Mira Kartbayeva-Mikhail Lermontov

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

(Continued) Tango Dictionary - Letters P-Q

P – tango, dictionary of terms

Palanca lever 
The lead levers, or assists, the follower during jumps and lifts in Show Tango

Parada stop 
Any stopping action in any direction.

Parallel system
A dance in which the lead steps in the mirror image of the follower: him on his left foot, her to her right foot.

Pareja couple 
The two dancers in tango.

Pasada passing over
The lead peforms a parada with his foot and leads the follower forward to pass over his foot; affords an excellent opportunity for the woman to adorn.

Paso step 
The basic tango step.

Patada kick 
A kick during or between steps, most often executed by the follower.

Pausa pause 
The couple hold their position for two or more beats.

Pecho chest 
The chest of the dancer.

Picado chop 
An embellishment executed by an upwards flick of the heel, done when stepping forwards or in the turn, typically an ocho.

Pie foot 
The foot of the dancer.

Pierna leg 
The leg of the dancer.

Pinta appearance 
The overall appearance and grooming of the dancer.

Pisar to step 
The chest of the dancer.

Piso floor 
The dance floor (masculine).

Pista floor 
The dance floor (feminine).

Planchadora 
This word actually means ironing lady; in tango it refers to a woman who sits all night at a milonga without being requested to dance.

Planeo pivot 
A step used by the lead when he has stepped forward then pivots, tracing his foot on the floor, with the follower dancing around him. 

Porteño
Historically, this refers to a ruffian who lived in the port city of Buenos Aires.

Postura posture 
The posture of the dancer. For successful dancing, it is considered critical to have correct posture.

Práctica practice 
A casual practice session, different to a milonga in that dancers help each other and work on their style.
Punto point 
The punto is an embellishment executed by tapping the toe of the free foot. During a step the lead or follower may tap once or twice. During a pause, the lead or follower may tap any number of times.

Q – tango, dictionary of terms

Quebrada break 

A variation of the corte: a sudden turn in direction, generally done by holding the follower for several beats (or syncopating) and bending her at the waist - often in a back-and-forth action to double time.

No comments: