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Learn to talk tango...
Although it’s not a latin dance, Tango still runs on Spanish. If you’re asked to dance in Spanish, you don’t want to keep saying ‘What?’... It never hurts to know a little Spanish anyway. So this is a good place to start. It’s dedicated to Tango talk.
Most of below was saved from the listservs back in the late 90’s for our own use, so we do not have many credits... If you recognize anything as yours please let us know, if you care to... Gracias
Pronunciation (My symbol > stands for ‘English phonetic’.)
* ‘C’ before E or I is prounced as ‘S’... As in ‘Cents’.
Before *all other letters* it said as a ‘K’... As in Castle >
So dictionary in Spanish... Diccionario > ‘Diksionario’
* ‘H’ is *always* silent... Hasta la vista > ‘Asta’ la vista.
* 'J' is a hard 'H' sound. Julio > ‘Hulio’
* 'LL' or 'Y' is pronounced 'ZH'. As S in vision or pleasure.
Also commonly pronounced ‘Y’ Como se llama > Como se ‘yama’.
* 'QU' sounds like the 'C' in 'cat'. Querés > ‘Kaeres’
* 'Z'pronounced like 'S'.
Social courtesy
bailar ~ to dance
Querés bailar? ~ Do you want to dance?
Note: Some spanish characters do not reproduce on my web screen.
If you also see squares, look at the source code for the correct rendition.
Sí, gracias. ~ Yes, thank you.
Uno más? ~ One more?
Cómo no. ~ Yes, please. (literally "How not?")
Por favor. ~ Please.
yo ~ I
vos ~ you
él ~ he
ella ~ she
Verbs and Actions
parar, pararse ~ to stop, to stand (up)
caminar ~ to walk
abrir ~ to open
juntar ~ to join, bring together (as in, one's feet or knees)
marcar ~ to lead
(la marca) ~ (the lead)
llevar ~ to lead, also to carry
guiar ~ to guide, also to lead
seguir ~ to follow
escuchar ~ to listen
mirar ~ to look
fijarse ~ to pay close attention to
preguntar ~ to ask
Una pregunta por favor ~ A question, please
una vez más ~ one more time
Dancing
el compás ~ the beat
el ritmo ~ the rhythm
despacio, lento ~ slow/slowly
rapido ~ fast
doble tiempo ~ double time
pasos ~ steps
Body Parts
el cuerpo ~ body
el eje ~ axis (usually refers to balance)
el peso ~ weight
los dedos ~ toes, fingers
el pie/ los pies ~ foot/ feet
las piernas ~ legs
las rodillas ~ knees
la cintura ~ waist
los brazos ~ arms
el pecho ~ chest
el abrazo ~ embrace (as in, dance hold)
Dance Floor
paso ~ a step
pisar ~ to step
piso ~ floor
pista ~ dance floor
Directions
adelante ~ forward
atrás ~ backward
al costado ~ to the side
izquierda ~ left
derecha ~ right
derecho ~ straight
The following is taken from the tango-l's.
We attempted to put it together in some order, with comments, pro and con, where they were originally made. ~ This is far from a finished product. ;-/
Please let us know of any corrections or additions that should be made. ~ Thanks.
Some Credits:
Daniel & Maria
Emile Sansour
Steve de Tejas
Michael Cysouw
Jan Dirk van Abshoven
Enrique Garcia
Paula Villa
More may follow..
ADORNOS - Embellishments
AMAGUE - AMAGAR - Fake
To make a threatening motion. ~ An amague is used as an embellishment either led or done on one's own, and may be used before taking a step. ~ An example of an amague may be a beat (frappe) before taking a step. Or also, keeping knees together, crossing one leg in front of the other in a very quick motion.
APILADO - APILAR - Vertical ‘A’ stance of couple in close embrace.
ARRABAL - Outskirts; suburb.
ARRASTRE - Drag. See Barrida
AXIS - The balance point of the body over the weight bearing foot.
BACAN - A lunfardo word describing a wealthy man or one who pretends to be wealthy. ~ A man who keeps a woman. A pimp who owns a woman. A concubine of a prostitute.
BAILARIN - Dancer. Used to include all forms of dance. E.g. "bailarín clásico" is a "ballet dancer".
BAILONGO - A lunfardo word to describe a place where people dance, i.e. milonga
BARRIDA - LLEVADA - DRAG - Sweep
A sweeping motion. ~ One partner's foot sweeps the other's foot.
Also called a Drag.
BARRIO -
District; neighborhood.
BOLEO - From BOLEAR - To throw.
A boleo may be executed either high or low. ~ Keeping knees together, with one leg back, swivel on the supporting leg.
Re the definition of a "boleo", I had been taught that it meant "the whip", to describe the whiplike action of the free leg with the bent knee as it pivots behind the knee of the "fixed" or "weighted" leg. ~ However, it makes sense, as suggested by Michale Cysouw, that the term "boleo" derives from the whiplike effect of the Argentine bola or "boleadoras", the Argentine functional equivalent of the Western American lariot or lasso, but a device sharply distinguished from them by its whiplike action.
No clear story, but sort of. ~ The word goes probably back to the word 'bola', meaning 'ball'. ~ This word is the basic for the typical argentinean object 'boleadoras', the two balls on a string used to catch cows. ~ When the boleadoras hit something, they rope starts curling around it because of the movement of the balls. ~ This 'curling around' was metaphorically used for a movement where one leg curls around the other. ~ (Other typical south-american meaning of the word 'boleo' are 'push' and 'backside of clothing', but I don't see any resemblance with dance-movements here.)
The motion is one where the legs are crossed (weight on the back leg) and the lower part of the front leg is lifted, with the knees together. ~ It resembles in a way a gancho, but then around your own leg (same technique: don't 'lift' your foot, put let it move through a sudden stop of the upper leg).
I often hear (and use) the word 'boleo' for a movement of the lower part of the leg *behind* the 'standing' leg, again knees together. ~ Seen from the proposed history of the word, this use is probably a later addition.
Regarding the etymology of the "boleo", it would not be strange if the word had a gaucho origin. ~ Even today it is common for milongueros from BsAs to recite verses of Martin Fierro, for example. ~ Without a doubt the use of "boleo" to indicate the step of the same name comes from "bolear", but this verb has several meanings. ~ According to the Dictionary of the Spanish Language of the Real Academia Espanhola, from Argentina and Uruguay (that is the heart of the tango) another meaning of "bolear" is to confuse. ~ In addition, the verb "aturullar" according to the same august authority means to confuse someone, so that they don't know what to say or how to do something". ~ Therefore, its obvious that the step "boleo" is called that because it is so difficult to lead. ~ In trying to lead the boleo, the leader frequently ends up confusing his partner, disturbing her enough that she doesn't know how to do the step. ~ The same logic serves to clarify other tanguero terms. ~ For example, "gancho" according to those same well-lettered gallegos (<Spanish>), means (among other things) "attractive, especially when speaking about women". ~ Certainly, a woman appears especially attractive when doing a gancho. ~ For greater detail about these and other figures, you may consult this modest servant.
CABECEO - A nod given to a lady, from across the room or some distance, as an invitation to dance.
CADENA - Chain ~ Kette
Circular movements (like a chain) in which partners alternately change position, line of dance and possibly lead using high (or upper) sacadas and possibly ganchos (again alternately)
CAFE CON LECHE - Coffee with milk (Capuccino, Koffie verkeerd)
Extract from ground, roasted coffeebeans, preferably with water of about 120 degrees (i.e. under pressure) to which warm milk (preferably from cows and heated with the use of steam) is added.
CAFISHIOS - Hardened pimps who lived off women associated with Tango dancing and music. (Bruno 9-27-06)
CAMINADA - Cminar ~ Walk ~ Gehen
Stepping one foot in front of the other (mostly 'in phase' with the partner), but placing the ball of the foot first instead of the heel. ~ 'Rolling down' the foot serves to absorb shocks in the body, thus creating a sliding motion.
CAMINAR - To walk.
Everyone should practice tango walks until they are properly mastered. ~ The walk is similar to a natural walking step, but placing the the ball of the foot first instead of the heel. ~ The body and leg must move as a unit so that the body is in balance. ~ Walks should be practiced for balance and fluidity.
CANA: A lunfardo word to name the police, a policeman or the jail.
CANYENGUE - An older style of tango. ~ A lunfardo word with several meanings. ~ It refers to somebody or something from the slums, i.e. low class. ~ It also describes a gathering where people from the slums dance. ~ It is also a certain way to perform or dance the tango with a slum attitude. ~ Finally, it is a rhytmic effect created by Leopoldo Thompson by hitting the string of the contrabass with the hand or the arch of the bow.
CARANCANFUNFA - In the lingo of the compadritos, the dance of tango with interruptions (cortes) and also those who dance it that way in a very skillful manner.
COMPADRE - A close friend or associate; a companion. A person living in the suburb; haughty, proud & brave.
COMPADRITO - Typical "character" of the suburb; a bully and a braggart.
CONTONEO - Swagger
CONVENTRILLO - An edifice with multiple rooms but no basic comforts where immigrants of different origins live; workers and un-employed.
CORRIDA - A run
CORTE - cut ~ break ~ (Ein)schnitt
In tango, corte means cutting the music either by syncopating, or by holding several beats. ~ Breaking off a step before the weight is fully shifted to the other foot.
CRUZADA - (cruzar/cruze) ~ (to/the) cross ~ kreuzen
Occurs any time a foot is crossed in front or back of the other.
DESPLAZAMIENTO - Displacement.
Displacing partner's leg or foot using one's leg or foot.
DIBUJO - drawing ~ sketch.
A dibujo is done by drawing circles or other small movements on the floor with one's toe.
DRAG - Sweep (See Barrida)
ENGANCHE - hooking ~ coupling.
Occurs when partner wraps leg around the other's leg. A hook-like step.
One way to execute an enganche:
After the side step (second step in the dreaded 8 count basic) the man quickly places his right foot next to the woman's right foot, ankle to ankle, while keeping his weight on his left foot. ~ She closes with her left foot to complete a sandwich. ~ The man holds her up slightly so she maintains her weight on her right foot.
The man then slides his right foot behind the woman's right foot creating a shallow hook with leg rotated so that his heel is more hooked behind her than his toe (and preferably with his toe down and heel up) but keeping his weight back on his left foot. ~ His movement causes her to take a short step back with her left foot, and he lets her shift her weight onto her left foot.
He then shifts his weight forward, straightening his right leg and standing over it. ~ His motion causes her right leg to "fly" around his leg and into a cross behind her left leg--completing the step.
Normally, he would hold her up slightly, so she maintains her weight on her left foot. ~ This places them in outside partner right with their feet prepared for parallel walking--he can step forward with his left and she back with her right.
Another way to execute an enganche:
After the third step of the dreaded 8-count basic (the man's right foot forward and woman's left foot backward, in outside partner right), the man hooks his left foot behind his right while the woman takes a backward step with her right. ~ He then steps to the right, with his right leg hooking slightly behind her left, with his leg rotated so his heel is hooked more behind her leg than his toe. (and preferably with his toe on the ground and heel up)
He then shifts his weight forward, straightening his right leg and standing over it. ~ His motion causes her left leg to "fly" around his leg into a back step. ~ As left leg goes back, he steps forward with his left through the space her left leg is creating which puts them in outside partner left prepared for cross walking or back ochos.
ENROSQUE - From ENROSCAR
To coil or twist - corkscrew - Korkenzieher
While woman executes a molinete, man spins on one foot, hooking other foot behind the spinning foot.
FANTASIA - Fantasy or stage tango
FUEYE - The Bandonion. "The" A/T musical instrument.
GANCHO -
The main meaning of this word is 'hook', and it could well be that it is some kind of metaphorical description of the motion being made. ~ (I do not find this completely convincing, but I didn't find any other sub-meanings that could explain the use of this word. ~ One dictionary of American Spanish mentioned the meaning 'spider legs', but didn't tell if it was once used in Argentina. ~ A movement like the legs of a spider? ~ Hardly more convincing than the hook metaphor...)
Another figuratively used expression: "Hacer el gancho" If a girl wants to get to know a man in the milonga she doesn't know, she could ask a friend, who does know him: "Puedes hacerme el gancho con este guapo?". ~ Can you "hook me up with him?".
The motion resembles strongly the typical charleston-movement. ~ I saw some old black and white video (if I rememberit well it were Gloria and Eduardo, but much younger than today) where this resemblance was even stronger than today. ~ I would opt for a 'loan' from charleston (but it could be an independent innovation) which has evolved into a highly specialized movement. ~ Today I would describe its technique as mainly a use of the upper leg, with the lower part 'dangling' further after a sudden stop of the upper leg.
There is no such thing in the original Tango. ~ It was Copes who first introduced this in his show!
GAVION - A lunfardo word that describes a libertine man who seduces women. ~ A Don Juan that charms the women. A seducer, a mocker.
GIRO - Turn.
While woman does molinete, man turns on one foot placing the toe of the other foot in front and executes a sharp turn.
GRELAS - A lunfardo word for woman.
GUAPO -
Nickname for a man who practices the cult of courage.
HOLA - Hello - Silent ‘H’ of course.
LAPIZ - See "pencil"
LLEVADA - from llevar - to transport (see BARRIDA).
One partner's foot sweeps the other's foot while staying in contact.
LUNFARDO - Slang language of Buenos Aires.
MEDIA VUELTA - half turn.
Usually done when man's right foot and woman's left foot is free. ~ Man steps forward with his right, leading woman to take a back step with her left, and then leads her to take two steps while turning a half turn.
MILONGA -
A peppy, cheerful dance related to the tango.
The music for that dance.
May refer to the music or the dance which preceded the tango, written in 2/4 time.
The dance salon where people go to dance tango, milongas, and waltzes.
MILONGUERO/MILONGUERA -
Refers to those frequenting the milongas, esp. during the 1940's and 1950's who were tango fanatics.
Also refers to an older style of dancing. Body to body, resulting from crowded dance floors.
MILONGUERO STYLE -
Refers to the style of dancing that the milonguero used during that period, which differed from barrio to barrio and milonguero to milonguero.
MISHIADURA - A lunfardo word for poverty.
MINA - A lunfardo word for woman.
MOLINETE - fan.
Forward and backward ochos, done in a circle. Each partner mirroring the other.
MORDIDA - bite.
One partner's foot is sandwiched between the other partner's feet.
OCHOS - Eights.
Figure eights similar to the American fan in tango, but usually executed with the feet together instead of one foot extended.
ORILLERO - suburban.
Another older style of tango; literally "from the arilla", the outskirts of town or the curbside.
ORILLERO STYLE -
The style of dance which is danced in the suburbs, characterized by the man doing many quick syncopated foot moves.
PAICAS - A lunfardo word for girl.
PARADA - a stop, often a "sandwich"
PATADA - a kick
PEBETA - A lunfardo word for young woman or girl.
PENCIL - A foot movement suggesting drawing an arc on the floor. ~ In Show Tango it is less used. ~ Professional dancers nowadays do a kind of Boleo or kick before going into rotation, the pencil became more and more history. (In Salon Tango people use it to delay movement).
PISTA - Dance floor.
PORTENIO - Term for residents of Buenos Aires; a <I>port</I> city.
RESOLUCION - Resolution. ~ An ending to a basic pattern similar to a half of a box.
RIO - A lunfardo expression for hobo, unemployed, given to party and reticent to work. ~ Typical of people of lower class status. Also, it is used as humble, poor.
RULO - A curl.
SACADA - A displacement of the feet; cut; take out. Also see DESPLAZAMIENTO - By using one's leg to displace the partner's leg.
SALIDA - In tango it is a ‘start’, an exit from *off* the floor. - The beginning of a pattern.
SALIDA CRUZADA -
The beginning of a pattern with a cross, i.e., side left, crossing right foot behind left, or, side right, crossing left foot behind right.
SALON - A style of tango from the 1940s
SENTADA - A sitting action.
SHUSHETA - A lunfardo expression for a person who takes excessive care of his posture and attire. also it is used to describe a police informant, a person who accuses in secret, a snitch, a fop, a dandy.
TANGO - If you don't know, you're on the wrong page.
TRABADA - Fastened.
It is a lock step - the step that a woman takes when man steps outside partner with his right foot and then straight forward left, together right - at this point the woman crosses. ~ This cross is referred to as TRABADA. ~ The beginning of a pattern.
VALS - waltz
Argentine Tango Waltz
VOLEO - Volley
Given at a ball in the air.
High step or kick. (In dance)
1 - I suggest that voleo is a bastardization of volley, as it is used in soccer. ~ One of several ways to kick the ball is the volley (o volea in Argentino basico). ~ This move of the leg to kick the ball is similar tp the move the woman does in a well executed voleo. ~ The leg elevates and swings knee high.
2 - The voleo is a movement (ocho) which is not completed, but which returns in the direction it came from after it is reversed.
ZARANDEO -
A quick rotating shake of the woman with a lead similar to a boleo.
One way to do a zarandeo is for the man to lead a forward ocho (from cruzada) by stepping back with his right foot to create the space for her first step. ~ He then intercepts her next step, lifting her left foot into the air while rotating his feet (without taking any steps) to face her. ~ He then rotates her quickly back and forth in a manner similar to a boleo.
He then closes with his right foot to his left. ~ If he just passes through the closed position and steps forward with his right leading her to step back with left foot (the one held up during the zarandeo) they are making the third step of the dreaded 8-count basic (they are walking in parallel position outside partner right).
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The following are additional comments and other details which have yet to be included into the above descriptions...
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I think these are wrong expectations of the 'terminology project'. ~ IMO the only thing we can do is clarify what is meant with some existing terms in the Argentine tradition. ~ We can tell something about the etymological history of the word, the original use of the term, developments in the use etc. ~ This can learn us a lot about the history of tango, and so can help to understand the current state of the dance. ~ It can also help to prevent misunderstandings, **but** it will hardly help to facilate the description of movements! ~ Don't expect the holy grail of tango-description, because it doesn't exist.
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After my posting on the terms 'gancho' and 'boleo' some personal discussions changed my mind a bit about the origin of the words (notably one with Paula Villa, who gets most of the credits for the following).
I wrote:
BOLEO
The word goes probably back to the word 'bola', meaning 'ball'. ~ This word is the basic for the typical argentinean object 'boleadoras', the two balls on a string used to catch cows. When the boleadoras hit something, the rope starts curling around it because of the movement of the balls. ~ This 'curling around' was metaphorically used for a movement where one leg curls around the other.
Well, 'boleo' certainly comes from the use of boleadoras, and has nothing to do with 'voleo'. ~ Even if they may sound identical nowadays. ~ (The differences in writing points to the different origins, and it are those origins I am interested in.)
Paula made some better proposal about the metaphor used when the word 'boleo' entered the tango-terminology. ~ She notes that the verb 'bolear' is used in Argentinean Castellano for any 'centrifugal' motion, maybe best translated as 'to swirl'. ~ This special Argentinean use of the word obviously can be tracked down to the use of the boleadoras. ~ It was this meaning of the verb 'bolear' which was used to create the word 'boleo'. (if it was really, as I first opted, a direct metaphor from 'boleadoras', the movement would probably be called 'boleadoro' or something like that).
The new story: The name 'boleo' is a man-centered name for a movement of the woman. For the man, when leading a boleo (as they did once ;-)...) it feels like 'swirling' the lady around, suddently reversing her movement direction, which causes her leg to make the movement. ~ Metaphorically the woman herself is seen as the 'boleadoras', the man as the one who throws them.
This makes the 'curling around' movement proposed as the origin in the above citate not a real boleo. ~ As the technique of this 'curling around' movement suggests, it is better seen as a 'self gancho'.
so far,
michael cysouw
nijmegen, holland
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Dear Laurie,
You are absolutely right. ~ I didn't mean to discourage the idea of a terminology list, but only to point out that the more inexperienced or methodical folks on the list should be aware that, among dancers in Buenos Aires, from Copes to Pupi to Lampazo, these terms can differ widely. ~ The idea of a list is really very good, as many of these variations will no doubt surface.
The word b(v)olear is a good example--we had heard it used for years, thinking of it with a 'b' before seeing it in print, and then we saw it as 'voleo'. ~ Immediate run for the dictionary (Pequeno Larousse Ilustrado), where both were given, 'voleo' as, among other meanings, 'cierto movimiento de la danza espanola" (certain movement of spamish dance), 'boleo' as 'accion de bolear (con boleadoras)' (action of bolear (with boleadores)). ~ So I thought, fine, either, whatever. It is hard for a non-native speaker to hear the difference between 'b' and 'v', and evidently also for natives, judging from one of the most common spelling errors I've noticed, even among quite well-educated Spanish-speaking friends of various nationalities.
By the way, the best English/Spanish dictionary we've found is the Harper Collins Standard Edition (hardcover)--it contains lots of Argentine slang, and for each word (as applicable), gives different meanings as used in different countries or areas. ~ For example, although 'boleo' is not included, 'bolear' is, with nine meanings, and 'voleo', with two.
By the way, has anyone noticed the differences in usage between 'bailarin' and 'milonguero', referring to tango dancers? ~ For example one of our maestros, Pupi Castello, has been referred to as a bailarin by one person, and as a milonguero by another. ~ And each rejects using the other term. ~ We haven't asked Pupi, which would probably be a good idea. ~ Any opinions on what the difference is??
A response from Andrea Quintana:
My answer is: "Bailarín" means "dancer". ~ You can use it when referring to tango and other disciplines as well. ~ E.g. "bailarín clásico" is a "ballet dancer". ~ Probably, the person calling P. Castello "dancer" is aware that tango and milonga are different dances, in spite of their apparent similarity. ~ Milonga is a bit faster and cheerful than tango, for instance. ~ However, in the tango jargon, tango places (where tango dancers meet to dance) are simply called "milonga". ~ E.g.: "Hoy voy a la milonga." means "I'm going to the tango place today.". ~ So, we could say that tango dancers may also (and it is very common) be called "milongueros", even if they dance "tango" and not "milonga". ~ Some of them may dance both rhythms, but there are some who would dance one and not the other.
(Gracias Andrea)
Hasta luego, chau, Barbara
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