet.

Acomodo / Settlement: the dancer changes the weight from one foot to the

other, on the spot. He should do this movement from the diaphragm down.

This movement usually modifies the embrace.

Pivotitos / Little pivots: these are small and cut pivots, which are not con-

ducted by the e
lader.

Pasitos / Little steps: it is about not conducted - by the leader - small steps

forward, while the thorax remains looking to the front in connection with

the partner.

102

107
Retroceso / Backward steps: the dancer executes small steps backwards,

while the thorax remains to the front in connection with the partner. It is as

if he changes his mind and then returns to the starting point.

Cambio de frente / Change of front: the dancer takes the initiative and

changes their direction with their pelvis. He has to move from the diaphragm

and down, so that he doesn't affect the partner's balance.

Falsa aper tur a / False open step: non-led side step, with transfer of weight

and return to the initial position.

103

108
Desplace / Displace: When execut-

ing a step, the dancer decides to

move a little beyond the limits of

the conducted step.

Types:

• back

• front

• to the side

Amague / Fake: small changes in weight on the spot. The dancer imitates the

movements of a goalkeeper.

Types:

• back

• front

• to the side

Viborita / Little snake: gradual movement of the sole of the base foot in a

lateral step. The base foot moves laterally, alternating the tip of the foot

and the heel. The free foot, however, slides on the ground, accompanying

the movement.

104

109
Boleo: interruption of move-

ment by an opposite dynam-

ic, which causes the release of

the foot. When it comes from a

decision made by the follower,

and not from the marca of the

leader, it is considered an em-

bellishment.

Types:

• Circular (back and forth)

• Lineal (back and forth)

Inclinación / Inclination: the dancer expands his chest and leans his back

backwards. It is done in a strict pause.

Tijera / Scissors: the dancer during a lift, makes a double crossing in the air

with his legs stretched out.

Helicóptero / Helicopter: consecutive leg crosses when the dancer is in the

air, in a lift. It is called a helicopter because it resembles its rotor blades.

105

110
Taquito / Little high heel: lift of the leg back during the forward walk or

during a pivot.

Types:

• static

• in motion

106

111
Figures

112
113
se rug i F

According to the degree of difficulty, the figures that compose tango are

grouped into 5 levels: basic, pre-intermediate, intermediate, advanced and

superior, which are divided into units, following different parameters of

pedagogical logic.

OCHO BARRIDA

Βασικό 01 02

REBOTE SACADA

PARADA GIRO

SANGUCHITO GANCHO

CUNITA ENGANCHE
Προενδιάμεσο

03 04

BICICLETA PATADA

CALESITA PLANEO

ENTRADA BOLEO

LLEVADA AMAGUE

Ενδιάμεσο 05 06

COSIDA CORTE

TRASLACION QUEBRADA

ALTERACION ATRAPE

VOLCADA MOLINETE

Προχωρημένο 07 08

COLGADA ENROSQUE

TORNILLO

SOLTADA SALTO

Ανώτερο 09 10

PIERNAZO SENTADA

DESLICE LEVANTADA

SALTITO

109

114
In this chapter all the figures of tango and their possibilities will be thor-

oughly analyzed, accompanied by explanatory drawings.

Primarily, the figures are divided into two types depending on the:

D isplacement in space figure in motion

static figure

For greater precision, each of the figures presented is further analyzed ac-

cording to the following specific characteristics:

By system paralelo / parallel

cruzado / crossed

By direction adelante / forward

atrás / backward

lateral / side

By way circular / circular

lineal / linear

By height alto / high

bajo / low

By lead a favor / in favour

en contra / contra

By location interno / internal

externo / external

By intention conducido / conducted

inducido / induced

110

115
Systems

Parallel or Crossed

This is based on the relationship between the base feet of the dancers

(those feet that have the weight of the body and not those that are free) at

the beginning of the movement.

Parallel

When one dancer has their weight on their right foot and the other dancer

has their weight on their left foot, respectively.

Likewise, when one dancer has their weight on their left foot and the other

dancer has their weight on their right foot, respectively.

111

116
Parallel internal

112

117
Parallel external

113

118
Crossed

When one dancer has their weight on their left foot and the other dancer

has their weight, oppositely, on their left foot.

Likewise, when one dancer has their weight on their right foot and the other

dancer has their weight, oppositely, on their right foot.

114

119
Crossed internal

115

120
Crossed external

116

121
Direction

Forward, Backward or Side

Based on the dancer who makes the figure and not the dancer who receives

it.

117

122
Way

Circular or Linear

Based on the trajectory described during the development of the figure.

Circular

Describes a curve trajectory

Linear

Describes a straight trajectory

118

123
Height

High or Low

Based on the height of the foot or leg that executes the figure.

High

The movement goes up.

Low

Τhe movement goes down.

119

124
Mark

In favor or Contra

Based on the decisive instruction of the leader regarding the execution of

the figure, the dancers are directed in the same or opposite direction.

In favor

Both dancers are moving in the same direction.

120

125
In contra

The dancers are moving in opposite directions.

121

126
Location

Internal or External

Based on the part of the foot of the dancer who receives the figure and not

the dancer who executes it.

Internal

Inner side of the feet or legs.

External

Outer side of the feet or legs.

122

127
Intention

Conducted or Ιnduced

Taking for granted that the leader always conducts the figure, this charac-

teristic is based on his active or passive situation during the execution of

the figure.

Conducted

The leader is active, focusing on the follower.

Induced

The leader is passive, receiving on himself the action of the follower.

123

128
129
 1 0

O C H O

R E B O T E

P A R A D A

S A N G U C H I T O

130
131
O
H
C
O / t hg i E

figure in motion

It refers to the combination of simultaneous crosses (they can be front-

wards or backwards), joined by a pivot. The drawing of an eight (8) on the

ground gives the name to this figure.

• The leader should keep a firm embrace. It is important that the

leader conducts by “inviting” to pass and not by “pushing” the

partner.

• The follower should face the partner, make a good dissociation

keeping their thorax stable and move from the diaphragm down

wards. It is important to stay on her own axis and bring the heels

together at the moment of the pivot.

• Both dancers should keep their centres of gravity low,

both when one is leading the ocho and when the other is making it.

• The correct pivot assumes a vertical axis. The hip joints of the

dancers should have a direction towards the floor according to their

natural position, avoiding leaning backwards or forwards.

• This figure can be performed by both dancers s i m u l t a n e o u s l y.

• According to the size of the step, large or small ochos can be

performed (for example when dancing milonga , where the so-called

“ ochitos milongueros ” are made).

• There are also two more complex versions in which, while making

the ochos , there are changes of direction: the ochos atrás que van

adelante / backward eights going forwards , and the ochos adelante

que van atrás / forward eights going backwards.

127

132
 forward in favour

backward contra

Ocho

4 possibilities

forward backward

in favour contra

128

133
 Ocho

part 1

129

134
Ocho

part 2

130

135
 Ocho

part 3

131

136
Ocho

part 4

132

137
ETO
BER / dnuobeR

static figure

It is a change of direction, without a complete transfer of weight.

• The leader should maintain a steady embrace and the mark of

the figure should be clear and precise.

• The follower should maintain constant contact with the partner in

the fast movements, since this figure is usually done in double time.

Also, we have to be careful not to roll back with our back, when

the rebote is backwards.

• Both dancers should have their feet and knees relaxed to speed up

their reactions. The transfer of weight is not completed; the weight

remains on the ball of the foot and is not located on the heel

when stepping.

• The rebote is performed by both dancers at the same time,

s i m u l t a n e o u s l y, though this does not mean that they do exactly

the same thing.

• In the case that only one dancer makes the rebote while his partner

remains static, we are talking about another figure called an amague .

• Generally, it is a figure made a favor / in favour , though in an

advanced level there is the possibility of making it en contra / contra .

• Important: for a better understanding of each possibility presented,

although there is a two-party interaction, we must focus on only

one of the two dancers.

133

138
 parallel in favour forward

crossed contra backward

side

Rebote

12 possibilities

parallel crossed

in favour contra

forward backward side

134

139
 Rebote

crossed

in favour

forward

internal

135

140
Rebote

crossed

contra

backward

136

141
A
D
A
RAP / po tS

static figure

This is about a stop of the movement with a contact of the feet. When a dy-

namic movement follows a parada (e.g. barrida, colgada ), it is usually called

tomada / taken . Generally, after a parada follows a pasada / pass .

• The leader should have firmness in the embrace and accuracy in

the placement of the foot.

• The follower should have a good supporting base and execute a

correct dissociation.

• Both dancers should have their knees relaxed.

• This figure is mainly conducted, although very rarely it can be

induced.

• There is also a traditional parada, which is performed when the

dancer is next to the partner and makes a lateral projection,

which is called raya / line .

137

142
 parallel forward internal

crossed backward external

Parada

8 possibilities

parallel crossed

forward backward

internal external

138

143
 Parada

crossed

forward

external

139

144
Parada

parallel

forward

internal

140

145
 Parada

parallel

forward

external

141

146
Parada

crossed

forward

external

142

147
 Parada

parallel

forward

internal

143

148
OT IHCU
GNAS / hc i wdnaS

static figure

In this figure, two simultaneous stops "blocking" the partner's foot happen.

It takes its name from the shape of a sandwich. It is also known as mordida

/ bite .

When it is made with the knees, it is called mordida alta / high bite .

• Both dancers should keep their feet and knees relaxed. This classic

figure is made with the external or internal part of the metatarsal.

• When done with the knees, it is called a mordida alta / high bite .

• Likewise, when this figure is performed by both dancers simulta-

neously, it is called a doble sanguchito / double sandwich .

parallel conducted

crossed induced

Sanguchito

4 possibilities

parallel crossed

conducted induced

144

149
 Sanguchito

parallel

145

150
Sanguchito

crossed

146

151
 20

B A R R I D A

S A C A D A

G I R O

G A N C H O

152
153
D
AIR
A
B / S
w
p
e

figure in motion

This is a transfer of a dancer's foot by the foot of their partner. It is per-

formed with the internal or external side of the metatarsal. It is also called

arrastre / drag .

• The leader should clearly define which is the supporting foot and

the free foot of the other person.

• The follower should relax their knees.

• It is important for both dancers to activate the lateral muscles and

to maintain contact between the metatarsals areas during the entire

duration of the movement.

• A barrida is more of an effect than anything else. It is not due

exclusively to physical contact with the partner's foot,

even if it seems so.

• There are times when the one who causes the sweep does so by

pressing the ground and instead of intervening in the place of the

other, maintains a certain distance, thus generating the effect that

there is no barrida but the result of it. We are talking about a barrida

invisible / invisible sweep.

149

154
 parallel forward internal conducted

crossed backward external induced

Barrida

16 possibilities

parallel crossed

forward backward

internal external

conducted induced

150

155
 Barrida

parallel

forward

internal

conducted

151

156
Barrida

crossed

forward

internal

conducted

152

157
C
A
D
S / neka T tuo

figure in motion

This is an “invasion” of the p a r t n e r ' s space.

• The leader should maintain firmness in the arms and also give

a clear direction to the f o l l o w e r.

• The follower should keep their axis stable.

• It is important for both dancers to have their knees relaxed.

• It is also important to understand that a sacada is more of an

e f f e c t than anything else. Physical contact with the p a r t n e r ' s foot

should not be s o u g h t , even if it seems so.

• According to the size of the step that is made, large or small

sacadas can be done, that brings new dynamics to the dance.

• Following the location of the hips, it is possible to do lateral

sacadas .

• There are times when the person who causes the sacada does so

by pressing the ground and instead of intervening in the place of

the o t h e r, maintains a certain distance. This generates the e f f e c t

that there is no sacada but the result of i t . We are talking

about a sacada invisible / invisible sacada .

153

158
 parallel forward internal conducted

crossed backward external induced

Sacada

16 possibilities

parallel crossed

forward backward

internal external

conducted induced

154

159
 conducted

induced

crossed

backward

external

induced

160
 Sacada

parallel

backward

internal

conducted

155

161
Sacada

parallel

backward

external

conducted

156

162
163
 Sacada

crossed

forward

external

conducted

157

164
Sacada

crossed

backward

internal

conducted

158

165
166
 Sacada

parallel

backward

internal

induced

159

167
Sacada

parallel

forward

internal

induced

160

168
 Sacada

parallel

backward

internal

induced

161

169
Sacada

parallel

forward

internal

conducted

162

170
 Sacada

crossed

forward

internal

conducted

163

171
Sacada

crossed

forward

internal

conducted

164

172
 Sacada

crossed

forward

internal

conducted

165

173
Sacada

parallel

forward

internal

conducted

166

174
 Sacada

crossed

forward

external

conducted

167

175
Sacada

invisible

168

176
 Sacada

invisible

169

177
O
RIG / n r uT

figure in motion

This is the combination of cruce adelante / front cross, apertura / opening,

cruce atrás / back cross and apertura / opening ( código de giro / turn code )

around the axis of the partner. Among these movements is the pivot.

• To understand if a giro is right or left, we will take as a reference

the lateral muscles of the leader's thorax. Commonly, the giro going

to the right begins with the cruce adelante / front cross of the

follower after the fifth step of the basic, going towards the leader's

right side. The giro going to the left begins with an apertura /

opening of the follower after the third step of the basic, going

towards the leader's left side.

• The leader should develop the idea of turning by opening and

creating space using the appropriate lateral muscle, being careful

not to push. It is important to maintain safe and precise stepping.

• The follower should join their feet together with precision when

pivoting, especially when pivoting backwards. The elbows should

be kept in front of the sides and in her field of vision. Take care

not to lean back.

parallel

crossed

Giro

2 possibilities

parallel crossed

170

178
 Giro

crossed

part 1

171

179
Giro

crossed

part 2

172

180
 Giro

crossed

part 3

173

181
O
H
C
N
G
A / kooH

static figure

This is an interruption of a movement, in which the free leg makes contact

and surrounds the partner's thigh.

There is also a gancho to both stretched legs of the partner, we will call it a

gancho neutro / neutral hook .

• The leader should create enough space with the thigh of the leg that

will receive the gancho , raising the heel, pressing with the ball of

the foot and having a good dissociation with the torso.

• The follower ensures that the knee of the leg that makes the gancho

has a direction towards the ground during the execution of the

movement. She should bend the knee of the base leg and not lean

backwards with her back.

• Both dancers should keep their body centres close to each other.

• This figure can be performed by both dancers s i m u l t a n e o u s l y.

• The most common gancho is the induced and is received by

the leader on the inside of his thigh.

• There is a more advanced and less used gancho in which the one

who receives the gancho keeps the weight equally on both feet,

while the person who executes it turns completely, almost turning

his back towards their partner, in such way that the gancho does not

make any contact with any thigh. It is known as a gancho neutro /

neutral hook .

• In addition, there is another type of gancho that is even more

advanced, in which the free leg turns to the back of the base leg,

while the body is even more dissociated, this is the so-called

gancho atrás / back hook .

174

182
 parallel internal conducted

crossed external induced

Gancho

16 possibilities

parallel crossed

internal external

conducted induced

175

183
Gancho

crossed

internal

induced

176

184
 Gancho

parallel

internal

induced

177

185
Gancho

parallel

external

induced

178

186
 Gancho

crossed

external

induced

179

187
Gancho

parallel

internal

induced

180

188
 Gancho

crossed

external

induced

181

189
Gancho

neutral

induced

182

190
 Gancho

backward

parallel

internal

induced

183

191
Gancho

crossed

internal

induced

184

192
 0
3

C U N I T A

B I C I C L E T A

C A L E S I T A

E N T R A D A

193
194
AT IN
U
C / e l darC

figure in motion

In this figure, continuous changes of weight in the same place are made by

both dancers s i m u l t a n e o u s l y.

• Both dancers should keep their centres of weight low, the embrace

stable and avoid going up and down.

parallel internal

crossed external

Cunita

4 possibilities

parallel crossed

internal external

187

195
Cunita

crossed

external

188

196
 Cunita

parallel

internal

189

197
ATELCICIB / elcyciB

static figure

This is a traditional figure which arises from continuous contact between

the f e e t , describing the pedalling of a bicycle.

• Both dancers should bend the knees and lower the centre of their

bodies to achieve stability.

parallel

crossed

Bicicleta

2 possibilities

parallel crossed

190

198
 Bicicleta

crossed

191

199
AT ISELA
C / lesuor raC

figure in motion

In this figure, one dancer rotates on one foot while their partner provides

support by moving circularly around the former.

• The leader should keep their centre of gravity low.

• The follower should keep their arms stable and a good dissociation

helping their partner ’s rotation.

• Both dancers should stay stable on their own axes.

internal conducted

external induced

Calesita

4 possibilities

internal external

conducted induced

192

200
 Calesita

internal

conducted

193

201
Calesita

external

induced

194

202
 Calesita

external

conducted

195

203
D
A
R
N
T
E / yr tn
E

static figure

In this figure, one dancer's foot makes a forward rebote , entering and exiting

the empty space between their partner's feet.

• Both dancers should maintain stability in their stepping at the

moment of execution.

parallel internal conducted

crossed external induced

Entrada

8 possibilities

parallel crossed

internal external

conducted induced

196

204
 Entrada

parallel

internal

conducted

197

205
Entrada

crossed

internal

conducted

198

206
 04

E N G A N C H E

PATAD A

P L A N E O

B O L E O

207
208
N
EA
GN
C
H
E / hct H
i

static figure

This is a change of weight after a front or back cross .

• The leader should keep the embrace steady.

• The follower should maintain her stability and relax their free foot.

• It is important that both dancers keep their centres of mass stable

and activated, as well as their elbows down.

• This figure can be executed by both dancers s i m u l t a n e o u s l y.

parallel forward

crossed backward

Enganche

4 possibilities

parallel crossed

forward backward

201

209
Enganche

crossed

backward

202

210
 Enganche

parallel

forward

203

211
Enganche

parallel

backward

204

212
 Enganche

crossed

forward

205

213
ADA T A P / kcK
i

static figure

In this figure, a dynamic movement of the free foot is made, which is pro-

jected forward towards the empty space between the partner ’s feet.

• It is important for the dancer who receives the figure to keep

the legs stable and open.

parallel internal high conducted

crossed external low induced

Patada

16 possibilities

parallel crossed

internal external

high low

conducted induced

206

214
 Patada

crossed

external

low

induced

207

215
Patada

parallel

external

low

conducted

208

216
 Patada

parallel

internal

high

induced

209

217
O
E
N
ALP / ed i lG

static figure

This is a circular projection of the free leg gliding on the surface of the

ground, while the supporting leg makes a pivot. If the supporting leg does

not make a pivot, it is called abanico / fan .

• The leader should keep their centre of gravity low and their arms

stable.

• The follower should flex their supporting leg and completely stretch

their free leg, as well as the point of their foot.

• There is a more advanced type of planeo that is done by raising the

free leg, it is called planeo alto/ high glide .

internal conducted

external induced

Planeo

16 possibilities

internal external

conducted induced

210

218
 Planeo

internal

conducted

211

219
Planeo

external

induced

212

220
 Planeo

external

conducted

213

221
O
E
B
L / worhT

static figure

This is an interruption of movement by opposing forces, which causes the

release of the foot.

• The leader should maintain stability in the embrace and the centre

of their body activated.

• It is important for the follower to join their adductors together

before the execution of the boleo and to develop a good

dissociation.

• When doing a boleo en contra / contra boleo the metatarsals areas

of the feet should be pressed together, while when doing a boleo a

favor / in favour boleo the use of the lateral muscles of the thorax

should be accentuated.

214

222
forward circular high in favour

backward linear low contra

Boleo

16 possibilities

forward backward

circular linear

high low

in favour contra

215

223
Βoleo

backward

linear

high

216

224
 Βoleo

forward

circular

high

217

225
Boleo

backward

circular

high

218

226
 Boleo

forward

circular

high

219

227
Boleo

forward

linear

low

220

228
 Boleo

backward

circular

high

221

229
Boleo

forward

circular

high

222

230
 05

L L E V A D A

C O S I D A

T R A S L A C I O N

A L T E R A C I O N

231
232
A
DVELL / nekaT htw
i

figure in motion

This is a pushing and transferring of the partner's leg using the front of the

thigh. It is an evolution of the barrida / sweep.

• The leader should perceive which is the supporting leg and which is

the free leg of their partner.

• The follower should relax their knees.

• It is important for both dancers to keep the contact between their

thighs throughout the execution.

225

233
 parallel internal conducted

crossed external induced

Llevada

8 possibilities

parallel crossed

internal external

conducted induced

226

234
A
DIO
S
C / hct i tS

static figure

This is an invasion of the partner ’s space using the back of the leg.

• The leader should maintain stability and have a good foot

placement.

• The follower should keep their axis stable and their knees relaxed.

• It is very important for both dancers to have a good dissociation and

a shared dynamic.

227

235
 parallel internal conducted

crossed external induced

Cosida

8 possibilities

parallel crossed

internal external

conducted induced

228

236
 Cosida

crossed

external

conducted

229

237
Cosida

parallel

internal

conducted

230

238
 Cosida

parallel

internal

conducted

231

239
Cosida

crossed

internal

conducted

232

240
 Cosida

crossed

internal

conducted

233

241
Cosida

parallel

internal

induced

234

242
Ó
NC
IA
LS
A
R
T / r e f sna r T

figure in motion

This is a change of direction while rotating on the axis. Joining the feet to-

gether d i ff e r e n t i a t e s it from an alteración / alteration .

• It can be performed in three ways: from one front cross to a back

cross without passing through an opening, from one back cross to a

front cross without passing through an opening or from one opening

to another opening without passing through a cross.

• The leader should keep the embrace stable, give a clear lead and

have a good dissociation.

• The follower should slightly bend their knees to maintain a good

stability.

• A good dissociation of the torso and accentuating the connection

between the adductors is very important.

235

243
 parallel internal

crossed external

Traslación

4 possibilities

parallel crossed

internal external

236

244
 Traslación

parallel

external

237

245
Traslación

crossed

internal

238

246
N
ÓICARETLA / no i t a r e t l A

figure in motion

This is a sudden change of direction, keeping the axis on both legs. It is im-

portant not to join the heels.

It can be performed in two ways: from one front cross to a back cross with-

out passing through an opening or from one back cross to a front cross

without passing through an opening .

• Both dancers should use their lateral muscles, have a good

dissociation and maintain a stable embrace.

parallel internal

crossed external

Alteración

4 possibilities

parallel crossed

internal external

239

247
Alteración

parallel

external

240

248
 Alteración

crossed

internal

142

249
Alteración

crossed

internal

242

250
 06

A M A G U E

C O R T E

Q U E B R A D A

A T R A P E

251
252
M
A
G
A
U
E / t n i eF

figure in motion

This figure consists of quick and small steps that do not modify the move-

ment or the axis of the partner.

• The leader should relax their knees and step smoothly and steadily.

• The follower should maintain her axis without being affected by

the amague of their partner.

• Both dancers should create enough space between themselves but

not lose the connection of the embrace.

• This figure is made only by one of the dancers, otherwise if it

was made by both dancers it would be a rebote .

forward

backward

side

Amague

3 possibilities

forward side backward

245

253
Amague

side

246

254
 Amague

forward

247

255
Amague

backward

248

256
ETR
O
C / C
tu

static figure

This is about a tilt of the torso, followed by a projection of the free leg. It is

one of the classic figures of tango and is often used as a pose at the end of

a dance.

• Both leader and follower should maintain a good stability, trying

not to push their partner.

• Both dancers should create space in the centre and maintain the

front position of the upper part of their bodies. They should not

lean backwards with their back.

parallel in favour

crossed contra

Corte

4 possibilities

parallel crossed

in favour contra

249

257
Corte

parallel

in favour

250

258
A
D
ARBEU
Q / kae rB

static figure

This figure creates space between both dancers, while the knees are bent

and their centres are contracted.

• Both dancers should keep the connection of the embrace.

parallel

crossed

Quebrada

2 possibilities

parallel crossed

251

259
Quebrada

parallel

252

260
 Quebrada

crossed

253

261
EPARTA / hcta
C

static figure

This is the act of catching the back part of the heel of the partner's back

foot.

• The leader should maintain a great dissociation and show accuracy

locating their partner's foot.

• The follower should keep their axis steady without rushing.

• Both dancers should keep their knees bent.

forward

backward

Atrape

2 possibilities

forward backward

254

262
 Atrape

backward

255

263
Atrape

backward

256

264
 70

V O L C A D A

C O L G A D A

265
266
A
D
ACLO
V / depp i T revo

static figure

This is an o ff - a x i s figure with an inward direction.

• Both dancers should keep the centres of their bodies activated,

maintain a stable embrace and try not to bend their waists inward.

The movement should be smooth and fluid.

parallel circular

crossed linear

Volcada

4 possibilities

parallel crossed

circular linear

259

267
Volcada

parallel

260

268
 Volcada

crossed

261

269
ADAGLO
C / gnaH

static figure

This figure is an o ff - a x i s element with outward direction.

• The leader should firmly support the back of the partner, providing

them with security.

• The follower should go backwards from the centre, not with the

back.

• Both dancers should relax their knees and maintain a stable

embrace.

circular internal

linear external

Colcada

4 possibilities

circular linear

internal external

262

270
 Colgada

internal

263

271
Colgada

external

264

272
 Colgada

internal

265

273
Colgada

external

266

274
 08

M O L I N E T E

E N R O S Q U E

T O R N I L L O

275
276
ETENILO
M / l eehwn i P

static figure

In this figure, there is a rotation on the axis keeping the weight on both feet.

• It is important for both dancers to keep their embrace firm and

to rotate their bodies with their lateral muscles. They should also

maintain a firm stepping using the metatarsal areas of their feet.

conducted

induced

Molinete

2 possibilities

conducted induced

269

277
Molinete

induced

270

278
 Molinete

conducted

271

279
N
O
Q
R
E
S
U / ts iwT

static figure

In this figure, a rotation of the base foot is performed while it is surrounded

by the free foot.

• Both dancers should maintain a firm embrace, a stable axis and seek

perfection in the placement of the feet. The execution should not

affect the axis of the partner.

• This figure is mainly performed by one of the dancers, although at

an advanced level there is the possibility of both dancers executing

it s i m u l t a n e o u s l y.

forward internal

backward external

Enrosque

4 possibilities

forward backward

internal external

272

280
 Enrosque

forward

internal

273

281
Enrosque

forward

internal

274

282
OLL I NROT / wercS

static figure

In this figure, there is a rotation of the base foot while it is surrounded by

the free foot, using the entire surface of both soles of the foot, while keep-

ing the weight balanced on both legs.

• The leader should maintain a firm embrace. A very good rotation of

the upper part of the body is necessary - that is, a good dissociation

of the thorax.

• It is important that the follower maintains stability on their

own axis.

• Both dancers should aim at perfection in the placement of their

free foot.

forward internal

backward external

Tornillo

4 possibilities

forward backward

internal external

275

283
Tornillo

forward

internal

(part 1)

276

284
 Tornillo

forward

internal

(part 2)

277

285
Tornillo

forward

internal

(part 3)

278

286
 Tornillo

forward

internal

(part 4)

279

287
Tornillo

forward

internal

(part 5)

280

288
 0
9

S O L T A D A

P I E R N A Z O

S E N T A D A

289
290
ADA T LOS / esae l eR

figure in motion

This is a "break" of the embrace.

• Both dancers should maintain the connection throughout the

development of the figure, as well as good stepping.

high in favour conducted

low contra induced

Soltada

8 possibilities

high low

in favour contra

conducted induced

283

291
Soltada

low

contra

induced

284

292
 Soltada

low

in favour

induced

285

293
Soltada

high

in favour

conducted

286

294
 Soltada

high

contra

conducted

287

295
OZANRE I P / g
e
L

static figure

In this figure, the leg surrounds the hip of the partner.

• The leader should keep the embrace and their axis stable.

• The follower should try to create a physical contact, flex the knee of

the base leg and maintain a front position.

parallel internal conducted

crossed external induced

Piernazo

4 possibilities

parallel crossed

internal external

conducted induced

288

296
 Piernazo

crossed

external

induced

289

297
Piernazo

parallel

external

induced

290

298
 Piernazo

crossed

external

induced

291

299
Piernazo

parallel

internal

induced

292

300
 Piernazo

parallel

external

induced

293

301
ADATNES / t iS

static figure

This is a figure that describes the act of sitting, made by the follower.

• Both dancers should keep their knees relaxed, have a good

supporting base and maintain a frontal position between

their torsos.

parallel

crossed

Sentada

2 possibilities

parallel crossed

294

302
 Sentada

crossed

295

303
Sentada

crossed

296

304
 10

D E S L I C E

S A L T I T O

S A L T O

L E V A N T A D A

305
306
ECILSED / ed i l S

figure in motion

This is a very small, almost imperceptible, elevation of the partner describ-

ing a a curved trajectory.

• The leader should keep their arms stable.

• The follower should keep, in the same way, their arms firm and

fully activate the centre of their body.

• Both dancers should keep their centres of gravity low.

forward circular

backward linear

side

Deslice

12 possibilities

forward backward side

circular linear

299

307
Deslice

backward

linear

300

308
 Deslice

forward

circular

301

309
OT I TLAS / el t t iL pmu j

static figure

This is about a small jump, in place, of just one of the dancers, changing the

position of their feet at the moment of downloading the weight. It is done

starting from the basic position of the sanguchito .

• Both dancers should keep their feet and knees relaxed. The one who

performs the saltito should be very careful not to step on the other.

parallel

crossed

Saltito

2 possibilities

parallel crossed

302

310
 Saltito

parallel

part 1

303

311
Saltito

parallel

part 2

304

312
 Saltito

crossed

part 3

305

313
OT LAS / pmu J

figure in motion

This is an upward impulse from one or both dancers s i m u l t a n e o u s l y.

• Both dancers should have a stable base and relaxed knees.

parallel

crossed

Salto

2 possibilities

parallel crossed

306

314
 Salto

parallel

part 1

307

315
Salto

parallel

part 2

308

316
 Salto

parallel

part 3

309

317
ADATNAVEL / es i aR

figure in motion

In this figure, there is an elevation of the partner.

• The leader should place their right hand on one side of the partner

and maintain good contact with the ground.

• The leader makes the follower bounce off the ground and jump

upwards, maintaining firmness in the arms.

circular

linear

Levantada

2 possibilities

circular linear

310

318
 Levantada

circular

part 1

311

319
Levantada

circular

part 2

312

320
 Levantada

circular

part 3

313

321
Levantada

linear

314

322
e c n a D r o o l F

323
324
 Dance

Styles

325
326
ecnaD e
slyts

There are different styles of dance depending on the circumstances and the

codes of each era. In this chapter, the different styles will be presented and

grouped chronologically and historically in to:

• Salón

• Milonguero

• Canyengue

• Nuevo

• Fantasía

Salón: this style arose in large dancehalls, where there was greater freedom

of movement. The embrace is slightly open and flexible, as well as the cor-

rect use of the axes of the dancers are ideal for the execution of complex

steps and figures. It has an elegance as evidenced by the use of smaller

steps, in the maintenance of a correct posture and in the importance at-

tached to technical details. It is ideal for interpreting orchestras of smooth

rhythm, such as those by Di Sarli, Fresedo and Caló.

Milonguero: this particular style was developed due to the spatial limita-

tions of the 40’s - the golden age of tango. Given the large turnout of the

public in spaces where milongas of that time were happening, in order to

be able to dance it became necessary to keep a close and circular embrace

(many times apilado ). The possibilities for the execution and creation of

steps are very limited. Though this style is not so attractive for the viewer,

its great difficulty of execution implies a high level of dancing prowess. This

style also allows for dancers to leave their own personal mark on the dance.

Musically it is ideal for dancing to well-marked rhythms, such as those pro-

duced by the orchestras of D’Arienzo, Biaggi, Tanturi or Pugliese in the 40’s.

319

327
Canyengue: this is one of the oldest styles, and was very popular during the

first decades of the 20th century. It is characterised by a very close embrace

on one side, while on the other side it is more open, the arms are connected

and slightly bent downwards, and placed on the hip of the leader. The knees

are kept bent.

Although it has precise steps and embellishments, the complexity of the

style lies in the posture and in the good execution of its short steps in the

rhythm of the music played in 2/4 time, a light habanero rhythm. Another

name given to the Canyengue is the “Orillero” , which means “of the shores”,

“of the suburbs”, “of the poor neighbourhoods”. It was named like this to

d i ff e r e n t i a t e it from tango that was danced in the centre of the city, which

was more refined. A modern musical version of this style can be found in the

Tubatango orchestra.

Nuevo: this is one of the most modern styles. Despite the insistence of many

dancers that it is not a style in itself, the term was finally accepted as a dif-

ferent style of tango, in which exists a great influence of both contemporary

music and dance. Many characteristics of its steps are accentuated into a

game of challenges and experimentation of the limits. The embrace is usu-

ally open for the benefit of expressive and elastic movements. Sometimes

the embrace is “broken”, creating the so-called soltadas . Many groups of

electronic tango music are ideal to dance this style, as well as music from

other genres besides tango. It arose at the end of the 1 9 9 0 ’s and the begin-

ning of the 21th century.

Fantasía - Escenario: this is a commonly choreographed version of tango for

stage performances. It is the most theatrical of all styles and is mainly inter-

preted with an open embrace, which includes various elements from other

dances, among them ballet and contemporary dance. This style initially took

the name of Fantasίa and, then, with the addition of elements not found

in tango, it adopted the name Tango Escenario (stage tango). The music of

Pugliese and Piazzola is commonly associated with this style.

320

328
Milonga

C odes

329
330
agno l iM C sedo

The term milonga , besides determining a particular musical genre, is also

used to refer to a tango dance night event or a meeting place for tango

lovers. In this chapter, we will focus on the secondary meaning of the word

milonga .

For a milonga to function h a r m o n i o u s l y, every dancer should follow a series

of codes. We will analyse the three most important codes. These include:

• The Code of Circulation

• The Code of Invitation

• The Code of Tandas

The Code of Circulation

Knowing how to transit and circulate on the dance floor is one of the funda-

mental aspects of social tango. The circulation of the dance happens in an

anti-clockwise manner (counter clockwise).

Circular sense

Depending on the size of the place and the number of dance couples, two

circles - an inner and an outer one - can be formed.

• The Inner circle: here usually dance the beginners or those who

want to to perform complex steps which require larger space.

• The Outer circle: here usually dance the dancers of more advanced

level, since they are the ones who have a better sense of space and

circulation on the dance floor.

• Walking is important, as well as not stopping so as not to block the

harmonious fluency of the dancers on the dance floor.

323

331
• Circulation is usually prioritised above the complexity of the steps.

It is very important that every time someone goes to a milonga they lis-

ten attentively to the music and respect the other dancers. When facing a

couple with more dancing experience, it is advisable to let the experienced

couple go ahead and lead the way through the crowd.

Incorrect behaviour on the dance floor

• Avoid getting ahead of other couples. However, if this cannot be

avoided, do it very carefully and avoiding pushing or accidents.

• Do not change from one dancing line (circle) to another.

• If the couple in front does not move forward, wait.

• We should not stay in the same place for a long time, circulation

of the dance floor would be impeded.

Correct behaviour on the dance floor

• Dancers should take advantage of as much of the surface of

the dance floor as possible.

• A large amount of importance should be given to walking.

• The leader has the greatest responsibility and should assume the

role of leading his partner around the dance floor.

• Both dancers should develop good space management and

peripheral vision.

• The use of the pause is essential.

324

332
The Code of Invitation

A v e r y traditional form used to invite p a r t n e r s to dance is the cabeceo .

The term cabeceo comes from the cabeza (head) and means to invite to

dance with a slight movement of the forehead and/or with other p a r t s of

the b o d y, like the eyes or the hands. When inviting or being invited, it is

advisable to focus on the person we want to dance, as it is not v e r y pleas-

ant if there is a rejection or a misunderstanding. Acting in a courteous way

prevents awkward situations.

An e f f e c t i v e invitation/cabeceo depends on several different f a c t o r s :

• Frequency in using this form of invitation. Since this traditional

invitation is being used less o f t e n .

• How well lit the place where the milonga is happening is. In case

of low lighting, it is b e s t to get close to the person you intend

to invide to dance.

• How big or small the place where the milonga is happening is. If

the place is small, the cabeceo is used less f r e q u e n t l y.

• The number of people in the milonga. Where there are few people,

the cabeceo is used less often.

Other Important A s p e c t s

Paying careful attention to personal hygiene is important and must be tak-

en s e r i o u s l y, due to the close proximity of dancers to each o t h e r. The use

of appropriate clothing will depend on the s t y l e of each person, as well as

of each milonga. The use of comfortable tango shoes is e s s e n t i a l .

325

333
The Code of Tandas

The music that is played in a milonga is divided in tandas. A tanda is a unit

of four or three songs or musical themes, which we dance along to the same

partner. In general, each of the songs or musical themes in the tanda belong

to the same performer and they have the same style and sound quality. Re-

cordings are generally selected from the same orchestra. Musical styles can

change a lot over time, even when considering the same orchestra. There-

fore, it is important that the songs or musical themes which make up the

tanda belong to the same recording period, since recordings by the same

orchestra but at different times, usually have different sound qualities.

Often, when the TDJ (Tango DJ) is putting together the songs and musical

themes of a milonga, they divide the music of the tandas into three general

categories, according to the sensation produced by the different orches-

tras. These categories include: ritmo suave / soft rhythm (with an accentu-

ated melodic and legatto character), ritmo duro / hard rhythm (with a very

marked rhythmic quality and in staccato) and ritmo dramático / dramat-

ic rhythm (with greater accentuation of the melodic and rhythmic musical

parts and intense pauses).

According to the traditional and extended structure of tandas, tangos are

grouped in tandas of four musical themes or songs, while milongas and

valses are grouped in tandas of three musical themes or songs. The most

extended form is 4 - 4 - 3. This means that after two successive tandas, of

four tangos each, there follows a tanda of three milonga, for example; later,

after the next two tandas of four tangos each, a tanda of three valses will

appear. This formula will be repeated throughout the milonga.

The cortina / curtain or “separator” is a musical piece interposed between

two tandas. It usually lasts between 45 and 90 seconds and does not nec-

essarily have to do with Argentine tango. The idea is to create a time of rest

and to allow the couples to change partners before the next tanda starts.

Taking into account the average duration of three minutes per recording and

one minute for the cortinas , we have a duration of 1h and 15 minutes for one

cycle, divided in this way:

67 per cent tangos

25 per cent valses and milongas

8 per cent cortinas

326

334
Some TDJs like to play four milongas and four valses in each tanda. This

might be too tiring for the dancers, but it has to do with the personal pref-

erences of the TDJ, who will adapt their choice of songs and musical themes

to the context of the milonga.

The following traditional structure is the most common:

Cortina

Tango

Tango

Tango

Tango

Cortina

Tango

Tango

Tango

Tango

Cortina

Vasl

Vasl

Vasl

Cortina

Tango

Tango

Tango

Tango

Cortina

Tango

Tango

Tango

Tango

Cortina

Milonga

Milonga

Milonga

Cortina

327

335
336
c i s u M

337
338
 Musicality

for Dancers

339
340
y t i l ac i suM

rof s r ecnaD

Between the three essential elements of music (rhythm, melody and harmo-

ny), rhythm is the one that has the leading role. For Willems (1960), rhythm is

ordered movement and not order in movement. In ancient times, the Greeks

regarded rhythm as an active element of music and at the same time as the

generating principle of passions. For them, melody without rhythm meant

something lacking in energy and strength. Rhythm can exist without melody,

but not melody without rhythm.

Rhythm gives concrete form to the musical theme. Rhythm can only give

music a meaning that makes it intelligible. It could be said that rhythm

is the vehicle through which music has the power to approach and pene-

trate the intellect. Sounds and rhythm have a powerful attraction and such

a remarkable impact on human beings (and certain animals), that without

understanding their meaning, they can experience a sense of delight and

happiness.

In the same way, as the botanist classifies plants - according to the number

and the shape of the various parts which constitute them - thus, different

rhythms can be easily registered and ordered, taking into account the par-

ticularities that relate to or separate them and the character that is common

amongst them or d i ff e r e n t i a t e s them.

Live sources of music are accessible to most human beings, independently

if they are frequently satisfied with “less”, developing an artistic mimicry . In

music, one works unconsciously with elements prepared to be used earlier.

Some noises of nature are rather melodic, such as the wind, the rain, or fire;

we catch in them, not only certain "panchromatic" melodies, but also po-

lyphony. Other noises are more rhythmic, such as thunder, ocean waves, and

so on. Both are often confused, and awaken feelings, emotions, etc. that are

externalized through physical attitudes and movements.

333

341
Rhythm and the Human being

Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the nature of rhythm has been debat-

ed. Thus, since its conception, rhythm has been number, movement, order,

organisation, proportion, life, force, duration, rest, will, etc.

In rhythmic education, we must separate the rhythmic instinct from the

rhythmic calculation in order to place everything in its correct place: the

former exists instinctively in the field of life and serves the movement, while

the latter, in the conscious and cerebral field, is systematised within specific

rules.

The above formulation can create confusion in the attempt to mentally sep-

arate between rhythm and measure . Clear examples can be used to avoid

this. According to mental calculation, the measures of two, three and four

beats differ from each other only q u a n t i t a t i v e l y, the same happens with

binary or ternary subdivisions. However, these elements also differ qualita-

tively. For example, the binary rhythm has a swinging character, the ternary

rhythm is rotary, etc.

Through musical repetition, the four most characteristic parameters of

rhythm can be understood:

1 - Real time (the continuous internal pulse)

2 - The pulse of the musical theme (the bar marked with the hands)

3 - The main beat of the musical theme (the first beat of each bar)

4 - The time subdivision (binary or ternary rhythm)

334

342
Recognising and Learning the Rhythmic base of

Tango regardless of the Styles of each Orchestra

Enjoying music and dance to its full potential requires developing a deep

level of understanding, both intellectual and sensory. By dancing, we de-

velop our own musical language in order to express and interpret what we

hear. Musicians, on the other hand, have their own "language". However, it

is important to clarify that a deep understanding of music is not necessarily

achieved only from “reading” the musicians' language.

“Caminar el tango” (walking the tango) means doing it to the beat of tango

music. It is important to d i ff e r e n t i a t e between rhythm and melody in music

and to give special emphasis to the rhythmic part, which is the fundamental

factor.

Musical genres are often characterised by a certain sonority . The sound

identity of tango music is created by the use of certain musical instruments.

Although, at first the musical instruments were the guitar, the flute and the

violin, this changed over time to include the piano, violins, bandoneons and

the double bass, which form the core of the so-called Οrquesta Τípica .

4/4 Time Signature

The bar is a musical metric entity composed of several time units (musical

figures) that are organised in groups, in which there is a contrast between

accented or non-accented parts.

The rhythm has musical beats or tempos . In the 4x4 bar , the musical part

is divided into four parts. The numerator 4 indicates those four beats into

which the bar is divided, while the number 4 of the denominator refers to

the name given to the quarter note and indicates that a quarter enters each

part. The entire bar could also consist of 8 eighth notes , 16 sixteenth notes ,

and so on.

335

343
The Tree of the Relation of the Values

Rhythm of Tango 44/

Rhythm of Milonga 2/4

Rhythm of Vals 34/

336

344
Accented sounds have a leading role (more exaggerated than in classical

music), while weak pulses remain “hidden” behind the accented ones. The

best way to recognise the rhythm is by listening to the piano or the double

bass. The violins and bandoneons give the texture of the melody, although

this is not always strictly the case. In tango, the instruments alternate in

moments of execution with a pulsed or melodic imprint, that is, between

rhythm and melody. This alteration will depend on the style of the orchestra

and what is being highlighted in each moment. The stability of the tempo

over the course of a tango depends on the style of each orchestra: there are

orchestras that hold the rhythm very firmly and others which handle it in a

more flexible way.

It is important here to mention that the absence of percussion instruments

in the Orquesta Típica allows a flexible marking. The rhythmic support of

the musical ensemble is given by the use of rhythmic marking patterns and

musical articulations in the rhythmic melody, performed percussively. When

dancing, it is good to understand the various rhythmic forms that exist in

tango. The execution of these rhythmic formulas varies with each instru-

ment that makes up the orchestra or ensemble, but the general concept

remains.

Rhythmic Base

The rhythmic base of the orchestra is given by these rhythmic patterns:

• Marcatos / Accents:

in 4 beats

in 2 beats (also named accent on beats 1 and 3)

suppression of beats 2 and 4

in 2 inverted (also named accent on beats 2 and 4)

• Síncopa / Syncopation:

Anticipada / Anticipated

A tierra / On the 1 st beat

Sucesiva / Continuous

• 3 - 3 - 2

337

345
Explanation of the Rhythmic Patterns

• Marcato in 4

This is the pattern which accentuates the four beats with the same

intensity. However, as tango is structured on a bar of 4/4 rhythm,

a natural gravitation over the strong beats exists.

• Marcato in 2

This is the pattern that accentuates beats 1 and 3, which is also

called “marcato on 1 and .3

”

• Suppression of 2 nd and 4 th beats

In this pattern, the intensity of the 1st and 3rd beat is extremely

exaggerated. The 2 nd and 4 th disappear completely and remain silent.

• Marcato in 2 inverted

This variant of marcato consists of inverting the natural accentuation

of the strong beats, accentuating beats 2 and 4, which are played

with staccato.

• Syncopation

In technical terms, the syncopation is the change of accent that is

produced when an upbeat is bound to the following strong beat.

The syncopation proposes a sort of mutilation of the bar.

• 3 - 3 - 2

When subdividing the eighth notes in 3, 3 and 2, they enter into a bar

of 4/4. This was popularised by Piazzola, Rovira and Salgan.

There are other rhythmic patterns, especially useful for musicians: Umpa-

umpa, Bordoneos, Polirritmia, Pesante en 4, Pesante en 2, Blancas, Coral.

338

346
Melody

In tango, the melody can be interpreted in 2 ways:

• Rhythmic

• Expressive

Rhythmic Melody

As mentioned before, the accentuated sounds take a certain relevance (more

exaggerated than in classical music) and the sounds that do not have an ac-

cent remain hidden behind the accentuated ones, influencing each other.

In the rhythmic melody, the combination of articulations generates multiple

variants that can either be coordinated with the rhythmic base or oppose it.

The principal musical articulations used in the genre of tango are:

• the extended accent

• the short accent

• the staccato

• the use of arrastre (dragged accent)

• the use of syncopation

Expr essive Melody

The expressive melody involves the use of fraseo / phrasing (basic and ex-

tended). It usually does not respect the rhythm as it is written on the musi-

cian's score. A large number of additional musical embellishments are also

added.

The interpretation of the music by the dancers may also vary often and

s p o n t a n e o u s l y.

339

347
Fraseo / Phrasing

In tango, the possibilities for expression are created and inhabited by ex-

pressive melodies. The fundamental tool for expression is the use of the

fraseo . The fraseo is o f t e n called the act of “saying” the melody and modi-

fying i t s r h y t h m with an expressive end.

The possibilities for the use of the fraseo , range from the called fraseo

básico / basic phrasing (which moves between the frames of the strong

b e a t s of the bar), passing through the fraseo extendido / extended phras-

ing (which involves musical freedom beyond such limits), to the rubato ,

characteristic of the interpretation of Carlos Gardel (which involves eras-

ing a line of the bar when it is performed by the whole o r c h e s t r a ; for exam-

ple, in the orchestra of Osvaldo Pugliese).

Te x t u r a s / Te x t u r e s

The most usual t e x t u r a s are:

• Solo: a particular instrument plays the m e l o d y.

• Soli: various i n s t r u m e n t s play a melody homorhythmically

(for example the s t r i n g s and/or the bandoneons).

• Tu t t i : all the orchestra plays the same idea h o m o r h y t h m i c a l l y.

Rhythm and Expression in parallel way

When an instrument p h r a s e s , that is, interprets a melody e x p r e s s i v e l y,

the orchestra or the accompaniment group should “ s u p p o r t ” the rhythmic

walking in a stable w a y, without being a f f e c t e d by the rhythmic/melodic

modifications of the s o l o i s t .

340

348
The Fraseo of the singing and the Contrapunto in the aesthetic of Tango

The r h y t h m in the singing of tango is based on a rhythmic improvisation, in

contrapunto with the musical accompaniment. This improvisation may be

limited but not cancelled, and depends on the t y p e of accompaniment, as

may be provided by an orchestra or a s o l o i s t .

The contrapunto r h y t h m between the vocalist and the accompaniment re-

sults in a rhythmical variety that causes an internal tension of the rhythm

by the interpretation of the v o c a l i s t . This rhythmic improvisation is what

is meant by the term fraseo , in which the rhythmic elements of the melody

and the s y n t a c t i c r h y t h m created by the t e x t used for singing are combined.

That is to s a y, the performer may v a r y the value of the notes, compressing

or decompressing the bars, syncopating, producing silences, making use of

the cuasi parlando , the melisma , the vibrato , the mordentes , e t c .

Polyrhythm in tango singing is produced when t r y i n g not to fit the accents

of the melody with the four b e a t s of the bar.

I will now explain, in a simple and clear w a y, how to experiment and under-

stand the r h y t h m of tango with i t s four musical b e a t s .

How to distinguish the Rhythm

Fi r s t of all, counting 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.

The first count is strong and well accentuated.

The second is weak.

The third is semi-strong.

The fourth is weak.

2 4

Graphic representation: - - -

341

349
How to identify the Melody

When listening to tango music, in v e r y general terms, the melody will be

what does not follow the r h y t h m 1 – 2 – 3 – 4. The melody is the sensation

that later remains a f t e r listening to tango music; it is what we can sing.

How to incorporate the Rhythmic and the Melody

Fi r s t without music:

1 - Firstly, we find the pulse, without listening to any music.

We do it with a snap of the fingers or a clap.

2 - Then, we begin to walk on the pulse.

3 - We count constantly 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.

4 - Then, we accentuate 1 and 3 when we count.

Then with music:

1 - We find the pulse.

2 - We recognise the 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 in the music.

3 - Then, we distinguish the accentuated 1 and 3.

4 - F i n a l l y, we pay attention to the m e l o d y.

In this w a y, we develop our musical ear and our personal way of feeling

the music. A f t e r considering all these elements, we s t a r t walking to tango

music. The execution of steps and figures is given at a later level. At a more

advanced level, we can also dance in a more legato and personal (interpre-

tive) w a y, incorporating contrapunto in our dance.

342

350
The Most Important Rythmic Elements for Dancing:

Time, Double Time, Pausing, and Syncopation

Time

It is important to listen carefully to the music of tango and little by little

recognise firstly the pulse, then the beginning of the bar, later the rhythmic

phrase and, lastly, the melodic phrase.

Double Time

Double time means half of one beat. Often, the denomination medio tiempo

/ half beat is used. Both terms mean the same thing.

343

351
Pause

An important element of tango is its variability. Much of the nature of tango

stems from the fact that its speed can vary from slow to fast or vice versa,

and it can even come to a complete stop. This element, so distinctive and

frequent in the music, is called a pause .

When it first appeared, tango challenged several estalished norms which

other dances at the time adhered to. The embrace, the improvisation, and,

finally, the pause were not used in any other dance like they were used in

tango. However, tango not only uses the pause, it gives it special value.

The pause in dance is a result of a soft slowdown of the movement, a dy-

namic that suddenly slows down and quietens down, but in a very subtle

way continues to flow and keep up with the tempo of the music. It is not an

empty space or a moment when we wait for something to happen, but rather

the opposite, it is a moment full of vital meaning and feeling.

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

344

352
Syncopation

Syncopation is a rhythmic model of significant importance in tango, and

is widely used by orchestras and performers of the most varied styles. To-

gether with marcato , syncopation is one of the most important rhythmic

patterns of the genre. Sometimes, it is accompanied by an arrastre .

According to some authors, syncopation comes from the bordoneo of the

milonga campera . Syncopations are pulses that fall in unexpected places.

Unlike the marcato , their use is not extended across too many bars. Instead,

they are alternated alongside other rhythmic models.

As mentioned before, syncopation is the change of accent that is produced

when an up beat is bound to the strong beat that follows.

By accentuating the different rhythmic components, arise these variants:

• Síncopa anticipada / Anticipated syncopation

• Síncopa a tierra / Syncopation on the 1 st beat

• Síncopa sucesiva / Successive syncopation

345

353
Anticipated syncopation

Syncopation on the 1 st beat

Successive syncopation

346

354
Rhythmic

K eys

355
356
c im
ht yhR syeK

How to understand the three rhythms: Tango, Milonga, and Vals.

Tango

2 3

349

357
The marking of time in tango is performed with four movements of the arm.

First going down, then going to the left, then going to the right, and finally

up, accentuating on 1 and 3.

Walking is one of the key elements of the rhythm of tango. We step in a

slow and secure way and we transfer gradually the weight from one leg to

the other.In the rhythm of tango, we mix circular and linear movments to

express what we need: drama, passion, or romance.

The linear movements make us move around the dance floor. When the mu-

sic is rhythmic, walking in parallel and cross systems , as well as the ocho

cortado , are ideal.

When the music is soft, the circular movements allow us to interpret, in a

legato way, for example the violin or the singer. Examples: g iros, contra gi-

ros, planeos, backward or forward eights .

The pauses are ideal for making the connection better and providing a per-

fect opportunity for making embellishments, such as the parada, enganche,

pivot or gancho . The soft phrasings and changes of dynamics in the rhythm

and the melody create moments of pause, of acceleration or of slowness.

Taking our time, we can enjoy these elements fully.

Stepping on the Strong Count

Stepping on the Strong Count and the Weak Count: Double Time

350

358
Milonga

351

359
The marking of time in milonga is performed with two movements of the

arm. First going down, then going up, accentuating on 1.

In milonga, the steps are much tinier when compared to those of vals or

tango. The embrace is closer and firmer, making the connection better and

allowing for more precision in the steps. At the same time, the steps are

simpler and more linear, avoiding the soft, circular and fluid movements of

the vals. There is a special use of double time: stepping on weak beats (the

2 nd and 4 th beat of a bar in 4/4 time).

When walking, we keep the axis between the legs and we keep going without

transferring it completely, as it happens in tango. In milonga, we want to

express feelings of amusement, joy and roguery.

At a basic level, the cuadrado ( baldosa ) followed by a simple combination of

forward, backward and side steps, functions very well for the rhythm of mi-

longa. Later, the incorporation of more advanced elements like enganches,

saltitos, and rebotes , enrich the dance further.

Milonga Lisa: Stepping on the Strong Count

Milonga Τraspié: Stepping on Double Time

352

360
Vals

353

361
The marking of time in vals is performed with three movements of the arm.

First going down, then going to the right and finally up, accentuating on 1.

Unlike tango, there is less walking in vals. The music invites dancers to

make circular movements instead of linear movements. The way of step-

ping is softer and more accurate. There are fewer and shorter pauses and

the embrace is much more flexible. In vals, dancers should want to express

feelings of innocence, happiness and f l u e n c y.

In vals, we have a good opportunity to make giros on the open and closed

sides of the embrace, forward and backward ochos , as well as many other

figures in the cross system.

Vals

354

362
 Orchestras

and Singers

363
364
sar tsehcO
r dna s r egn i S

In this section, some of the most common tango orchestras and their most

representative singers one can hear in a milonga will be discussed and are

arranged by popularity. It would be impossible to present all the musicians

that have ever existed and, unfortunately, for a great number of musicians,

no historical material is available - especially for those who only had brief

periods of musical activity.

The level of popularity or acceptance of a tango orchestra in the milonga

scene is the result of many complex factors, beyond the quality of the music

played. Aspects such as the historical moment, the fashion and the musical

preferences of the period, the temporal duration of the tango orchestra,

whether it uses a clear or more complex rhythm, as well as many political,

economic and social factors influenced the musical tradition of the milonga.

Something striking is that, frequently, an orchestra, especially from the

golden age of tango and to a lesser extent in the later decades, had a faith-

ful following, which fervently followed their favourite orchestras. Beyond

the strictly musical factors, every orchestra could also represent different

aspects of society: sometimes they symbolised a social class, a political

group or inclination, a stereotype of what the man of the city or of the

neighbourhood is, etc. And, of course, the music itself influenced, in a deci-

sive way how long the orchestra stayed active.

Each orchestra searched for its hallmark, its own personality, something

that would d i ff e r e n t i a t e it from the other orchestras. Of course, they influ-

enced each other, but the principal objective was to create a personal style.

Many managed to do so (the ones that are presented in this chapter). Those

that did not manage to have their own hallmark, were little by little forgot-

ten over the course of time or simply lost their importance in the milonga

scene.

During the golden age, the principal objective of each orchestra was to cre-

ate dancing music, that is, “music for the feet”. For that very reason, though,

it is a music that practically does not use percussion instruments to keep

the rhythmic element present. Even the very melody of the tango is a “rhyth-

mic melody”, full of accents, variations, syncopations, different accentua-

tion modes.

357

365
The lyrics and the poetry, generally loaded with its own existentialism and

drama, are elements that make every piece of music timeless. In this way,

some musicians were surrounded by and cooperated with magnificent po-

ets, in order to give shape to exceptional musical compositions, such as is

the case of Troilo with the poets Homero Manzi, Catulo Castillo and Enrique

Santos Discepolo.

Over time, the musicians have become increasingly more popular. In this

section are some of the most emblematic collaborations between orches-

tras and singers that have passed into history will be discussed, for example:

Troilo-Fiorentino, D'Agostino-Vargas, Pugliese-Maciel, Tanturi-Campos, etc.

In the following list, are presented (notwithstanding my personal prefer-

ences), many orchestras and singers that are heard in milongas all over the

world. The orchestras have been organised into eight levels, according to

their popularity and the frequency in which they are selected for milongas.

358

366
Level 1

D’Arienzo, Juan (1900 - 1976)

Alberto Echagüe, Armando Laborde,

Jorge Valdez, Mario Bustos,

Osvaldo Ramos

Di Sarli, Carlos (1903 - 1960)

Roberto Rufino, Alberto Podestá,

Jorge Durán, Oscar Serpa,

Mario Pomar, Roberto Rufino

359

367
 Canaro, Francisco (1888 - 1964)

Ernesto Fama, Roberto Diaz,

Nelly Omar, Ada Falcón

Fresedo, Osvaldo (1897 - 1984)

Ernesto Famá, Teófilo Ibañez,

Juan Carlos Thorry, Roberto Ray,

Ricardo Ruiz, Oscar Serpa,

Hector Pacheco, Carlos Barrios,

Armando Garrido, Argentino Ledesma

360

368
Pugliese, Osvaldo (1905 - 1995)

Roberto Chanel, Alberto Morán,

Jorge Vidál, Jorge Maciel

Troilo, Anibal (1914 - 1975)

Francisco Fiorentino, Alberto Marino,

Floreal Ruiz, Ángel Cárdenas,

Roberto Goyeneche, Raúl Beron,

Jorge Casál, Elba berón,

Edmundo Rivero

361

369
Level 2

Biagi, Rodofo (1906 - 1969)

Teófilo Ibañez, Andrés Falgás,

Jorge Ortíz, Alberto Amor,

Carlos Acuña, Hugo Duvál,

Alberto Lago

Calo, Miguel (1907 - 1972)

Raúl Beron, Alberto Podestá,

Raúl Iriarte, Jorge Ortíz

362

370
D’Agostino, Angel (1900 - 1991)

Ángel Vargas

De Angelis, Alfredo (1910 - 1992)

Carlos Dante, Oscar Larroca,

Julio Martel, Juan Carlos Godoy,

Lalo Martel, Floreal Ruiz

363

371
 Tanturi, Ricardo (1905 - 1973)

Alberto Castillo, Enrique Campos

Francini, Enrique (1916 - 1978) &

Pontier, Armando (1917 - 1983)

Raul Berón, Alberto Podestá,

Raúl Rufino, Julio Sosa,

Roberto Florio

364

372
Rodriguez, Enrique (1901 - 1971)

Armando Moreno, Roberto Flores

Demare, Lucio (1906 - 1974)

Juan Carlos Miranda, Raul Beron,

Horacio Quintana

365

373
 Level 3

Basso, José (1919 - 1993)

Floreal Ruiz, Oscar Ferrari,

Jorge Duran, Rodolfo Gale

Donato, Edgardo (1897 - 1963)

Antonio Máida, Horacio Lagos,

Julio del Carril, Félix Gutierrez,

Alberto Gómez

366

374
Federico, Domingo (1916 - 2000)

Carlos Vi d a l

Firpo, Roberto (1884 - 1969)

Teófilo Ibañez

367

375
 Laurenz, Pedro (1902 - 1972)

Alberto Podesta, Carlos Bermudez

Sassone, Florindo (1912 - 1982)

Jorge Casal, Angel Diaz, Roberto Chanel,

Carlos Malbrán

368

376
Victor, Orquesta Típica

(1925 - 1944)

Teófilo Ibañez,

Roberto Diaz,

Carlos Lafuente,

Alberto Gomez,

Ernesto Fama,

Mercedes Simone,

Charlo

Varela, Hector (1914 - 1987)

Armando Laborde, Jorge Falcon,

Argentino Ledesma, Rodolfo Lesica

369

377
Level 4

Car abelli, Adolfo (1893 - 1947)

Luis Diaz, Alberto Gomez, Carlos Lafuente

De Caro, Julio (1899 - 1980)

Teófilo Ibañez, Juan Carlos Otero, Luis Diaz, Edmundo Rivero,

Roberto Quiroga

Gar cia, Jose (1908 - 2000)

Alfredo Rojas, Osvaldo Cordo, Alfredo Santillán

Gobbi, Alfr edo (1912 - 1965)

Angel Paya Diaz, Jorge Maciel, Alfredo del Río, Tito Lando, Hector Maciel

Maderna, Osmar (1918 - 1951)

Malerba, Ricardo (1905 - 1974)

Orlando Medina, Antonio Maida

Salamanca, Fulvio (1921 - 1999)

Armando Guerrico, Jorge Garre, Andres Peyro

Rotundo, Francisco (1919 - 1997)

Enrique Campos, Floreal Ruiz, Julio Sosa, Carlos Roldan

370

378
Level 5

Bachicha (1890 - 1963)

Roberto Maida, Emilia Garcia, Cesar Alberu, Juan Raggi

Bianco, Eduardo (1892 - 1959)

Cesar Alberu

Canaro, Rafael (1890 - 1972)

Carlos Dante, Raul Sanders, Mario Beltrán, Luis Scalon, Jorge Cardozo

Delfino, Enrique (1895 – 1967)

Azucena Maizani, Sofía Bozan, Hugo del Carril, Ignacio Corsini

Del Piano, Eduardo (1914 – 1987)

Angel Vargas, Mario Bustos

Lomuto, Francisco (1893 - 1950)

Charlo, Fernando Diaz, Jorge Omar

Lacava, Armando (1915 - 1989)

Angel Vargas, Julio Martel, Mario Bustos, Tania

Maffia, Pedro (1899 - 1967)

Alberto Gomez, Luis Diaz, Roberto Maida, Francisco Fiorentino,

Alberto Gomez, Ernesto Fama, Alberto Echagüe, Aldo Campoamor

Roberto Zerrillo (1902 - 1955)

Jorge Cardozo, Francisco Amor, Francisco Fiorentino, Luis Alberto Fleitas

371

379
Level 6

Alessio, Enrique (1918 - 2000)

Alberto Castillo, Alberto Marino, Hugo Soler

Balcarce, Emilio (1918 - 2011)

Jorge Duran, Alberto Castillo

Cobian, Juan Carlos (1899 - 1980)

Francisco Fiorentino

Greco, Vicente (1888 - 1924)

Maglio, Juan Pacho (1880 - 1934)

Marcucci, Carlos (1903 - 1957)

Roberto Diaz

Ortiz, Ciriaco (1905 - 1970)

Juan Bava

Villasboas, Miguel (b. 1936)

Puglisi, Cayetano (1902 - 1968)

372

380
Level 7

Goni, Orlando (1914 - 1945)

Francisco Fiorentino, Antonio Rodriguez Lesende, Raul Aldao, Os- valdo

Cabrera

Mores, Mariano (1918 - 2016)

Carlos Acuña, Aldo Campoamor, Susy Leiva, Virginia Luque, Ti t a Merello,

Hugo Marcel

Pedevilla, Ricardo (1915 - n/d)

Hugo Soler, Roberto Beltrán, Carlos Olmedo, Oscar Serpa, Roberto Mancini,

Carlos Paiva

Petrucceli, Luis (1903 - 1941)

Piazzolla, Astor (1921 - 1992)

Francisco Fiorentino, Roberto Goyeneche, Amelita Baltar, Edmundo Rivero

Polito, Juan (1908 - 1981)

Raul Figueroa

Rodio, Antonio (1904 - 1980)

Alberto Serna, Mario Corrales, Daniel Adamo

Salgán, Horacio (1916 - 2016)

Angel Paya Diaz, Edmundo Rivero, Carlos Bermudez, Roberto Goyeneche

Stampone, Atilio (b. 1926)

Roberto Goyeneche

373

381
Level 8

Aieta, Anselmo Alfredo (1896 - 1964)

Carlos Dante, Edmundo Rivero

Arolas, Eduardo (1892 - 1924)

Bonavena, Antonio (1896 - 1960)

Luis Mendoza, Roberto Flores

Brignolo, Ricardo (1892 - 1954)

Brunswick, Orquesta Típica (1929 - 1932)

Antonio Rodríguez Lesende, Carlos Viván, Teófilo Ibáñez y Luis Díaz

Ferrazzano, Sexteto Agesilao (1897 - 1980)

Genaro, El Tano Esposito (1886 - 1944)

Vardaro, Elviro (1905 - 1971)

374

382
 Special M ention:

Carlos Gardel (1890 - 1935)

Carlos Gardel is the most popular tango singer of all time and an icon of

Buenos Aires identity. He is recognised worldwide. His decisive contribution

to tango gave the genre its genuine and deep character and influenced its

subsequent evolution. On December 11, the date of his birth, International

Tango Day is celebrated.

375

383
384
y r o t s i H

385
386
387
 Tango

388
389
yrotsH
i fo ogna T

Tango is a musical genre and a dance, characteristic of the region of Rio de

la Plata, principally from the cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. It has

its roots in the culture of the gauchos , principally in the Spanish, African and

Italian culture, that is, from the immigrants that arrived in the middle of the

19th c e n t u r y. Different researchers point out that six principal musical styles

have left their mark on tango: the Andalusian tango, the Cuban habanera,

the candombe, the milonga, the mazurka and the European polka.

Tango revolutionised revolutionised dancing by introducing a sensual dance

with an embraced couple that creates a deep emotional relationship be-

tween each person and their own body, and between that of the dancers’

bodies and each other. Referring to that relationship, the poet Enrique San-

tos Discépolo, defined tango as “a sad thought that can even be danced”.

Musically, tango usually has either a binary form (theme or chorus) or a ter-

nary form (two parts in which a third part is added). Its interpretation can be

carried out by a wide variety of instrumental formations, with most of the

orchestra made up by the sextet of two bandoneons, two violins, a piano

and a double bass. The bandoneon occupies a central role.

Etymology

The etymology of the term “tango” has been and still is an object of multiple

theories and controversies.

Theories about the origin of the word tango go back as far as the 1914 edition

of the Dictionary of la Real Academia Española (The Royal Spanish Acade-

my), which stated that it came from the Latin word tangere . Historian Ricar-

do Rodriguez Molas researched languages of the slaves taken to Argentina,

principally those belonging to ethnicities from the Congo, the Gulf of Guinea

and the south of Sudan. He discovered the existence existence of the word

tango in reference to “the meeting places” and that this term was used both

in Africa and in colonial America. Other words intimately related with tango,

such as milonga and canyengue , also have an African origin according to

Molas.

381

390
During the viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata, the terms tango and tambo

were used as synonyms to refer to the places where the “negros” danced.

Researcher Oscar Escalada argues that the term tango is quechua in origin,

from the word tanpu , was hispanised by the Spanish conquerors into tambo ,

then used as a synonym for tango .

It has also been argued that the word tango had existed in Andalusia during

the middle of the 19th c e n t u r y, in order to designate a musical genre called

tango flamenco or tango andaluz , and whose origin can be traced to Cuba

in around 1823, more specifically the black neighbourhood of Havana. The

tango flamenco, in turn, has both Afro-Cuban influences (particularly the

habanera ), and African ones. Both habanera and tango flamenco had influ-

enced the argentine tango, as a musical genre. Finally, given the widespread

use of the expressions tambo-tango in Rio de la Plata and, at the same time,

the expression tango andaluz , a theory of the double entrance has been

proposed: this theory proposes that the word tango was used in Rio de la

Plata during the 18th and 19th centuries in order to name the places where

“negros” danced, later came back to Río de la Plata in the second half of the

19 th c e n t u r y, from Cuba and Andalucia, in order to name, this time, the dance

and the musical genre.

Or igins and History

There is a general consensus amongst historians that tango first began as

a dance style, then became a musical genre. It was the dance of tango that,

from the middle of the 19 th c e n t u r y, promoted a progressive musical trans-

formation that was connected to the dance, and led to the creation of tango,

as a musical genre in the last decade of the 19 th c e n t u r y.

Tango as a dance began to emerge in the middle of the 19 th c e n t u r y, in what

was called the shores or suburbs of cities such as Buenos Aires and Mon-

tevideo, that is, in the marginal areas inhabited by popular sectors. It was

in those spaces, the heart of the Afro-Rio de la Plata communities, when

the slaves were finally being liberated, when dance halls and popular en-

tertainment places were built and installed where tango would be invented.

Jose Gobello explains that after the fall of Juan Manuel de Rosas in 1852, in

Buenos Aires, the Afroporteñas communities could not continue performing

their candombe in the streets and were forced to perform them in closed

places. It is in those conditions that the dance was transformed, merging

the characteristic cortes and quebradas of the candombe , with the bonded

couple of the waltz and the mazurka . The waltz had already become fashion-

382

391
able in Europe by that period. During the first decades of the 19 th c e n t u r y, the

sight of embraced couples dancing was received with considerable conster-

nation by the more conservative areas of society over its alleged indecency

and immorality, mainly in England. Mazurka, also a dance of bonded couples,

became a fashionable dance in 1850, too. The fusion of these styles, waltzes

and mazurkas danced with corte and quebrada , became the choreograph-

ic base of tango. These characteristics would go on to be finalised by the

1860s: a tightly bonde d couple, w a l k i ng, corte and quebrada.

In Buenos Aires, there are arrest records for four men and two women be-

cause of dancing with corte in 1862. In the next three decades, that type of

dance was used in Rio de la Plata in order to dance, and merged with various

other styles: mazurkas, polkas, chotis, habaneras, andalucian tangos and

milongas.

At that time, everything the “negros” danced was called tango . As a result,

a new musical genre was generate which was perfectly adapted to that pe-

culiar and sensual dance style. Finally, this new genre appeared in the last

years of the 19 th century and was given the same name as the dance: tango .

That initial form mode of dancing tango is known as “tango canyenque” or

“tango orillero” or “tango arrabalero”. The tango canyengue acquired a pro-

vocative and very sensual style, marked strongly by the corte and the que-

brada, a very tight embrace with the bodies in close contact.

The choreography of tango, since it is designed by the embrace of the cou-

ple, is extremely sensual and intricate. The complexity of the steps is not

the most important element. It is mainly about expressing a feeling full of

sensuality and not s e x u a l i t y. Further more that a perfect technique or a pre-

cise synchronization, the facial expression of the dancers has to transmit

feelings. Everything in tango dancing is intrinsically linked, the looks, the

arms, the hands, every movement of the body accompanies the cadence of

tango and what the dancers are living: a three minute-romance between two

people who might have just met and who probably do not have a romantic

relationship in real life. Tango transcends and gets to the heart of those

who contemplate the dancers, due to the feelings that they put into the

dance and the quality of their choreographies. Every musical stanza, every

passage, every tango has different moments. We cannot dance a complete

tango following an identical pattern of behaviour for the entire melody, for

example. There are sad cadences, cheerful ones, sensual or euphoric ones,

silent or great endings, and in crescendo or diminuendo music elements

which express feelings. Feelings that the dancers interpret later with their

feet and their entire body.

383

392
Through time, tango began to move away from the notorious brothels, where

it was danced at the beginning, and began to be danced in dance halls and

public areas. As a result, a new dance style appeared, one that sought to

moderate tango's more provocative aspects by separating the bodies with-

out losing the embrace. This style evolved specially from the second decade

of the 20 th c e n t u r y, received the name tango de salon or tango liso , which

mainly focused on the tango walk and was basically the style which was pop-

ularly danced between the 1920s and 1950s. Almost simultaneously, while

tango de salon was practiced and became a popular form of entertainment,

a tango danced by professionals oriented more towards shows appeared

and was given the name tango escenario , which uses more bold and free

choreographies.

In 1955 with the fall of Peronism and the takeover of power by the m i l i t a r y,

the golden age of tango ended. During the following decades and until the

1980s, tango diminished to such an extent that it almost stopped being

danced.The causes were several and diverse, although we can point to fac-

tors such as generational changes, the international record business, the

rise of rock and Argentine folk music and the policies of restricting national

and popular music by the military dictatorships.

With the arrival of democracy in the 1980s, a period of tango rebirth began,

which was largely due to the worldwide success of the musical "Tango Argen-

tino". Such success became the starting point for the whole world to want to

dance, sing, teach, interpret or at least see and listen to tango in some of its

manifestations. In 1990, young orchestras began to form, milongas around

the world were inaugurated and more and more masters/dancers as well as

famous “milongueros” were invited to do exhibitions and dance seminars.

384

393
The Museo del Tango, which is managed by the Academia Nacional del Tango

de la República Argentina, distinguishes the following stages and sub-stag-

es of tango:

Or igins of tango (before 1895)

The Old Guard (1895-1925)

The Hatching (1895-1909)

The formalization (1910-1925)

The New Guard (1925-1950)

The transformation (1925-1940)

The Forties: the exaltation (1940-1955)

The Avant-Garde: Modernization (1950-1970)

Contemporary period (1970-2000)

Universalization (1970-1985)

The endurance (1985-2000)

Current period (2000 to date)

385

394
395
Milonga

396
397
yrotsH
i fo agno l iM

The milonga is a folkloric musical genre from Rio de la Plata, typical of Ar-

gentina and Uruguay. The genre has its origins in the culture of the “gau-

chos”. It is presented in two modalities: the milonga campera , pampeana or

surera / milonga of the countryside (which is the original form of the milon-

ga) and the milonga ciudadana / milonga of the city (a late form created in

1931 by Sebastian Piana with the “Milonga sentimental”).

Etymology

In the language quimbunda of Brasil, “milonga” meant “word” and by exten-

sion “many words”.

Origin and history

Milonga Campera

The origin of the milonga (milonga campera) is still the subject of discus-

sion. It is known though, to contain African elements in its rhythmic con-

stitution and influences of creole and European dances coming to Buenos

Aires and Montevideo from various places, principally Peru, Spain, Brazil

and Cuba. During the period when these influences were mixing, there was

a phenomenon known as “back and forth” which occurred as the genres of

music travelled from America to Europe and vice versa, undergoing trans-

formations and adaptations in each region. Milonga has similarities with

other rhythms such as the chamarrita , the choro , the candombe and the

habanera . It is presumed that milonga campera contributed elements to the

tango, while it was taking the original shape of the milonga ciudadana as its

own subgenre.

At some point, the musicians of some ensembles had the thought of playing

the milonga pampeana campera in a “milonga” (in this case, the term milon-

ga refers to the place where people went to dance at the end of the 19 th cen-

tury). The milonga - which as a song was born with a slightly variable melody

- became, as a result of these musicians, danceable. It was also separated

389

398
from the lyrics and started to be musically stylised. This type of milonga , of

a principally instrumental character (not the vocal one that was the milonga

campera campeana , which continued its course independently), also used

to be called tango , though its songs were “tangos milongas antiguos” (very

old tango-milongas).

During the 1880s and 1890s, when the process of musical inventiveness of

the old tango-milonga was at its height, pianists began to insert the mi-

longa into the musical pentagram. This rhythm mixed with another rhythm

that was very popular at the time, the Andalusian tango , as well as with

the habanera , the candombe , the mazurka and the waltz , among others. All

these rhythms mixed and evolved, giving rise and form to what is currently

known as tango . It can be understood, then, that the milonga campera left

traces in tango . From there, sometime later, the milonga ciudadana would

be created.

Something interesting about the milonga campera is that it coexisted with

the habanera , but stayed in very humble social environments. At its last de-

velopmental stage, it used to get in the musical pentagram as well as the ha-

banera, maybe that is why it was called “the habanera of the poor people”.

Milonga Ciudadana

In 1931, a new form of milonga appeared in Buenos Aires and Montevideo -

one that was more linked to tango - it was called milonga ciudadana , while

its original form was named milonga campera o surera .

Milonga ciudadana appeared as a subgenre of tango when Sebastian Piana

(music) and Homero Manzi (lyrics) created the “Milonga sentimental”. This

tango variety was named by Piana as “milonga” and today is known by that

name. It is rhythmically quicker than the milonga campera . As previously

said, there was a rhythm from the country milonga that got in the musical

pentagram by various pianists at the end of the 19 th century. Those musi-

cal “footprints” or “traces” were studied by Sebastian Piana, who created a

form of milonga that was adapted later by Juan D'Arienzo at the Orquesta

Típica . In this way, it is how milonga was originated what today is known as

milonga ciudadana, and it is in the city rather than the countryside where

it was most strongly rooted. All these changes to milonga have made it dif-

ficult for historians to accurately track the development of the dance over

time - especially for those who are unfamiliar with the authentic guitarreros

milongueros ( payadores or reciters, who used the milonga rhythm to recite/

390

399
sing). The performers of the suburbs continued in parallel with the tradi-

tional rhythm of the genre, that is the milonga campera .

At the same time, the so-called milonga candombe , the hybrid subgen-

re created in the early 1940s by Sebastian Piana with a more accelerated

rhythm, also existed.

Differences with Tango

Though both milonga and tango are in 2/4 or 4/4 time, the 8 musical figures

of milonga are distributed in 3 - 3 - 2. This way, we could say that tango has

a more “square” rhythm. Generally, milonga is danced in a quicker rhythm

than tango. Also, the lyrics of milonga are usually picaresque.

As for the dance, there are two different styles of milonga:

• Milonga Lisa : in which the dancer steps every count of the music.

• Milonga Traspie ́: in which the dancer uses stumbles or countersteps

(changes of weight from one foot to the other in double time or

three steps in two counts) to interpret the music. In this way,

dancers can dance without taking up so much space.

391

400
401
 Vasl

402
403
yrotsH
i fo s l aV

The Real Academia Española defines waltz as a dance of German origin,

which couples execute in a circular movement and with displacement. It is

accompanied by a music of ternary rhythm, whose phrases consist generally

of 16 bars.

Most experts locate its birth in Tirol and mention as an antecedent the “la

volte”, a dance of the 12 th century, also with three counts. It is certainly the

case that the waltz became popular in the 19 th century, century, during which

time it was danced in operas and ballets and was given its name. Great

classical maestros were also involved in the creation of waltz music and

composed many excellent pieces.

This musical form gained different characteristics depending on what region

it was danced in, and thus we can distinguish: the German waltz, the Russian

waltz, the Viennese or Austrian waltz, the American waltz (also called “Bos-

ton”), etc. In Latin-America, different forms were adopted by each country:

the ranchero or Mexican waltz, the Peruvian waltz, and the criollo waltz that

during its development converted into the tango vals , to name but a few.

By 1810, the European waltz was already danced in Buenos Aires and in Mon-

tevideo, especially amongst the upper echelons of society where it replaced

old dances and coexisted alongside other ones, such as: polkas, chotis

and habaneras. When more people began to express themselves with this

rhythm, the vals criollo was born, first on the guitar strings of the payadores

and was later enriched by South America's large immigrant population.

Tango Vals

Argentine and Uruguayan music and dance are frequently accompanied by

similar lyrics as of the Argentine tango. The valsecito criollo emerged at the

end of the 19 th century for two reasons: at that time, the Viennese waltz, as

composed by Johann Strauss II, was one of the most fashionable musical

genres of the “Belle Époque”, and also, because the burgeoning Argentine

population included thousands of Swiss, Austrian, and German immigrants

who also influenced Argentine folk music.

395

404
In general, tango vals or valsecito criollo argentino , has an instrumentation

is very close to Argentine tango and is danced in a 3/4 phrase.

Characteristics of the Tango Vals dance

It is danced in an open or close embrace, with a soft, continuous and fluid

movement which does not stop often. It is played in 3/4 time instead of the

standard 4/4 of tango, with the accent on the first count. It is characterised

by the circularity, and, technique-wise, it demands rotation and corporeal

dissociation. Regarding steps, the use of giros is frequent, the calesita (a

figure inspired by the carousel, where the leader holds the follower on his

own axis and makes her turn) is also incorporated, as are the the cadena or

encadenada and the molinete .

396

405
y r t e o P

406
407
408
 Thoughts

about Tango

409
410
sthguohT

t uoba ogn a T

“Tango is a mix of arts and a manner to be, to live. Being

a tanguero is a way to transit through existence, without

playing an instrument, singing nor dancing. It is a way

of living, that mixes Bohemia, work, illusions and ways

to love, and that gives an important place for friend-

ship.”

Horacio Ferrer

“A good dancer is the one that listens to the music...

we dance the music, not the steps... We paint the music

with our feet.”

Carlos Gavito

“Firstly, study the feminine and masculine roles sep-

arately, without embracing and without music. When

you know your roles, embrace each other and study

the marking, and only when you know where to step

and how to lead, start with the music. If you don't know

where to place the feet, how can you guide the woman?

If you try to study the step, the marking and the music

at the same time, you will be a year with one step. Work

every step slowly at first, speed comes in time. The rest

is to practice, practice and practice.”

Pepito Avellaneda

401

411
“The Argentine Tango performs the miracle of insert-

ing the figure in the link... This is the secret of its suc-

cess, this is the principal innovation that it offers to the

world.”

Carlos Vega

“Did you dance the tango of your life tonight?

Don't dance anymore....”

Carlos Gavito

“Tango is a direct expression of something that the po-

ets often have tried to express in words: the belief that

a battle can be a celebration.”

Jorge Luis Borges

“Tango is in between the steps, where the silences are

heard and the muses sing.”

Carlos Gavito

“Tango is a sad thought that can be danced.”

Enrique Santos Discepolo

“The tango dance has something very special, which

is the communication of the couple. That is why when

dancing it we feel emotions without end. As could be

love, but also hate.”

Maria Nieves

402

412
“The man should know that he is dancing for her, and in

doing so makes her look like a queen. Only then he will

be the king.”

Carlos Gavito

“The man in tango is the column, the strength and the

dignity. The woman is the beauty, the sensuality, the

sinuosity.”

Carlos Gavito

“Do you know, my friend, why tango is danced counter

clockwise? For stopping time and your life gets immor-

tal in that touching embrace that unifies for three min-

utes two sensible souls that are mutually consoled of

the bad things that overwhelm them. And for those two

that are embracing each other, Tango is a life jacket.”

Enrique Santos Discepolo

“Tango is danced to the beat of the heart: tick-tock.

Only the feeling gives to it understanding and beauty,

which is what is in between the musical and the poetic,

and d i ff e r e n t i a t e s it from the coarse and mechanical.”

Carlos Gavito

“Be your own Picasso. Search in simplicity and beauty,

like in a painting of Matisse.”

Carlos Gavito

403

413
“Beyond the applause, what should satisfy you is the

moment in which the viewers are mute. In that moment,

you made them forget everything.”

Carlos Copes

“In the music, the bass is the man's step, the violin is

the woman's body, the piano is the hand-to-hand walk

through the park, and the bandoneon, which is not fol-

lowed, is a soap bubble and we enter it, without break-

ing it, without touching it so as not to lose its magic and

its spirit.”

Carlos Gavito

“I was a tango lyric for your i n d i ff e r e n t melody.”

Julio Cortazar

“When you stop dancing time, is when you start dancing

the feeling. Feeling has no time: it has soul, it has spirit.”

Carlos Gavito

“Tango is full of goodbyes.”

Ramón Gómez de la Serna

“The most difficult thing in tango

is to make it simple.”

Carlos Copes

404

414
“For me, tango is a poem. I always say that I begin to

dance with a capital letter, then I put a comma, then

suspension points, then an interrogative sign, then an

exclamation one, an accent mark and a full stop. This

is how I dance tango, step by step and each movement

is a step. Each movement! Because I believe that tango

is not the dancing step but rather what exists between

the steps, where there is nothing, where the silences

are, where the memory exists. That's why I dance it dif-

ferently.”

Carlos Gavito

“You will see, my love, how happy you will be....

Do you hear the beat? This is the heart.”

Homero Exposito

“To dance tango, you have to feel.”

Carlos Copes

“Tango that comes from far to caress my ears, like a be-

loved memory with melancholic traces”

Enrique Cadícamo

405

415
416
eugo l i pE

This book came from the need to have in my hands the essential knowledge

of an art as comprehensive as Tango.

If you got here, I am very glad, since you have been introduced to this dance,

its history, its music, and now the invitation to create awaits you.

In order to enjoy this creative trip in the most possible enriched way, I

suggest:

• Take care of the posture of your body, so as not to injure yourself or

the other person dancing with you.

• Understand that we are a unity, so the way in which we dance says

a lot about ourselves.

• Listen to tango a lot and learn about the composers, the styles and

the history.

• When dancing, we build in space and time. In order to be free in

this process, we have to possess a good technique, repertoire

and musical ea.r

• Sharpen your observations and learn to watch how others dance.

• Share your knowledge. Giving is the best way to receive.

• Do a lot of practice, either alone or in a couple.

• Learn, always learn.

Thank you for giving the best of you to Tango.

And beyond seeking perfection in technique, don’t forget the most impor-

tant thing:

Dance with the heart!

Carlos Dall’Asta

407

417
tuobA eht rohtua

Carlos Dall'Asta is a teacher/visual

artist and dancer/professor of tango.

Born in 1981 in Buenos Aires, Argen-

tina and currently resides in Athens,

Greece.

EDUCATION

1994 - 1996: Escuea

l de Adou
tsl Manuel

Beglrano

1999 - 2002: Escuea

l No
an
cial de Bellas

Artes Manuel Beg

l rano

2001 - 2012: Un
ve
id
sriad No
an
cial de

Arte - UNA

S
nce
i 2008: ofunder of h
te School of Dance D
“anzn
a
,í”r ni h
te cene
rt of Ah
tens .

VISUAL ARTS

His a r t i s t i c s t y l e is figurative and is influenced by expressionism. In his

drawing, there is a preference for charcoal, where he creates textures from

imprints, evokes atmospheres and, as such, stands on a point between

figuration and a b s t r a c t i o n .

His works can be found in numerous private collections in Argentina, The

United States of America, Sweden, Germany and Greece.

Since 1996, he has received awards at numerous competitions and has par-

ticipated in group and individual exhibitions, both local and international.

408

418
TANGO

Regarding the dance of tango, Carlos started in 1996 and has since attended

classes and seminars with important professors of tango during his training.

He also studied at the Universidad del Tango de Buenos Aires at the begin-

ning of his career.

He has danced at many exhibitions in theatres, festivals, milongas and vari-

ous events. He also travels and gives seminars promoting tango in different

parts of the world, with his dance partner Maria Karageorgou.

He is the organiser of the oldest and one of the most important milongas of

Athens, the “Milonga Danzarín” and is the founder of the well-known School

of Dance “Danzarín” in Greece.

The union of these two disci-

plines, visual arts and tango,

are the axis of his creation.

Through his continuous teach-

ing in different places, Carlos

has created a personal peda-

gogy, which is reflected in this

book, one that is useful as a

contribution to the legacy to

Tango.

S e l f - p o r t r a i t , 50 x 70 cm, Oil on canvas, 2012

409

419
K r a t i r a s , Milonga Danzarín, 2 0 0 5 , A t h e n s , Greece Ta n g o Lesson at National Opera, 2012, A t h e n s , Greece

Fournos T h e a t e r, 2 0 0 8 , A t h e n s , Greece

410

420
 Carlos D a l l ' A s t a ' s A t e l i e r, 2009, A t h e n s , Greece

“Art-Athina” Inter national C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t E x h i b i t i o n , 2011, A t h e n s , Greece

14

421
Gialino Music T h e a t e r, 2015, A t h e n s , Greece

Dancing Ta n g o at Solo Painting E x h i b i t i o n , Alandar A r t G a l l e r y, 2007, A t h e n s , Greece

412

422
yhpa r go i l b i B

Gobello, José (1999). Breve historia crítica del tango. Corregidor. Buenos

Aires, Argentina

Mafud (1966). Sociologia del tango. Editorial Américalee - Buenos Aires, Ar-

gentina

Rosalba Campra (1966). La retórica del tango. Edicial - Buenos Aires, Argen-

tina

Berti Eduardo (2017). Porque escuchamos a Troilo. Gourmet musical. Argen-

tina

Carlos Vega (1936). Danzas y canciones argentinas. Teorías e investigaciones.

Un ensayo sobre el tango. Ricordi. Buenos Aires, Argentina

Uriarte Rebaudí, Lía Noemí (2006). Una estética de lo criollo en el Santos

Vega de Rafael Obligado. Editorial Dunken. Argentina

Horarcio Ferrer (1999). El tango, historia y evolucion. Ediciones Continente.

Argentina

El Tango como Sistema de incorporación (1989). Revista Universidad de Me-

dellín. José Gobello. Bogota, Colombia

Porres Ortún, Ángeles, y “Ritmoterapia” Revista Interuniversitaria de For-

mación del Profesorado , no. 42 (2001):49-65. Redalyc

Horacio Salgan (2001). Curso de Tango. Editorial privada. Buenos Aires, Ar-

gentina

Paulina Fain. Herramientas fundamentales del tango. Ediciones Tango Sin

Fin de libre descarga

Omar García Brunelli (2015). La cuestión del fraseo en el tango, Instituto Na-

cional de Musicología “Carlos Vega” / Universidad de Buenos Aires

413

423
xedn I fo F ,serugi

E s t nemhs i l l ebm dna S spet

(f) figura

(a) adorno

(p) paso

Abanico (a) 96 Caricia a

() 92

Acomodo a
() 100 Caricia alta a
() 93

Aguja a
() 90 Cacair ata
l en poryecócn
i )a( 93

Alteración (f) 237 Castigada a

() 84

Amague a
() 102 Colgada (f) 260

Amague (f) 243 Corridita p

() 76

Ancla a
() 96 Corte (f) 47

Atrape (f) 252 Cosida (f) 225

Cruce a
() 81

Bandera a
() 94 Cuadrado p
() 70

Bajada a
() 97 Cunita (f) 185

Barrida (f) 147

Básico p
() 70 Deslice (f) 297

Básico cruzado p
() 70 Desplace a
() 102

Bicicleta p
() 76

Bicicleta (f) 188 Elevación a

() 92

Boleo a
() 103 Enganche (f) 199

Boleo (f) 212 Enrosque (f) 270

Enrosque a
() 95

Cadena p
() 75 Entrada a
() 100

Cadera a
() 96 Entrada (f) 194

Calesita (f) 190 Espejito p

() 75

Cambio de frente a
() 101

414

424
Falsa apertura a
() 101 Punteo a
() 89

Floreo a
() 87

Floreo inverso a
() 88 Quebrada (f) 249

Frote a
() 93

Retroceso a
() 101

Gancho (f) 172 Rebote (f) 131

Giro (f) 168 Rodila a

() 80

Rodillazo a
() 99

Helicoptero a
() 103 Rulo a
() 84

Inclinación a
() 103 Rulo fouetté a
() 86

Rulo inverso a
() 85

Lápiz a
() 86 o l uR os r evn i no c o i bma c ed e t ne r f ) a ( 58

Lápiz inverso a
() 87 Rulo vaivén a
() 86

Levantada (f) 308

Llevada (f) 223 Sacada (f) 151

Lustrada a
() 94 Sanguchito (f) 142

Saltito (f) 300

Medialuna p
() 71 Saludito cruzado a
() 83

Media Vuelta p
() 75 Saludito inverso a
() 83

Molinete (f) 267 Saludito inverso paralelo a

() 83

Molinete a
() 95 Saludito paralelo a
() 83

Saludo cruzado a
() 82

Ocho (f) 125 Saludo paralelo a

() 83

Ocho con rebote p

() 71 Salto (f) 304

Ocho cortado p
() 71 Sentada (f) 292

Sentadita a
() 97

Parada (f) 135 Soltada (f) 281

Pasada a
() 99

Passé a
() 88 Taquo
ti a
() 104

Pasitos a
() 100 Tijera a
() 103

Patada (f) 204 Tocada a

() 98

Patada alta a
() 91 Tornoli (f) 273

Patada baja a
() 91 Tornoli a
() 95

Patito a
() 98 Traslación (f) 233

Patineta a
() 93

Piernazo (f) 286 Vaivén p

() 76

Pique a
() 89 Veronica p
() 75

Pisadita a
() 80 Viborita a
() 102

Pivotitos a
() 100 Volcada (f) 257

Planeo (f) 208

Proyección a
() 90

415

425
426