All You Need To Know About Baldoza
With just a little observation, one is bound to notice that most steps and figures in Argentine tango have names derived from common words or words that visually illustrate how a particular step ought to be executed.
For instance, there’s the enrosque, from the word enroscar, which means to coil or twist; or the colgada and volcada, which refer to how partners lean toward or away from each other.
Thus, the same is true for the “baldoza,” the name of which is derived from a popular floor tile pattern in 1800s Argentina.
Baldoza Defined
According to a post from jenibreentangoacademy.com,
“baldoza, also written as “baldosa,” is “[a] fundamental figure in Argentine Tango; so called because it is a box-like figure that recalls the ‘Baldosa’ pattern of big black and white checkerboard tiles on the floors of cafés and bakeries popular in 1800s Buenos Aires.”
Further to baldoza’s meaning, it is, according to Tango North,
“Spanish for a flat, ceramic floor tile common in Argentina. Many dance halls, such as the famous Confitería Ideal in Buenos Aires, have tile floors, and in many of the older dance halls, the large black and white baldosa tiles are common.”
According to tejastango.com, as a step in Argentine tango,
the baldoza is also associated with the cuadrado, which is a square or box step used mostly in milonga, canyengue, and milonguero- and club-style tango.
When it comes to dancing the baldoza, many tangueros and tangueras agree that being able to execute this step makes one a very good dancer. In fact, tanguito.co.uk states,
“By Buenos Aires standards, a good dancer is someone who can dance on a tiled square, a ‘baldosa’ in Spanish.
Dancing in a small space creates opportunities for pauses and small movements, which I personally find very intimate and expressive.”
Though not entirely official, this standard is perhaps maintained among tangueros and tangueras to emulate the great Argentine tango dancers in the 1800s, who all had to exercise their creativity and deftness of skill in a small space without causing accidents or injuries to the other dancers within their proximity.
Further to the baldoza, there appear to be two meanings associated with this step. As outlined by a post from Tango North:
“The first meaning refers to the crowded dance floors in Buenos Aires, where the line of dance often comes to a halt. The great tangueros can maintain a beautiful tango in these tight spaces. When you can maintain a great rhythm and embrace in a very small space on the tango floor, you are ‘dancing on the baldosa’ (the tile). You are considered a great tango/milonga dancer if you can dance on a baldosa (i.e. in a small area)."
The second meaning, which is defined by the same post, refers to
“the baldosa box, a basic six-step sequence, used by some instructors as a foundation for learning milonga and tango. This six-step sequence is only a learning foundation; on the dance floor, many variations are used to maintain the line of dance. The baldosa box can be a good way to learn milonga; however, the back step is controversial among tango instructors.”
A post from endretango.com explains why the back step might not be the best tango basic step to start this sequence: “If the leader starts walking against the line of dance, he can easily stumble across others’ legs. Many places even forbid starting a dance with back steps.”
In some cases, instructors would remind tango students to take a smaller back step, though this would entirely depend on the instructor’s teaching style. However, it is a good caveat to remember when one is in a crowded milonga.
Thus, from these two definitions, it would be apt to say that one can learn and understand the baldoza better if one goes back to the Eight Count Basic that is commonly taught to beginner tangueros and tangueras.
Illustration of baldoza’s steps by tastefortango.net
Baldoza: Back to Basics
According to fredosaurus.com, the Baldoza Box is “a six-step box figure that is very common in the milonga style and is often taught as an introductory tango figure. It is similar to the Basic Eight without the Cross.”
To further understand the baldoza, a post from mastango.org presents an outline for the Basic Eight Count for both leaders and followers:
Step 1: Leaders take a small step backward with their right foot. For the follower, they take a small step forward with the left foot to match the leader’s step.
Step 2: Leaders take a “salida” or sidestep to the left with their left foot. To match the step, followers will take the opposite sidestep: to the right with their right foot.
Step 3: Leaders take a step forward with their right foot, just outside of the follower. The leader’s right foot must directly step in front of their left foot, around the follower’s side. The leader must dissociate the top half of their body by turning their chest slightly towards the follower to stay in a comfortable position facing each other. The follower, on the other hand, does a straight step backward with their left foot. To maintain a good connection with the leader, the follower must turn their body slightly towards the leader as the latter moves to the right.
Step 4: The leader steps forward once more, with their left foot moving in front of their right foot slightly outside of the follower. To maintain a comfortable connection, the leader must again turn their chest slightly toward the follower. Leading this step is crucial in preparing the follower for a cross. In this step, the follower steps straight backward with their right foot so it ends up behind their left foot. Again, the follower’s top half must face slightly towards the leader.
Step 5: With a half step forward with the right foot, the leader closes their feet. Simultaneously, the leader should slightly turn their chest to the right, towards the follower, to face straight ahead, bringing the follower directly in front of the leader. Opposite the leader, the follower takes a half step backward with their left foot. The follower’s chest must then move toward the center, causing their left foot to cross in front of their right foot instead of going straight backward. This completes the cross step.
Step 6: The leader steps directly forward with their left foot, just underneath the flower’s armpit. The leader’s chest must remain directly faced toward the follower. The follower steps directly back with their right foot.
Step 7: The leader takes a side step to the right with their right foot. Conversely, the follower must take a side step to the left with their left foot.
Step 8: To complete the eight-step sequence, the leader takes a side step to the right with their left foot to bring it next to the right foot. The follower then takes a side step to the left with the right foot, also bringing it next to their left foot, thus ending the sequence.
In the case of the baldoza, Steps 4 and 5 can be eliminated, as there is no need to perform the cross when dancing the tile. All one needs to follow is the shape of the box, which takes up less space than completing the Basic Eight Count sequence. To substitute the back step, a silent step can be done instead, and this would still keep the baldoza authentic.
A few helpful resources that can visually demonstrate a baldoza:
Milonga: The Baldosa Box with Variations by Tangology101
Ejercicios tango en una baldosa by Nany Peralta
Tango 205: The Milonga Box w/Traspié by Los Angeles Tango Academy
Boxed In
There’s a saying that one should think outside of the box, but in the case of the baldoza, staying within the box challenges one’s skill as a tanguero or tanguera, especially during a crowded milonga.
While seemingly easy to do from a visual standpoint, this tango box step requires awareness of one’s available space and a good connection with one’s partner so that both parties can dance perfectly within the tile. To deftly execute this fundamental figure of Argentine tango, one must understand the Basic Eight Count sequence, which is a set of movements taught to beginners. Precisely because the figure itself is grounded on a basic sequence, learning the baldoza can be a good way to begin learning the milonga (referring to the dance style as opposed to the social event), as well as maintain a great rhythm on crowded dance floors.
Additionally, knowing how to perform a baldoza can also lead to many variations that can make an entire tanda more exciting. Similar to any steps and figures of Argentine tango, getting used to dancing the baldoza will require practice, the most common of which is to perform the sequence within the bounds of a square marker on the floor, representing a single tile. It’s possible to practice this alone, whether one takes on the role of the leader or follower.
Certainly, practicing the baldoza gives a whole new meaning to being boxed in.
In lesson 3, phase 2 of our Signature Beginner Tango Course - we are introducing concept of BALDOZA - watch now with 7 days FREE trial!
