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Quebrada (the Break)

In this section of Tango Terms we explore the Quebrada (the break).

First the term redefined:

Quebrada break [kay-brah’-dah]
A variation of the corte: a sudden turn in direction, generally done by holding the follower for several beats (or syncopating) and bending her at the waist - often in a back-and-forth action to double time.

Like the corte, the quebrada derives from the African candombe, wherein people would dance rhythmically and all of a sudden everyone would stop in the current position for a beat or two and then continue.

Videos of the Quebrada


Quebrada - Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne



Quebrada - Horacio Godoy & Cecilia Garcia