[Tango-L] Cortes y quebradas

[Sergio Vandekier]

Cortes y quebradas are generic names in reference to any tango or milonga 
choreographic figure or dancing movement.

This is the modern meaning of those words.  So tango with cortes is one 
danced with firuletes or embellishments such as ganchos, amagues, boleos, 
barridas, enrosques, planeos, etc. and those elements are generically called 
"cortes".

Tango sin cortes is one danced in a simple manner, mostly walking with some 
simple turns, and perhaps front and back ochos. Similar to tango liso.

These words originally meant a specific move . Corte: a sudden pause in the 
middle of a run while dancing .

Quebrada a bending at the waist in any direction while dancing.

Those two terms in time became generic meaning any tango or milonga 
embellishment.

Since the original tango "firuletes" could on occasion have an obscene 
component it was the rule in social dances to prohibit dancing with cortes y 
quebradas.

Cortes were invented by individual dancers and passed from generation to 
generation.

The word "corte" has other meaning in Argentine slang as well by they are 
not related to tango.

Best regards, Sergio

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