[Tango-L] Molinete - Word development

[Sergio Vandekier]

Jay Rabe asks "Anybody have any historical info on how these terms 
developed?

I had understood that molinete was a term coined in USA to refer to the 
woman's
grapevine steps around the man, and that the giro was the term used to refer 
to
the man turning on his axis to accommodate her going around him.

I had further heard that giro was the term used in BsAs, and that the term
molinete was not used there.Any light to shed on the confusion?"


The term molinete to describe turns was used in the early 1900s. as it was 
done in Argentine folkloric dances.

Nicanor Lima used the same terminology "Molinete" in his manual to teach 
tango (1916) to describe turns to the right or to the left.  He divided the 
molinetes in "Serenos" those where the leader uses single step and 
"acompasados" those where the leader uses double timing. He used that word 
mixed with the word "Giro" as well, when he taught Tango in Europe as well.

The prevalent term in modern times in Argentina to describe those tango 
figures is "Giros", in the USA for some reason the term"molinete" became 
popular again.

It is my impression that the term "molinete" could not be created in the USA 
since that word has no meaning in the English language.   Further more, 
North Americans learned the terminology from visiting Argentine tango 
instructors.

They have always been concerned with preserving the authenticity of the 
dance and the Argentine terminology rather than to create new words to 
describe moves which could add to the confusion that some times already 
exists.

Best regards, Sergio

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