TANGO E14

Ocho means number 8. In tango ‘ocho’ refers to the shape of the figure eight. In tango dancing it is a pivot or turning on the ball of the foot whilst an 8 pattern is traced out on the floor by the dancer ‘drawing’ or tracing out the shape of a figure eight with the toes of his or her feet.

In Spanish parar is a verb, means ‘to stop’. In tango this is a concept, not a single specific step.

When speaking about dancing a parada it does not mean literally ‘a stop’. In Tango dancing it means a pause or (temporary suspension) stop in movement. However even a simple idea such as this is not a ‘dead’ stop, but is more dynamic. One should still feel the connection with your partner, the dance and the music.

In tango dancing it means the follower being led passing or stepping over the leaders leg often used after a parada or stop/ pause. Leaders can perform the pasada too over the followers leg. In Spanish it has different meanings from previous/ past to passing to swipe or turn from taking turns. Often but not always leaders stop and give the follower the space to decorate and improvise at this point.

Planeo – In tango, a large sweeping circular movement of the free leg, gliding on or just above the floor, whilst pivoting on the supporting leg.

The ‘basic salida’ is a particular sequence of eight steps which is often used as an introduction to tango. The word ‘salida’ can literally mean ‘exit’, but there is a broader conceptual meaning which is ‘an opening/ starting point, or a solution, or opportunity to discover tango’.

‘Sanduichito’ – noun, is a Spanish appropriation of the English word ‘Sandwich’.

‘Sanduich’ is sometimes used, but Latin Americans often add the diminutive ‘Ito’, meaning little, on to the end of words to make them more gentle or familiar.

In Argentine Tango the concept is obvious. One partner sandwiches a foot of the other partner between two feet. The action can be done at a speed suitable to the couple’s musical interpretation, and may include a ‘Parada’, a stop.