All You Need To Know About Boleos, Voleos, but Not Boleros
Newton’s Third Law of Motion states: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” This means that without interactions, there could be no force to drive a response, and there would be no response to match the force given.
In the sphere of Argentine tango, Newton’s Third Law can very much apply to the interactions shared by both leaders and followers, wherein each one gives and receives “force.” However, this term should not be mistaken as having the intention to coerce or intimidate.
The concept of “force” in Argentine tango simply translates to the leader’s suggestion or proposal to execute a move and a follower’s response in favor of or in opposition to that suggestion.
This dynamic, while applicable to many steps and counterpositions, may be best exemplified by the boleo.
What Is a Boleo?
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of how to do the boleo and its reflection of how leaders and followers exercise the concept of “force,” one must first understand the term’s meaning. Boleo and voleo are both acceptable terms since the pronunciation of the letters B and V in Spanish tend to sound similar. It is interesting to note though that the two words have a slightly different meaning.
Boleo derives from the verb bolear, to throw. It comes from the tool called LARIAT or BOLEADORA that gauchos used to capture the animals. It is a set of 3 various lengths ropes weighted at the free end and tied together. Thrown sideways it wraps around the target capturing it.
Voleo comes from the verb volear, to volley, punch, or strike, especially with a racquet, paddle, or open hand as in volleyball.
However, despite their differences, both meanings may be apt in describing how the move is executed. According to EndreTango a voleo (also referring to boleo) “consists of a whip-like lash of one leg to the buttock that’s opposite the free (voleo-ing) leg followed by a circular movement on the way back to the starting point. This means that if the voleo is done with the left leg, the right buttock is ‘kicked’ and vice versa.” This definition of the boleo brings together the concepts of bolear and volear together: one leg is thrown upward, thereby striking the buttock opposite the free leg.
Hernan Brizuela and Anita Flejter during on-demand boleo class at Ultimate Tango - check it out HERE
Other definitions of boleo describe it as “an embellishment caused by the “whip” action of the follower, executed when an ocho is quickly reversed in the middle.” Further to the definition provided by Very Tango Store: “The follower's free foot is thrown to the side and wraps around her leg at the knee. It is considered an embellishment because the follower forces her pelvis to disassociate from her upper half during the rotation, allowing her free leg to be thrown up and around in a decorative flourish. It should be noted that the actual whipping action of the leg during a boleo is called the latigazo (lash).”
Based on these definitions, one can then infer that the boleo consists of a series of movements by the upper body as well as the legs. This is where the importance of interactions and force comes into play. And here is where Hernan and Anita’s detailed explanation of how internal forces integrate with lead and body response come in place.
Boleo is a beautiful figure, BUT… Remember a couple of things - Tango is created by two - Leader and Follower. Follower shall use the brain and know better NOT TO execute the high boleo, even if lead, in the crowded Milongas. The leader shall use his smarts to NOT TO lead it, or lead it in a way that does not pose the danger to other couples, or at least have an understanding of WHY the Follower refused the boleo
Tango Synthesis offers an explanation regarding the physical and magnetic force given and received by leaders and followers:
“Tango is a dynamic dance of lead and follow. Everything that the follower does — with the obvious exception of adornos which are optional — is a result of the lead she is given. That lead comes from the chest, the upper body connection, the frame, and the embrace; it doesn’t come from the legs, or from the follower picking up on visual clues as to the leader’s intentions.”
Simply put, a boleo led by the leader is a consequence or reaction of the follower to the leader’s suggested move. One important aspect of the boleo is that the leader cuts the follower’s step, and to do so successfully, the follower must have a firm connection with the leader via a closed embrace in order to receive the leader’s physical cue.
The catch is that the follower often has no knowledge of when the boleo is going to take place until after it is already in progress, further reinforcing tango’s highly improvised and exciting nature.
To the follower, it is discovering change as it happens and reacting to it, and to the leader, it is a form of action ideally executed with perfect timing. Without a closely shared interaction between both partners, there can be no dynamic of action and reaction between them as there would be no force to drive their movements and physical responses.
Perfect boleo is an unfulfilled secret dream of many Followers. They work endlessly to make it higher, shaped more beautiful, and on time with music. Ahhhh, if only he can lead me.
How To Do the Boleo
The boleo has two variations: the forward boleo and the back boleo. The back boleo is a change in the torsion and rotation that results in the backward swinging action of the free leg, while the forward boleo is a change in the torsion and rotation that results in the free leg wrapping around the front of the supporting leg. There is also the linear boleo, pretty useless in the Milonga settings, though useful if you want to eliminate your Tango enemy (just kidding :-), which is done in a straight line.
The easiest way to understand how to lead the linear boleo, and to understand the general sensation you need to create for the follower’s leg to swing up is to pretend you want to do it too, ot simply just do it with her. During our on-demand boleo course we are proposing series of exercises that allows leaders and followers to tune up their bodies to proposing and responding to the boleo lead.
Depending on the music and the intended effect, leaders, and followers can choose between executing a boleo in a way that is linear, directional, or based on the opposition (contra).
Sometimes boleo is used to emphasize the accent on the music, it can be frozen at the peak of the movement as a final pose or to stress the pause, it can be slowed down to gracefully accompany the melody, it can be used to create a change of direction!
For leaders, leading with contraposition means a change in the position of both partners’ bodies and anticipating the right time when one must cut their partner’s step, ideally before the follower shifts their weight. The boleos can be soft and don’t have to be sharp and fast all the time. What is important to remember as a leader is to coordinate with the follower, continuously listening to each other so that one may be able to cut the step in just the right moment to create dynamic energy as the boleo is performed.
Right timing is essential. if the opposition is lead too early the follower will be pulled off of her axis.
If the timing is right - the boleo can be frozen and held to accentuate the pause on the music.
Right timing is essential. if the opposition is lead too early the follower will be pulled off of her axis. If lead too late, the follower will most likely miss the boleo. We constantly hear it during private lessons - I knew it was the boleo, but I knew I missed it, it was too late to execute it.
Boleo Technique for Followers
● Tip #1: Maintain a firm embrace to feel the sharpness of the leader’s movement from the center of their chest. This can be done by exercising a little bit of resistance.
● Tip #2: Use the beautiful spiral of tango by dissociating during a pivot. Keep in mind that once the leader begins their movement, it is a pivot, so move the upper body, then the torso, then the hips, then the leg. Because the leader cuts the back step, the follower’s leg will feel as though it is flying. When one pivots with the whole body and does not employ the spiral, one will have no free leg movement. This applies to both backward and forward boleos.
● Tip #3: Fully relax the free leg and keep it from tensing. For boleos, the follower’s leg needs to caress the floor, and there should be no weight on the leg. To relax the leg completely, one should not consciously think about relaxing the toes or the foot but should instead think about relaxing the leg from the hip. When relaxing the leg from the hip, the movement will be much freer and much lighter when performing boleos.
For followers who are just beginning to learn about boleos, it is recommended to first work on placing one’s leg on the floor then slowly going up to raise the leg if one feels like it goes with the music. Also, keep in mind that boleos with raised legs should be avoided during crowded milongas to prevent hurting other people.
Back boleos exercises during Classy Heels Course on-demand
Front boleos exercises during Classy Heels Course on-demand
Boleo or Bolero?
Since the word does not sound familiar the autocorrect in the brain often transits the word boleo (never heard before) into bolero - still do not know what exactly it is - but sounds more familiar. Beware. Most names of Tango steps come directly from Spanish and you may not find them in the English Dictionary. We often find even more advanced students calling the movement bolero. Thinking that they misheard the teacher since his or her English is, well, - not so very good looking :-)
Bolero has various meanings, the most popular of which is associated with the short jacket with long sleeves typically worn by women.
Bolero has various meanings, the most popular of which is associated with the short jacket with long sleeves typically worn by women.
In terms of dancing, Bolero is a slow Latin dance with roots in Spain and Cuba. According to Bella Ballroom, bolero is a “unique dance with Latin as well as ballroom characteristics,” with its sliding steps, soft hip motions, and close dance hold that make it a powerful and romantic style.
A post from Ballroom Dance Academy cites that the bolero, also known as Cuban Dance of Love was created by Sebastiano Carezo, a Spanish dancer, in 1780. Bolero is, the post further elaborates, a “modification of the Fandango with the gracefulness retained and the objectionable parts omitted.” Perhaps what brings about the confusion between the bolero and boleo is that the former is a mixture of tango, waltz, and rumba.
Other definitions of bolero point to a “one-movement orchestral work composed by Maurice Ravel, known for beginning softly and ending, according to the composer’s instructions, as loudly as possible,” as described by britannica.com. It was commissioned by the Russian dancer Ida Rubinstein and was performed at the Paris Opéra on November 22, 1928.
Interestingly enough, bolero is also a Filipino word that pertains to a playboy or a sweet-talker who, according to philnews.ph, “uses all methods he could possibly think of to get with a girl.” Since the Philippines was once a colony of Spain — the archipelago having been named after King Philip II — a lot of Spanish words have made it into the vernacular, and the term bolero is one among many.
Guy: Napakaganda mo, ngayon lang ako nakakita ng babaeng kasing ganda mo.
(You’re so beautiful, this is the first time that I’ve seen a girl that’s as beautiful as you are.)
Girl: Naku naman! Bolero ka talaga!
(You’re such a playboy!)
Boleo or bolero — it’s important to know the difference, or one might accidentally ask someone to lead a playboy in slow Cuban love motion ;-)
Whip It Good
Like so many embellishments in Argentine tango, the boleo — sometimes known as voleo and often mistaken for bolero — is a step that requires a close interaction between leader and follower for successful execution and perfect timing.
It is, all things considered, an exercise in not just physical but magnetic force, a push and pull, the perfect example of Newton’s Third Law of Motion wherein action begets a reaction.
As the whipping motion of the follower’s leg is a consequence of the leader’s proposed move, this further reinforces a fundamental principle of Argentine tango: a dynamic connection between both partners.