Basic tango vocabulary

Anyone studying the tango will tell you that the dance often seems more about technique than passion and romance.

The first step to becoming an expert is familiarising yourself with tango vocabulary, much of which is Spanish.

Vals: waltz (Argentine waltz)

Milonga: A peppy, cheerful dance related to the tango and the music for that dance
Also: The dance hall where tangos, milongas and waltzes are danced.

Milonguero/milonguera: A person who frequents the milongas; their lifestyle

Salida: a basic tango sequence consisting of eight steps

Cruzar (cruze): to cross (the cross is the fifth step of the basic tango sequence)

Adornos: embellishments

Ocho: a figure "eight"

Giro: a turn

Boleo: No literal translation but it is a quick flick of the lower leg on a giro or ocho

Barrida: a sweep

Gancho: Literally a hook but this means when one partner quickly "slaps" his leg up and around the inside of his partner's.