Tango Notes

Barrida

The barrida is a uniquely tango move involving moving the partner’s foot. The terminology is variable: barrida (English sweep) and arrastre (English drag) are the common terms, but drag sounds inelegant.  

Technique for Barrida

  • Leader
    • In order to slide the follower’s foot, there must be no weight on the follower’s foot.   This is done by leading the follower to place their weight on their other foot.
    • Generally move the foot toward the follower’s other foot. 
    • The leader should keep their sweeping knee bent until the end of the move.
    • Barridas are frequently preceded by a Parada or Sandwich.
  • Follower
    • The leader must lead the follower to unweight the foot to be swept.
    • The leader may lead the follower to make a barrida, often to reverse a barrida the leader has just made.
    • The follower may initiate a barrida.

Videos

The first video below is a good place for a beginner to start, otherwise these videos are not yet arranged in order by difficulty or quality

Additional Barrida Notes

Everything below here uses my Compact Tango Notation, which you should understand before continuing.

[Move Bar01s]  Barrida Back Cross/Ocho

  • WR BCross > MR(in) Parada WL(out) > MLf > MR Barrida WL
  • Symmetrical with other feet.

[Move Bar06s]  Barrida  to Sandwich

  • Sand WL > ML diagfwd > MR(in) Barrida WL(out) > ML Sand WL > MR BCross > WR Pasada.

[Move xxx] Sundial – Repeated barrida

  • > ML diagfwd > MR(in) Bar WL(out) Sundial – Rotate W on her standing foot.

[Move ????] Following [Move ParM01] Walking – MRin barridas WRin. 

  • ??? From MR parada on step back crosses W legs, so pivot W -90 after first barrida so that it’s to side.
  • Works well from ML parada WR on back ocho.

[Move ????] @2 MR barridas WR, WL pasada MR, WR side, MLout barrida WLout cw. 

  • To ML Barrida WL, WR BCross ML(out) Parada WL(out) > MR Pasada WL > ML barrida WL to MR(heel).

[Move Bar12] From WR side > WL BCross 

  • 1 > MLb diag, WRs > MR(in) Parada WR(in), WL BCross > MR Barrida WR > WL Pasada MR

[Move Bar02]  WR FCross > MR Barridas WR back

  • (From Cruzada, FOcho, …) WR FCross, MRtop catches WR near end of move and barridas WR back to where it came from.
  • This may be difficult if there is not enough room.
  • Can be followed by Pasada or Sacada,  repeat, or …
  • Followed by Sacada [Move Bar15] Follow Barrida with MRout Sacada WLin.
    • Or  maybe by WL Enganche MR > WL BCross.   Must try this again to verify.
  • Followed by repeating: WL BCross > MR Barrida WR > …

[Move ????]  MRtop Barrida WR can also start after a WL BCross,

[Move Giro12] In ccw Giro

  • At every WL BCross MR, MR Barrida WR > WL Pas(in) MR.  May repeat at every chance.

[Move ????] From WR side > MLin Bar WLout

[Move Bar14] To Fling 

  • From MR(in) Parada WL(out) or Sandwich WL > ML fwd > MR give WL flinging impulse while simultaneously turning W body cw.

[Move Bar11] In Ocho Cortado

[Move ????] From MRin Barrida WRin > Sandwich > Pivot+180

[Move ????] To Reverse Sandwich.

  • Eg MRout parada WLin + MLout parada WRout
  • From ML back catch
  • From WR Back Ocho > MRout parada WLin > MLout parada WLout.

Follower Barridas

[Move Bar03] W Barridas back

  • M normally leads it, but some W will, or at least try to. M foot must be unweighted – as it should be anyway.

[Move ???] WLtoe Barridas MRout away

  • Eg at common MR barrida in F8s.
  • The MR must be unweighted as it should always be.
  • Very surprising move to the M.
  • WL pushes MR away
  • WR then steps over?  To Sandwich or trailing foot barrida?

[Move Bar13] W Barridas from Pasada 

  • When W is offered a Parada and a Stepover opportunity.  From Joventango.
  • M foot must be unweighted as it always should be in a Parada.
  • After the stepover W uses the trailing foot to Barrida the M foot toward the back of their forward foot.

Lesson 1

Lessons should follow Parada, Sandwich, and Pasada lessons.

  1. Review paradas, pasadas, sandwich
  2. Technique for barridas (see above).
  3. Moves
    • From Back Ocho > Parada > WL side > Barridas > Sandwich > …
    • From two-ish (see above).   With Molinete-like repeats.
  4. More advanced
    • Follower barridas leader (but usually led by leader).
    • Barrida > Fling.
    • In the Ocho Cortado.

Lesson 2

Review lesson 1: technique, WR BCross (BOcho),