The word ‘barrida’ translates into English as ‘swept’. And that’s exactly what it is. A sweep. From a Tango perspective this is a somewhat ‘worn’ piece of tango vocabulary that most people see sort of schlock tango schtick. Most people start out with doing it a few times, and then disregard it because they’ve moved on to something else that’s more ‘flashy’. The Barrida is, in common vernacular, a ‘drag’ of the foot (either role can initiate it). And does have a useful application in the dance which is purely musical if not entirely navigational. With that thought in mind, let’s talk “Barridas”, what they are and how they’re useful for both roles of the dance.
What is an Argentine Barrida ? As if there were another kind of Barrida ? There isn’t. A Barrida in it’s simplest form is where either the Lead’s or the Follower’s foot is deliberately moved from one position to another by either by deliberate intervention or by the illusion of the intervention. In this case, the intervention is by the opposite dancer’s foot seemingly moving the other dancer’s foot. When in fact what is ideally done is to generate the illusion by leading or following a collection and the opposing dancer follows that collection motion with their foot either trailing or leading it so that it appears as if the opposing dancer’s foot is actually generating the motion, when in fact it’s an illusion. This is a Barrida. There are many types of Barridas. Most commonly as the ones where the Lead is generating a Barrida on the Follower’s foot to make it appear as if they’re collecting their feet from the Follower’s side step. Of course, there are multiple, multiple versions of this idea, this is jus tone possible variation on a theme.
The Free Tip: The Barrida is best done to the Follower’s Back Step and the Lead’s Forward Step on the Open side of the embrace in either Open or Close Embrace.
Pre-Requisites: Walking. Weight Changes. Extensions. One does have to have mastered one’s walk and possess stability in their embrace without using the embrace for stabilization against their partners before they can initiate these ideas.
About The Video. This video comes is 14m:21s in length in 8 sections.
Section 1 – Introduction/Technique – 00:03:01
Section 2 – Example Barridas – 00:00:16
Section 3 – Slowed Down Examples – 00:00:52
Section 4 – The Follower’s Barridas – 00:02:20
Section 5 – Barrida Ideas – 00:01:27
Section 6 – Playing With Barridas – 00:00:37
Section 7 – Reversed Barrida – 00:01:07
Section 8 – Footwork in Detail/Closure – 00:04:09