Learn to dance with world ballroom champion Paul Killick - Introduce Style and Elegance into your life
Paso Doble is a lively, theatrical Spanish dance, developed in France. so doble literally means “two step” so is always in duple time (e.g. 4/4 time).
The dance is based around the concept of the bullfight – it acts out scenes from a bullfight and uses music played at bullfights during the matador’s entrance (paseo) or during the passes (faena) just before the kill. The man plays the matador, the woman is sometimes his cape (cappa) and sometimes the bull itself.
The dance culminates in the man killing the bull – it is one of the most dramatic dances you will see.
This really is a man’s showpiece dance - the man is the focus for most of the dance. He dances proud, back arched, shoulders back and head up. His movements are deliberate and run heel-flat like a march. Unlike most Latin dances there is little or no hip movement.
The woman plays a lesser role – usually as his cape. She will sway her body and flow lightly about the floor.
It is most like the Standard International style – forward steps are taking with a heel lead, the frame is wider and more strictly kept up, and there is very little hip movement.
The music is developed from Espana Cani (Spanish Gypsy dance), which has breaks in fixed positions throughout the song.
Paso doble is a very choreographed routine, mostly danced competitively rather than socially. You would only learn the Paso doble after quite some time with simpler dances.
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Last modified: 10/04/06
