Tango Notes

Milonga Videos and Moves

Milonga Videos and Moves (first draft)

The following videos are on YouTube. The notes in square brackets are references to my private databases of videos and moves. 

Tangology 101 lesson videos

Tangology 101, by Clint Rauscher and Shelley Brooks, have a large number of tango instructional videos and a few milonga videos.  

  • Milonga 101 – Part 1 – The Box Step 5:22 [Video CS08]
    • Starts with an unusual form of the baldosa box, but quickly abandons that and continues with regular baldosa box moves.  
  • Milonga 101 – Part 2 – Zig Zag Step and Pendulum Step 5:16 [Video CS16]
    • Zigzag traveling and circular.
    • Vaiven or pendulum step in place.
  • Milonga 101 – Part 3 – Traspie 5:42 [Video CS17]
    • Travel line of dance with side traspie. Best move in this video.
      • Each line of dance step starts with side traspié touch only.
      • Give that touch maybe 50% weight, then a rebound (rebote).
      • MR diag front, WL diag back, but ML WR straight lod because the partners are offset and it wouldn’t be possible in close embrace for the leader to cross to the right.  In open embrace crossing over on both sides is possible.
    • @2:24 Turning traspie (but doesn’t look like traspie)
      • Observation that rebound in Ocho Cortado is a traspie move.
      • Starts like Ocho Cortado WLf > WRf > WL rebound
      • Then M continues to turn, leading WL to continue around to repeat forward > forward > rebound.
      • Rhythm is SSQQ where forward steps are SS and rebound is QQ
      • @3:43 Demo
    • @4:26 Double Traspie (I find it hard to lead and it feels unnatural to me)
      • Stepping to side – traspie short distance – traspie larger – step even larger.
  • Ochitos (Tiny Ochos) in Milonga 5:13 [Video CS18]
    • Linear back ochitos.
    • Circular by leader’s asymmetric footwork.
    • @1:00 W “tuck” embellishment.
    • M brings heels together in cross foot walking technique.
    • W pivots mostly from hips.  Dissociation.
    • @1:48 Rebound (rebote) MLf rock side > MR tog.
    • @1:50 Move sequence
    • @2:08 Demo dance with lots of interesting moves.   Very good demo.
  • Rebotes in Milonga: Rebounds with Changes of Direction 7:31 [Video CS19]
    • Diag rebounds – one person front across and the other back across.
    • Both front across or back across rebound.
    • @4:35 Demo dance worth watching.

TangoDanceUK lesson/demo videos

The videos by Phil and Shannah are not inspiringly beautiful dancing, but they clearly show the moves and are very short – all lessons are under one minute!

Miriam Leonardo lesson videos

Los Angeles Tango Academy demo videos

Tango Space lesson videos

Tango-Space.com (Pablo and Anne) is one of the major producers of good instructional tango videos.

Miscellaneous Milonga lesson videos

Milonga Moves

The Baldosa and its variations

  • [Move Bald01] Standard Baldosa
  • [Move Bald02] Baldosa without weight change at #6
  • [Move Bald04] Baldosa but with weight change at #2 and #6
  • [Move Bald05] At #6 MLtouch > MLs …
  • [Move Bald06] Two together steps MLs > MRf > MLt > MRs > MLt.  Can add together steps at any of the corners.
  • [Move Bald07]  Progressive / stairstep baldosa. MLs>MRfr>MLf > MRs > MLt > MRf
  • [Move Bald08] Double side steps … > MRs > MLt > MRs > MLt > …
  • [Move Bald09] Turning baldosa.  Esp easy ccw on ML at #2 and #4.
  • [Move Bald10] Traspie on M forward steps.

Vaiven and Zigzag

These are moves that go forward and back.  The vaiven (literally go-come) goes straight forward and back in a right-to-right position.   The zigzag is essentially the same move, but with pivots to produce a traveling movement, something like the grapevine, but with pivots in place of side steps.  Vaiven also called pendulum step or paso doble.  Can turn the vaiven cw.

  • [Move VV01] Straight vaiven. MRfr > MLt > MRbr > MLt .  Don’t need to be RR on MRb.
  • [Move VV03] Straight vaiven with leg kickouts.
  • [Move VV03] Zigzag (optionally with turn ccw)

Traspie

Traspie steps are done with quick partial weight rebounds (rebotes).  Some describe them as hesitation, stumble, feint, fake, … steps.

  • Side rebound front across, alternating sides.

Milonga Lessons

Lesson 1

  • Baldosa – standard – #6 step together
  • Baldosa – step through – #6 leader left steps back
  • Baldosa – double side step – After #6, another side together
  • Baldosa – turning

Lesson 2

  • Review previous baldosa variations.
  • Add progressive baldosa – After #6, leader right forward
  • Vaiven (forward and back). Start at #3.
  • Zigzag.
  • Americanitas.

Lesson 3

  • Review baldosa (all variations), americanitas, vaiven, zigzag
  • Introduce traspie rebound from partial weight.
    • Rock (traspie no a full rock) side then forward traspie  QQS
    • Practice alone (don’t just touch, don’t do full rebound).
    • Practice together.