• Sacada (Removal) - The most common term for a displacement of a leg or foot by the partner’s leg or foot. The Sacada includes a weight change and turn!  Occurs when a dancer places their foot or leg against a leg of their partner and transfers weight to their leg so that it moves into the space of and displaces the partner’s leg. Sacada always slides into position. Calves do the work. Soft tissue to soft tissue. Man starts as woman finishes. Otherwise don’t have a sacada. The static Sacada is in the form of the Parada and Despedidas, where the woman is not moving, whereas the dynamic Sacada occurs when the woman is moving, such as during the Palancas. See Adorno, Amague, Caricias, Carpa, Castigada, Chiche, Conclusion, Contrapaso, Cuartas, Cuatro, Cucharita, Dibujo, Elevacion, Entrada, Fanfarron, Firulete, Frappé, Friccion, Gancho, Golpes, Latigo, Patada, Pausa, Picados, Punteo, Resolution, Ronde, Sacada, Salida, Saltito, Sandwiche, Sanguchito, Stork, Toque and Truco.

• Sacada de Costado (Side Removal) - A variation of Rulos in Silver Milonga.

• Sacada del Talón (Heel Removal) - A variation of Rulos in Silver Milonga.

• Sacada Inversa (Reverse Removal) - Key Pattern 10 in Gold Tango and a variation of Giro Inverso in Gold Vals.

• Salida (From salir - to exit; to go out) - The first steps of dancing a tango, or a tango pattern, derived from “¿Salimos a bailar?” {Shall we (go out to the dance floor and) dance?}. Also the term Salida can be use for normal (almost shoe to shoe, outside (left), or inside (shoe to shoe and touching lower legs). Also crossed on the woman’s left, as in a Contra Empujada. A salida, mostly inapparent in the crossed system, would have the man’s left leg next to the woman’s right leg. From this position, the man can lead a Cross, Back Ocho, Molinete, or Quebrada. See Adorno, Amague, Caricias, Carpa, Castigada, Chiche, Conclusion, Contrapaso, Cuartas, Cuatro, Cucharita, Dibujo, Elevacion, Entrada, Fanfarron, Firulete, Frappé, Friccion, Gancho, Golpes, Latigo, Patada, Pausa, Picados, Punteo, Resolution, Ronde, Sacada, Salida, Saltito, Sandwiche, Sanguchito, Stork, Toque and Truco.

• Sacudita (Shake) - A variation of Contra Vueltecita in Silver Milonga.

• Salida Americana - Lead initiating walk (called promenade) of the two dancers facing in the same direction.Salida Cortado (Cut Out) - A variation of Traspié in Silver Milonga.

• Salida Cruzada (Cross Exit) - A variation of Construccion Básica with Retroceso in Bronze Milonga and Básica Cruzado in Silver Milonga and Ocho Quebrado in Bronze Vals.

• Salida de Espalda y Triangulo (Backstroke & Triangle) - Variation of Baldosa in Bronze Tango and Bronze Vals.

• Saltito (A Little Jump) - Little Jump. See Adorno, Amague, Caricias, Carpa, Castigada, Chiche, Conclusion, Contrapaso, Cuartas, Cuatro, Cucharita, Dibujo, Elevacion, Entrada, Fanfarron, Firulete, Frappé, Friccion, Gancho, Golpes, Latigo, Patada, Pausa, Picados, Punteo, Resolution, Ronde, Sacada, Salida, Saltito, Sandwiche, Sanguchito, Stork, Toque and Truco.

• Saludo De Ambos (Dual Greeting) - A variation of Enrosque in Silver Tango.

• Sandwiche (Sandwich) - Another name for Mordida. See Adorno, Amague, Caricias, Carpa, Castigada, Chiche, Conclusion, Contrapaso, Cuartas, Cuatro, Cucharita, Dibujo, Elevacion, Entrada, Fanfarron, Firulete, Frappé, Friccion, Gancho, Golpes, Latigo, Patada, Pausa, Picados, Punteo, Resolution, Ronde, Sacada, Salida, Saltito, Sandwiche, Sanguchito, Stork, Toque and Truco.

• Sanguchito - Another name for Mordida. See Adorno, Amague, Caricias, Carpa, Castigada, Chiche, Conclusion, Contrapaso, Cuartas, Cuatro, Cucharita, Dibujo, Elevacion, Entrada, Fanfarron, Firulete, Frappé, Friccion, Gancho, Golpes, Latigo, Patada, Pausa, Picados, Punteo, Resolution, Ronde, Sacada, Salida, Saltito, Sandwiche, Sanguchito, Stork, Toque and Truco.

• Seguidillas/Puntadas (Short Runs/Stiches) - A variation of Trampas in Silver Milonga. Tiny quick steps, usually seen in Orillero style. May also be called Corridas.

• Seguir (To follow) - See Caminada, Caminar, Contra Body Movement, Contra Body Movement Position, Corridata, Cross System, Elevadas,Entregarme, Giro, Junta, Lento, Liso, Marcar, Mira, Otra Vez, Parallel System, Paso, Pisar, Puente and Suave.

• Sentada (Sitting) - Form  Performed after circling Cuna, both man and woman execute a salida cruzada. The sitting action is not a strong action. A sitting action: A family of figures in which the woman creates the illusion of sitting in, or actually mounts, the man’s leg. Frequently used as a dramatic flourish at the end of a dance.

• Serpentino (Serpentine)

• Silla (Chair)

• Sobrepaso (Overstepping) - A variation of Balanceo in Bronze Vals. Start with step to left and then right, then back to left, then an additional quick step to left. Repeat for other side. Then quick tap to left with left foot and then with same foot (left) step forward, and follow with another forward right step (but bring the left foot under the body ) and allow the woman to back cross and bring her foot forward while the man steps back on right foot.

• Sostenidas (Sustained) - A variation of Ocho Cortado in Gold Pecho.

• Standing Leg – A dance term. The standing leg is the leg with the weight, and the figure is executed from/around the standing leg. The standing leg is the pivot point for turning figures, and creates the centripetal force for turning. Key: the direction of the woman’s inertia is guided and changed with the man’s standing leg! For any turning movement, there must be a standing leg. Often the woman has the standing leg as the man steps into “the periphery”, such as in the Cambio du Rumbo.

• Staccato - A music and dance term. In music, an articulations where the sound or note is sharply detached or separated from the others, often refered to as a "a staccato rhythm", making a “tic tic tic” type of sound. Staccato is interpreted into dance with sharp, quick moves to match the music. Compare to Legato. See Beat, Compás, Improvisational, Lead, Legato, Musicality, Ostinato, Phrase, Ritmo, Rubato, Staccato and Syncopation.

• Stability – From a dancing application perspective, stability is how much force is required to take a balance dancer and/or couple and make them unbalance, and how difficult it will be to become balanced again. As an example, look at a marble in a bowl. Notice it’s very stable. If the marble is pushed, the marable returns to the balance plsition.  This is called Stable Equilibrium. Equilibrium, in a dancers perspective, if just balanced. If the ball is on a flat surface, and if pushed, the ball will become unbalance but will return, sooner or later, to a motionless stable position, it’s called Neutral Equilibrium. If the marble is on top of a bowl that is turned upside down, this is called Unstable Equilibrium since the marble will not return to it’s original position and it may ever stop.  A fourth definition is Metastable Equilibrium, where the top of the bowl, if tipped upside down, has a dent on the top, such that the marble will stay in the dented area if not pushed too hard, but if pushed hard enough, it will come up and over the dented area and fall off the bowl. So its in Stable Equilibrium in the dented area, but Unstable Equilibrum if pushed hard enough. Next – we discuss how much force is required to move the marble, and how much force is required to make it balanced again. If we use a shallow bowl, it would be easier to knock the marble off blanced than if we use a deep bown. Now apply to dance.  Four legs on the ground.  Dancers are lower to ground. Woman are on high heels. Moving or not moving. Walking vs twisting. Leg moving as in boleo. If you are moving and dealing with a lot of forces, this will cause you to be more in an Unstable Equilibrium. Such as moving faster, more moving parts, different directions, more potential energy, higher Center of Gravity, Spinning, A lot tied into biomechanic of the body.

• Stork - See Calesita. Not used often or much recommended but refers to a position of the woman where the working leg is held with the lower leg lifted and horizontal in a figure four, or Cuatro, position. See Adorno, Amague, Caricias, Carpa, Castigada, Chiche, Conclusion, Contrapaso, Cuartas, Cuatro, Cucharita, Dibujo, Elevacion, Entrada, Fanfarron, Firulete, Frappé, Friccion, Gancho, Golpes, Latigo, Patada, Pausa, Picados, Punteo, Resolution, Ronde, Sacada, Salida, Saltito, Sandwiche, Sanguchito, Stork, Toque and Truco.

• Suave - Smooth, steady and gentle, soft, stylish. A major objective in tango. See Caminada, Caminar, Contra Body Movement, Contra Body Movement Position, Corridata, Cross System, Elevadas,Entregarme, Giro, Junta, Lento, Liso, Marcar, Mira, Otra Vez, Parallel System, Paso, Pisar, Puente and Seguirv.

• Subibaja (Chained) - Key Pattern 4 in Gold Milonga.

• Suplente (Alternate) - A variation of Atrapada in Gold Tango.

• Suspension – A move where the man holds his position instead of taking a step.

• Suspensión (Suspension) - A variation of Ocho Cortado in Gold Pecho.

• Syncopation - Music and Dance Term. A musical term adopted by dancers and used in a way which is technically incorrect, musically, and leads to endless arguments between dancers and musicians. Musically it refers to an unexpected or unusual accenting of the beats in a measure such as the two and four beats of swing music rather than the more common accent on the one and three beats. Dancers have come to use the term to describe cutting the beat, or stepping on the half-beat, which annoys musicians all to heck. Maybe if they could dance the tango we would pay more attention to them. Synchopation is often used in many other ways, such as the action of doing the unexpected, such as stepping when it is not expected or not stepping when it is expected. See Beat, Compás, Improvisational, Lead, Legato, Musicality, Ostinato, Phrase, Ritmo, Rubato, Staccato and Syncopation.

• Sube y Baja (To Go Up and Down) - A milonga step in which the couple dance forward-together and back-together in outside right position with a pendulum action of the hips. See Ven y Va / or Vaivén (To & Fro) See Milonga Bronze.