Gancho means "hook" in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

and

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

, and describes certain "hooking actions" in some dances of Latin American heritage, in

Argentine Tango Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. It typically has a or rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in patterns such as AB ...

(leg action) and

Salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: ...

(arm action and foot action) in particular.

Tango

, a gancho is a sharp move when a dancer hooks a leg around a partner's leg by bending the knee and then straightening. Both male and female partners may perform ganchos, however when followers perform them, they often happen as a consequence of their trailing leg running into one of the leader's (purposefully positioned) legs. This hooking may be done both from either side of the partner's leg.

Salsa

, the term "gancho" is used in two senses. One is a synonym of the

Hook Turn A hook turn ( Australian English) or two-stage turn (British English), also known as a Copenhagen Left (in reference to cyclists specifically), is a road cycling manoeuvre or a motor vehicle traffic-control mechanism in which vehicles that woul ...

. Another one is an arm action, usually performed by the man. The man holds the lady's left hand by his right hand at approximately the shoulder level, the joined arms are bent in the elbows. With hands still joined, the man hooks his elbow by a motion from the inside to the outside over the lady's arm and slightly presses the inside of his arm to the outside of the lady's arm, drawing the lady closer. This gancho action may be done by the either arm or by both arms, either simultaneously or in turn. The hand grip may either be kept, or immediately released after the hook. Exits from the resulting position vary.

References

Social dance steps {{Dance-stub