Basic Vocabulary Related to Argentine Tango

Types of tango events

clase — class, the setting for the formal tango lesson. Here, the teacher is the guide, and it is best to defer to their instruction while in their class, whatever you may have learned elsewhere.

practica — a practice session for dancers of all levels. Often one or more teachers may be available to assist. A practica is the perfect place to get feedback from more experienced dancers, who are often happy to work with beginners.

milonga — a social dance party, frequented by more experienced dancers who have put in their class and practice time, and who gather together simply for the joy of dancing. For beginning dancers, it's a great place to see the more experienced dancers in action and to learn about the music and etiquette of social dancing Argentine style. It is also a great chance to "walk the walk," to dance with your new friends in a supportive social context. It is the time for everyone to to relax and have some fun!

Types of tango music

tango — a type of music characterized by its passionate feeling (heard in the "cries" of the bandoneón, a concertina-like instrument essential to any traditional tango ensemble) and whose lyrics usually express the longing and losses of the Argentine people. Dancing is characterized by an improvisational and heartfelt approach to the interpretation of the music and includes dramatic pauses and syncopated rhythms.

vals — Argentine waltz music, less dramatic than that of tango, and characterized by a flowing 3/4 rhythm. In the dance (also referred to as vals cruzado), tango steps are adapted to the graceful flow of that rhythm, and the emphasis is on creating movements that are smooth and gliding.

milonga — more cheerful and lively in feeling than tango music, with a steady 2/4 rhythm. The dance emphasizes this rhythm with a step on each beat (and, to add complexity, on the offbeats as well), and appears almost "folkloric" in nature. This style of dancing and music was the 19th century ancestor of the tango, but is still popular in contemporary tango salons.

Types of dancing

tango fantasia — an amalgam of traditional tango steps and those of ballet, ballroom, folk, etc., including ganchos, sacadas, sentadas, and boleos combined with kicks, leaps, lifts, spins, lunges and so on. Although for many people outside of Argentina this style is thought to be the "essence" of tango, it is intended primarily for exhibition, and would be difficult, if not dangerous, on a crowded social dance floor. In Argentina, it is often referred to as "tango for export" and is performed by highly trained professional dancers who practice several hours a day. Many of these dancers perform and teach workshops in the US. If you attend their workshops, you will commonly see this style during the featured exhibition performances, which take place during a break at the evening milongas. In their more advanced classes, elaborate and challenging patterns may be presented as a means to develop technique. When these same dancers return to the social dance floor their style is most often that of tango de salon.

tango de salon — a way of dancing characterized by slow measured moves, including all of the basic tango steps and figures plus a few sacadas, giros, and low boleos, all executed with respect toward one's partner and the other dancers on the floor. The emphasis is on precision, musicality and navigation. This style of dancing came into popularity in the 1940's among the upper classes and in Europe (supported by the "Golden Era" of big band tango music), and is often taught in the U.S. as "authentic" Argentine tango.

tango milonguero — tango done "apilado," a close embrace in which the partners are literally hugging each other, with small steps and few "fancy" figures. This is the preferred style of the older dancers in most of the clubs of Argentina and is quickly being embraced by the younger generation as well, who value its elegance and sophistication.

Tango "types"

milonguero/milonguera — can be used to refer to anyone who attends a milonga, but primarily refers to someone whose life revolves around the tango as a social dance and who embodies its philosophy of elegance and sophistication in his dancing and general character. He/she has an innate understanding of music and often knows all of the important tango songs and orchestras by heart. He/she rarely teaches or performs, preferring instead to dance simply for the pleasure of it and, above all, to please his/her partner. In the past, used as a pejorative term denoting a kind of "lounge lizard," lower class habitué of the milongas. Now, used with pride by some of the most respected proponents of traditional tango.

tanguero/tanguera — anyone who enjoys the tango — the dance, the music, or both.

bailarin/bailarina — a general term for "dancer," including those who dance socially.