The basement of our dance.

[opendoor]

Cortes and Quebradas are the basement and beginning of Tango. It seems that they were the style-building step in the evolution of the dance and helped to canalize the developement into a new direction.

But, today no one seems to use them. Or do you know them, dance them frequently, but remain only silent in the DF? JanTango does not even know them, at all, nor does she recognize them as a substantial tango element. And she lives in BsAs.

* I found only one vid on YT showing Cortes and Quebradas.
* Have they got a new name?
* Am I standing alone in wanting to know what they are?

Think I was/am a brave tango student. And I tried a little canyengue, too. I am interested in history, culture also. But, Cortes and Quebradas never crossed my way. Why?


OD

video thread with YT example http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?p=702912#post702912

[bordertangoman]

i have seen a video maybe one of the Stone Soup ones as Korey was playin where they were dancing cortes. Also been teaching them at El Corte workshops

so maybe they're making a come back?

[Ampster]

The only time I've heard/learned/danced a tango "Corte" was when I was doing Ballroom. NOT when I got into AT. This is the only other time I've heard it brought up again since.

[borisvian13]

I totally share your frustration, opendoor, as I feel cortes and quebradas are rather quintessential for tango, too. It's a pity that one sees cortes so rarely and quebradas never in social dancing, although they are not particularly space-consuming, nor dangerous, nor difficult, nor anything:)...
But they do appear in many performances, see my response to your video thread.

[Lui]

I assume that most people are dancing cortes and quebradas without using that specific label.
For me an ocho milonguero/cortado would be an example for a corte, while that common show figure were the lady is lead toward the floor extending her free leg backwards would be a quebrada. I use that term that way because my teachers and colleagues have used it that way. Other people will use this terms in a slightly different way. On the first glance my show quebrada has not that much in common with movement of canyengue which can also be referred to as quebrada. However, when you watch the old movies you can discover the same kind of idea as a root.

I assume that cortes are not that popular, as they are harder to learn and teach. Cortes usually employ a change of dynamic and that is less visual than “just” a pattern of steps on the floor. They need a good connection within the couple and are a little bit a neck thing and therefore not that much requested.

In the end it’s a quest of not getting tangled up in to much labeling and just do the dance.