Dancers Who "Break Hold" During the Tango Might Want to Rethink That Move

There are some professional dances, like the tango or the foxtrot, which require a bit more prep than others, and contestants on Dancing With the Stars often learn that the hard way. In a perfect world, they could perform contemporary choreography each week, but that doesn't fly with the format of the show. So when a dancer breaks hold in a tango, they are called out for it.

But what does it mean to break hold in tango? The tango requires two dancers to work together in sync and to anticipate each other's steps throughout the dance. They also have to remain close together. It isn't the only kind of dance where partners rely on each other and the other person's closeness to get the moves right, but it is one that can be hard to get used to.

To break hold in tango could mean one of two things. One definition, per PureDWTS, is the act of breaking free from the traditional position of the female dancer with her left arm bent and resting on the male dancer's bent right arm. It's the traditional pose you might see on the ballroom floor at the start of most dances.

According to the Brisbane House of Tango, the other definition of breaking a hold in tango is also called quebrada. This is a position in tango where the woman rests her weight on the male partner and has just one foot on the ground. However, if you hear the term "break hold" on DWTS, it likely refers to the act of breaking free from a partner's embrace for just a second too long.

For some dancers, breaking hold is necessary if the song is particularly long or the choreography demands more work. On a subreddit for the tango, dancers discussed breaking the embrace when necessary. In the thread, some agreed that you should try not to break hold if you can. Others commented that there is sometimes a call for it.

"If it was a difficult, hot, fast, or energetic song, then I need to break in order to wipe my sweat," one user commented. "If it was a beautiful, quiet, relaxed, romantic song and I can detect my partner is OK with it, I'll stay in embrace. Some songs can have incredibly long closing/opening phrases, though."

In Season 34 of DWTS, Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy perform a tango during the week where all contestants have to do a dance-a-thon on the ballroom floor for as long as they can go without stopping. When it comes time to get their scores, Alix and Val are called out for breaking the hold while dancing.

But it's also understandable, given the way dancers seem to agree that breaking hold for a few seconds is necessary if a partner is hot, sweaty, or even a bit tired.