Portal a Tango in
Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
Portal a Tango & The Tryptich
at Latin Vox 2007
A Tango Proposal
To provide feedback and suggest ammendments please email us at info@portalatango.com
Eight-Count Basic (Academic Basic)
The first figure usually taught to beginning students after the walking steps. See Basico. The 8-count basic includes elements which are used throughout the dance, although the complete figure itself is not much used for dancing socially. The name refers to counts in music, however, the man is not constrained to rigidly mark a step on each count or beat of the rhythm. He is free to hold or to syncopate, or cut the beat, as the music moves him or as space on the floor around him allows. The figure may be danced into or out of at various points and is not always entered at the beginning and there are shortcuts within the 8-count basic. For instance, the man may lead the lady from the cruzada at 5 directly to 2, or he may close his left foot to his right without weight on 7 and step side left directly to 2. So in actuality the positions which the dancers move through at each step are numbered as reference points.
In closed dance position, the steps are as follows:
1. The man settles his weight on his right leg, placing the lady on her left, and holds. Or, variations: the man steps back right, the lady forward left. Also, the man may settle on his right leg, placing the lady on her left, quickly extending his left leg to his left side to point then closing back to his right leg without weight, as the lady mirrors his action with her right leg. Or the man may step through with his right leg between the partners, leading the lady to mirror his action (espejo) by stepping through with her left leg, remaining in closed position although briefly resembling promenade position.
2. The man steps side left, the lady side right, with the man stepping slightly further than the lady.
3. The man steps forward right in outside right position keeping his upper body turned toward the lady in contra-body, the lady back left paralleling the man and also in contra-body. This is a common point of entry to the figure which the ladies should be aware of.
4. The man steps forward left, the lady back right stretching slightly more and seeking the man’s center.
5. The man closes his right foot to his left with weight and rotates his upper body to face forward, leading the lady to cross her left foot in front of her right with weight (cruzada) as she finishes moving back in front of the man. Many variations for the lady begin from this position.
6. The man steps forward left inside his partner (to her center), the lady back right.
7. The man steps side right, the lady side left.
8. The man closes his left foot to his right with weight, the lady her right foot to her left.
Steps 1 through 3 (sometimes 1 through 5) are known as the salida. Steps 3 through 5 are known as "walking the lady to the cross." Steps 6 through 8 are known as resolución.
Eje (pronounced ay-hay)
Axis or balance. See Postura.
Elevadas
Dancing without keeping the feet on the floor. This was the style before the turn of century when tango was danced on dirt surfaces in the patios of tenements, low-class taverns, and on the street. Once tango went uptown enough to actually be danced on floors (wood, tile, or marble) the dancers fell in love with the floor, thus we now refer to 'caressing the floor'. Characteristic of canyengue or orillero-style tango.
Embutido
Filler or inlay: a foot swinging behind other foot after an enrosque.
Enganche
Hooking; coupling; the little hook: A leg wrap. Occurs when a partner wraps a leg around the other’s leg, or uses a foot to catch and hold the other’s foot or ankle.
Enrosque (m)
From enroscar - to coil or twist: While the lady dances a molinete, the man pivots on his supporting foot, hooking or coiling the working leg behind or around in front of the supporting leg.
Entrada
Entrance: Occurs when a dancer steps forward or otherwise enters the space between their partners legs without displacement.
Entregarme
Surrender: To give oneself up to the leader’s lead.
Espalda (f)
The back (of a torso)
Espejo (m)
Mirror: To mirror the movement of ones partner as in "Ochos en espejo", a figure where the man and woman both do forward ochos at the same time.
Esperar
To wait
Estrella (f)
A star
Eight-Count Basic (Academic Basic)
The first figure usually taught to beginning students after the walking steps. See Basico. The 8-count basic includes elements which are used throughout the dance, although the complete figure itself is not much used for dancing socially. The name refers to counts in music, however, the man is not constrained to rigidly mark a step on each count or beat of the rhythm. He is free to hold or to syncopate, or cut the beat, as the music moves him or as space on the floor around him allows. The figure may be danced into or out of at various points and is not always entered at the beginning and there are shortcuts within the 8-count basic. For instance, the man may lead the lady from the cruzada at 5 directly to 2, or he may close his left foot to his right without weight on 7 and step side left directly to 2. So in actuality the positions which the dancers move through at each step are numbered as reference points. In closed dance position, the steps are as follows:
1. The man settles his weight on his right leg, placing the lady on her left, and holds. Or, variations: the man steps back right, the lady forward left. Also, the man may settle on his right leg, placing the lady on her left, quickly extending his left leg to his left side to point then closing back to his right leg without weight, as the lady mirrors his action with her right leg. Or the man may step through with his right leg between the partners, leading the lady to mirror his action (espejo) by stepping through with her left leg, remaining in closed position although briefly resembling promenade position.
2. The man steps side left, the lady side right, with the man stepping slightly further than the lady.
3. The man steps forward right in outside right position keeping his upper body turned toward the lady in contra-body, the lady back left paralleling the man and also in contra-body. This is a common point of entry to the figure which the ladies should be aware of.
4. The man steps forward left, the lady back right stretching slightly more and seeking the man’s center.
5. The man closes his right foot to his left with weight and rotates his upper body to face forward, leading the lady to cross her left foot in front of her right with weight (cruzada) as she finishes moving back in front of the man. Many variations for the lady begin from this position.
6. The man steps forward left inside his partner (to her center), the lady back right.
7. The man steps side right, the lady side left.
8. The man closes his left foot to his right with weight, the lady her right foot to her left.
Steps 1 through 3 (sometimes 1 through 5) are known as the salida. Steps 3 through 5 are known as "walking the lady to the cross." Steps 6 through 8 are known as resolución.
Axis or balance. See Postura.
Dancing without keeping the feet on the floor. This was the style before the turn of century when tango was danced on dirt surfaces in the patios of tenements, low-class taverns, and on the street. Once tango went uptown enough to actually be danced on floors (wood, tile, or marble) the dancers fell in love with the floor, thus we now refer to 'caressing the floor'. Characteristic of canyengue or orillero-style tango.
Filler or inlay: a foot swinging behind other foot after an enrosque.
Hooking; coupling; the little hook: A leg wrap. Occurs when a partner wraps a leg around the other’s leg, or uses a foot to catch and hold the other’s foot or ankle.
From enroscar - to coil or twist: While the lady dances a molinete, the man pivots on his supporting foot, hooking or coiling the working leg behind or around in front of the supporting leg.
Entrance: Occurs when a dancer steps forward or otherwise enters the space between their partners legs without displacement.
Surrender: To give oneself up to the leader’s lead.
The back (of a torso)
Mirror: To mirror the movement of ones partner as in "Ochos en espejo", a figure where the man and woman both do forward ochos at the same time.
To wait
A star