Bolero originated in Spain in the late 18th century. It is not a folk dance, but was created in the year 1780 by the dancer Sebastian Zerezo. It is danced by either a soloist or a couple. It is in a moderately slow tempo and is performed to music which is sung and accompanied by castanets and guitars. It is in triple time and usually has a triplet on the second beat of each bar. A number of classical composers have written works based on this dance: Frederic Chopin wrote a bolero for solo piano, and Maurice Ravel's Bolero is one of his most famous works, originally written as a ballet score but now usually played as a concert piece.
In Cuba, the bolero developed into a distinct dance in duple time which eventually spread to other countries. In the 1950s, sung boleros became extremely popular and have enjoyed enduring popularity as a popular song form throughout Latin America.
Still another kind of Bolero is an American Style ballroom dance popular in the United States. It is a unique dance style combining the patterns of Rumba with the rise and fall technique and character of Waltz and Foxtrot. The music is 4/4 time, and is danced to the slowest rhythms of the latin ballroom dances (the spectrum runs Bolero, Rumba, ChaChaCha, Mambo). The basic rhythm of steps in patterns, like Rumba, is Slow-Quick-Quick.
Foxtrot
Waltz
Tango
Viennese Waltz
Quickstep
Rumba
Cha Cha
Eastern Swing
West Coast Swing
Samba
Mambo
Salsa
Merengue
Paso Doble
Bolero
Jive
Hustle
Theatre Arts
Country / Western
Wheelchair Dancesport
Most dance descriptions originate @ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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