Gancho (dance move)
Encyclopedia
Gancho means "hook" in Spanish
and Portuguese
, and describes certain "hooking actions" in some dances of Latin American heritage, in Argentine Tango
(leg action) and Salsa
(arm action and foot action) in particular.
, a gancho is a sharp move when a dancer hooks a leg around a partner's leg by bending the knee and then straightening. Both male and female partners may perform ganchos, however when followers perform them, they often happen as a consequence of their trailing leg running into one of the leader's (purposefully positioned) legs. This hooking may be done both from either side of the partner's leg.
, the term "gancho" is used in two senses.
One is a synonym of the Hook Turn
.
Another one is an arm action, usually performed by the man. The man holds the lady's left hand by his right hand at approximately the shoulder level, the joined arms are bent in the elbows. With hands still joined, the man hooks his elbow by a motion from the inside to the outside over the lady's arm and slightly presses the inside of his arm to the outside of the lady's arm, drawing the lady closer.
This gancho action may be done by the either arm or by both arms, either simultaneously or in turn. The hand grip may either be kept, or immediately released after the hook. Exits from the resulting position vary.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, and describes certain "hooking actions" in some dances of Latin American heritage, in Argentine Tango
Argentine Tango
Argentine tango is a musical genre of simple quadruple metre and binary musical form, and the social dance that accompanies it. Its lyrics and music are marked by nostalgia, expressed through melodic instruments including the bandoneon. Originated at the ending of the 19th century in the suburbs of...
(leg action) and Salsa
Salsa (dance)
Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
(arm action and foot action) in particular.
Tango
In Argentine TangoArgentine Tango
Argentine tango is a musical genre of simple quadruple metre and binary musical form, and the social dance that accompanies it. Its lyrics and music are marked by nostalgia, expressed through melodic instruments including the bandoneon. Originated at the ending of the 19th century in the suburbs of...
, a gancho is a sharp move when a dancer hooks a leg around a partner's leg by bending the knee and then straightening. Both male and female partners may perform ganchos, however when followers perform them, they often happen as a consequence of their trailing leg running into one of the leader's (purposefully positioned) legs. This hooking may be done both from either side of the partner's leg.
Salsa
In SalsaSalsa (dance)
Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
, the term "gancho" is used in two senses.
One is a synonym of the Hook Turn
Hook turn
A hook turn is a traffic-control mechanism where cars that would normally have to turn across oncoming traffic are made to turn across all lanes of traffic instead....
.
Another one is an arm action, usually performed by the man. The man holds the lady's left hand by his right hand at approximately the shoulder level, the joined arms are bent in the elbows. With hands still joined, the man hooks his elbow by a motion from the inside to the outside over the lady's arm and slightly presses the inside of his arm to the outside of the lady's arm, drawing the lady closer.
This gancho action may be done by the either arm or by both arms, either simultaneously or in turn. The hand grip may either be kept, or immediately released after the hook. Exits from the resulting position vary.