3431  cortes y quebradas

Date: Sun, 15 May 2005 16:54:24 +0000
From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: cortes y quebradas

Simon Collier says: [Simon Collier, et al., "Tango!", pp. 46-47]

"The distinctive features of the new dance-form [tango emerging from its
precursor milonga] came entirely from the compadritos' parodistic borrowings
from the African-Argentine tradition - in particular the so-called quebradas
and cortes. The quebrada was simply an improvised, jerky semi-athletic
contortion, the more dramatic the better, while the corte was a sudden
suggestive pause, a break in the standard figures of the dance, not in
itself a particular movement so much as the prelude to a quebrada. The true
novelty ... was that cortes and quebradas were incorporated into dances in
which the partners danced together, not, as in the African-Argentine
'tango',
apart."

We call nowadays "Tango con cortes" -Tango with cortes the one that has
embellishments such as sacadas, ganchos, boleos amagues, etc; and "Tango
liso" the tango simple without any embellishments or firuletes.

Date: Sun, 15 May 2005 11:32:15 -0600
From: Tom Stermitz <stermitz@TANGO.ORG>
Subject: Re: cortes y quebradas

I don't see from the given definition how you get Tango con Cortes to
refer to sacada, gancho, boleo or a amague.

Instead, the definition seems to describe a corte as a cut to the
flow of the dance, such as a parada or a dramatic pause.

Ballroom Tango or Fantasy Tango with their deep lunges seem to refer
back to a vestigial Quebrada.

Of course we are hampered by a lack of actual images or survivors
from the tango of the 1910s.


On May 15, 2005, at 10:54 AM, Sergio Vandekier wrote:

> Simon Collier says: [Simon Collier, et al., "Tango!", pp. 46-47]
>
> "The distinctive features of the new dance-form [tango emerging
> from its
> precursor milonga] came entirely from the compadritos' parodistic
> borrowings
> from the African-Argentine tradition - in particular the so-called
> quebradas
> and cortes. The quebrada was simply an improvised, jerky semi-athletic
> contortion, the more dramatic the better, while the corte was a sudden
> suggestive pause, a break in the standard figures of the dance, not in
> itself a particular movement so much as the prelude to a quebrada.
> The true
> novelty ... was that cortes and quebradas were incorporated into
> dances in
> which the partners danced together, not, as in the African-Argentine
> 'tango',
> apart."
>
> We call nowadays "Tango con cortes" -Tango with cortes the one that
> has
> embellishments such as sacadas, ganchos, boleos amagues, etc; and
> "Tango
> liso" the tango simple without any embellishments or firuletes.
>
>
>

Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 15:53:25 +0000
From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Cortes y quebradas II

Tom says:

"I don't see from the given definition how you get Tango con
Cortes to refer to sacada, gancho, boleo or a amague."

You are right, in modern times the meaning of "cortes" has nothing to do
with the original one.

The same as what can be called "quebrada" today has very little or nothing
to do with what a quebrada was at the beginning of the 20th. century. The
original corte and quebrada was performed by the dancers separated as blacks
danced apart from each other. Later on this moves of cortes or sudden pauses
and quebradas or sudden jerky movements were included in the dance with
embrace.

Nowadays we say: tango with cortes is the one with embellishments. We call
"cortes" the embellishments. Tango liso is a form without cortes, with no
embellishments.

Collier's definition is correct en reference to its original meaning : "The
quebrada was simply an improvised, jerky semi-athletic
contortion, the more dramatic the better, while the corte was a sudden
suggestive pause, a break in the standard figures of the dance, not in
itself a particular movement so much as the prelude to a quebrada. The true
novelty ... was that cortes and quebradas were incorporated into dances in
which the partners danced together, not, as in the African-Argentine
'tango', that was done apart"

Those of us that grew up in Argentina and took part in parades for carnival
called "Murgas" (also called comparsas) know what the above definition
refers to.

Murgas are groups of boys and girls that dress with colorful attire like the
blacks dressed for their candombes. These boys and girls dance to the rhythm
of a big drum with timbales (platillos) carried by one musician who plays as
he dances. They all parade and compete against other groups during the days
of carnival.

The dance is done in a formation, like a marching band, individually , with
big jumps and sudden contortions. All this along with singing picaresque
songs created for the occasion.

This year for the first time at CITA THERE WERE LESSONS IN MILONGA MURGUERA.
A type of milonga where you introduce movements proper of our murgas such as
kiks in the air and body contorsions.

"Corte" literally means -cut- a reference to stopping what you were doing
such as in movie making the director ordering "cut" stop.

"Quebrada" literally means - broquen- as a reference to braking the line of
the body or of the direction you were carrying as you performed it.

So if when you dance tango, lets say you are walking forward in close
embrace as the woman walks backwards, all of a sudden you stop, you pause
exactly as we do today, that is a "corte" , then if you do a ripple with
your entire body sideways or from up down or from down up or something
similar that is a quebrada. The originality of these movements is that they
were introduced at a time when all the known dances were done with
continuous activity, without pauses. This is still the case for most
ballroom dances.

Those movements, cortes and quebradas, were considered to be vulgar and were
removed from the social tango. In time when people talked about tango con
"cortes y quebradas" they meant with embellishments that nothing had to do
with the original ones.

I hope that this helps to clarify this matter somewhat.

Have a good day.

Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 09:22:34 -0700
From: Igor Polk <ipolk@VIRTUAR.COM>
Subject: Cortes y quebradas II

It is not quite clear to me what are cortes and quebradas from Sergio
explanation.
So I have tried to search Internet.
Look what I have found at https://www.dancesport.uk.com/tid-bits/issue189.htm
:)


"What is the literal meaning of the word "corte" when used in dancing?

1. The word Corte is related to a legal word the Court. This being the place
where the King will sit and give his legal judgment.

2. The other logical definition I recall was the word Corte being related to
Courtesy. So as a matter of courteous good manners you simply "bow", step
back and show courtesy.

3. The most shocking definition that I read was that "corte" had something
to do with "cutting" like cutting a log with a saw. The saw goes forward,
then comes back and this cutting motion translated into dancing as a
"Corte". "

Igor Polk

Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2006 22:09:15 +0000
From: "Sergio Vandekier" <sergiovandekier990@hotmail.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] Cortes y quebradas
To: tango-l@mit.edu

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