#learn tango

Arrastre Definition An arrastre, or “drag,” is a classic tango figure where the leader uses their foot to smoothly guide or “drag” the follower’s unweighted foot across the floor. It is a subtle, grounded movement, executed without lifting the foot, that feels like a caress of the floor itself. Arrastre in the Soul of Tango Close your eyes for a moment. Forget the polished floors of the modern…

Atrás Definition In Spanish, atrás means “back” or “behind.” In the language of tango, it is the fundamental backward step. For the leader, it is most often a side step, but for the follower, it is the quintessential backward movement, the Ocho Atrás being one of the most iconic figures in the dance. It is not a simple step, but a projection of energy, a yielding of space, and a declaration of…

Bailar Definition To dance. But in the language of tango, this verb is never so simple. Bailar is to enter into a silent, three-minute conversation. It is to walk together, to breathe in unison, to feel the story the music tells and translate it through a shared axis. It is not movement for the sake of movement; it is connection made visible. Bailar in the Soul of Tango Here, in the dim light of…

Baldosa Definition In the most literal sense, a baldosa is a floor tile. In the language of tango, it is the name we give to a fundamental six-step sequence that forms a small square or rectangle on the floor. It is a simple pattern: a step back, a side step, a step forward to meet the feet, another step forward, a side step, and a final step to close. It is the first box of steps many will…

Base Definition In the language of the classroom, the Base—or la base de ocho pasos—is the foundational eight-step pattern that serves as the alphabet for the aspiring tango dancer. For the leader, it typically moves: back, side, forward, forward, cross, forward, side, together. For the follower, it is a perfect, mirrored conversation. It is a sequence designed to teach the essential vocabulary…

Caminata Definition The Caminata, in its simplest translation, is the Tango Walk. But to leave it there is like calling a poem a collection of words. The caminata is the fundamental pulsation of tango, the thread from which every figure is woven. It is the shared journey of two people, four legs with one heart, moving as a single being across the floor. It is the conversation, the silent dialogue…

Cangrejo Definition The cangrejo, Spanish for “the crab,” is a deceptively simple and elegant step. It is a backward side step, most commonly executed in a cross system, where the leader and follower move together laterally and backward, mimicking the sideways scuttling of a crab. It is not merely a change of direction, but a shift in the conversation of the dance. Cangrejo in the Soul of…

Compás Definition The word compás translates simply to “beat” or “rhythm.” In tango, it is the music’s heartbeat. It is the fundamental, repeating pulse, most often in a 2/4 or 4/4 time signature, that forms the sacred ground upon which the dance is built. It is not merely a count for the dancers to follow; it is the shared breath between the music and the movement, the invisible floor beneath…