The Dictionary of Tango
Square Embrace
Square Embrace. Sometimes referred to as being ‘Buttons-to-Buttons‘ with your partner, refers to the partner’s torsos facing each other at all times during the course of a dance, where the torsos align in a ‘squared’ up fashion. If both partners were wearing buttoned shirts, that the ‘gig-line’ of those buttoned
Side Steps
A Side Step is not what you think it is. It’s a whole thing. It’s not just a ‘step’ to the side. No. There’s actual technique in how you extend your leg, how you use your foot to take the step itself, how you engage the floor, and a host
Social Volcada
A Social Volcada is a Volcada that is smaller and fits within the LANE and LINE of dance. It should take up no more space than a single walking step. The reason it’s called a ‘Social’ Volcada is not only because of its size but rather because of functionality and
Social Dancing
‘Social Dancing‘ has two definitions. 1.) It means the action of going out dancing to your milonga for the evening. The goal is to be social with people, not to perform for the 15th row or to practice with someone but rather to engage in the activity of dancing Tango out
Single Axis Turn
A Single Axis Turn is a version of a Colgada, where both parties share an axial line and rotate around that single axial line. See Single Axis Turn for more information.
Sacada
Sacada. As far as Argentine Tango is concerned this word means: To displace and then to take the place of. It is one of 4 common displacements that happen in the dance. There are, at last count, about 501 (not kidding) possible Sacadas that are available at any one period