barrida: a foot-sweep.

boleo: a leg flick of one person in the air, but not between the legs of the other person.

cadena: literally "a chain" - three or four steps involving change of direction that repeats itself.

change of direction, cambio de frente, alteracion: the change of direction of a turn. a check- or rock-step that turns.

colgada: literally "a hanger" - when the followers axis is tilted (away from the leader).

electronic tango: fusion of tango music with electronic music.

enganche: a leg wrap.

gancho: literally "a hook" where one person flicks the leg between the legs of the his/her partner.

golden age: the period from 1935-1950 when tango experienced particluar high popularity.

giro, molinete, grapevine, turn: a series of turning steps that follow the pattern of a forward step, side, back, side, forward, side, back, side, forward...

neotango: increasingly used term associated with music and dancing to tango fusion or non-tango tracks. the latest mutation of tango nuevo.

ochos: literally "eights" - a front ocho consists of a step forward with a pivot and then another step forward, while a back ocho consists of two back steps with a pivot in between.


parada: literally "stopped" - a step where the bodies stop and one foot of one person is adjacent to the foot of his/her partner. a foot-stop.

sacada: a displacement. sacadas are the entering of the foot of one person between the feet of the partner with a displacement of the other's space.

salto: literally "jump" - leading your partner/yourself into a jump.

sanguichito, mordida: literally "little sandwich" or "bite" - meaning a foot sandwich where both feet of one person are sandwiching the foot of the partner.

sentada: literally "a sitting action" - e.g. you lead the partner into a sit on your thigh.

soltada: literally "let go" - when you open your embrace and get creative.

tango fusion: fusion of tango music with other music genres.

tango nuevo (dance): covers the entire range of leadable argentine tango moves; it is particularly appearent when danced in complex combinations envolving saccadas, boleos, ganchos, colgadas, volcadas etc.; open style is easier and more popular. the very basics are the open step, front and back cross which represent together with the giro "the base" of argentine tango as taught using the proven system of tango nuevo.

tango nuevo (music): associated with the tango music (e.g. piazzolla and later) that came after the golden age era.

volcada: literally "a tip-over"; in practice the followers axis is tilted (towards the leader).