Canasta Tango
The first tango: forward edges only, in reversed Kilian hold, with a chassé and two slide chassés.
Also called Tango Canasta. Other names.
Not checked yet. The mechanics on this page are a first draft by a non-expert, and no coach has seen them yet. Read them as a starting point and check them with a coach. Corrections are very welcome.
The dance
Tango in 4/4, 104 beats a minute. The hold is reversed Kilian. Both partners skate the same steps. 14 steps and 28 beats to one pattern.
| Step | Edge | Beats | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LFO | 1 | |
| 2 | RFI | 1 | progressive |
| 3 | LFO | 1 | |
| 4 | RFI | 1 | chassé |
| 5 | LFO | 4 | swing |
| 6 | RFO | 2 | |
| 7 | LFI | 2 | slide chassé |
| 8 | RFO | 4 | swing |
| 9 | LFO | 2 | |
| 10 | RFI | 2 | slide chassé |
| 11 | LFO | 1 | |
| 12 | RFI | 1 | progressive |
| 13 | LFO | 2 | |
| 14 | RFO | 4 | swing roll; may begin with a cross roll |
Edges are written foot, direction, edge, and a change of edge carries both letters. The steps and beats are read off the dance diagram in US Figure Skating's 2026-27 rulebook, and the words for Pr, Ch, sw, SlCh and SwR come from its key.
Both partners skate the same fourteen steps in reversed Kilian hold, all of them forwards. It is the dance that introduces the tango rhythm, and US Figure Skating singles out three steps: the chassé at step 4 and the slide chassés at steps 7 and 10, where knee action is what carries the tango feel. Step 14 may start with a cross roll. The push for it comes from a stroke of the other foot, and a push off the toe is what the rulebook asks skaters to avoid.
British Ice Skating sets it at National 2 for pattern dance with the Dutch Waltz. New Zealand’s KiwiSkate assesses it on the second dance badge, with forward progressives in its timing. US Figure Skating calls it the Tango Canasta.