Loading... Please wait...

Tango Corte (the Cut)

In this section of Tango Terms we explore the Corte (the cut).

First the term redefined:

Corte cut [cor’-tay]
A sudden turn in direction, generally done by holding for several beats (or syncopating) - often in a back-and-forth action to double time.

The corte 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 Corte


Corte - attributed to Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne