Paso Doble

Paso Doble or pasodoble is a lively style of Dance to the Metre (music) March (music)-like Pasodoble music. It actually originated in southern France, but is modeled after the sound, drama, and movement of the Spanish bullfight. Paso doble means "double step" in Spanish.

Traditional
Pasodoble is based on music played at bullfights during the bullfighters' entrance (paseo) or during the passes (faena) just before the kill. The leader of this dance plays the part of the Matador. The follower generally plays the part of the matador's cape, but can also represent the bull or a Flamenco dancer in some figures. Its origin dates back to a French military march with the name ”Paso Redoble“. This was a fast paced march and that is why this is a fast paced Latin American dance which was modeled after the Spanish bull fight.

Ballroom
Paso Doble, like Samba (ballroom), is a progressive International Latin dance. The Paso Doble is the Latin dance most resembling the International Latin style, in that forward steps are taken with the Heel lead, the Frame (dance) is wider and more strictly kept up, and there is significantly different and less International Latin.

A significant number of Paso Doble songs are variants of España Cañi. The song has breaks in fixed positions in the song (two breaks at syllabus levels, three breaks and a longer song at Open levels). Traditionally Paso Doble routines are choreographed to match these breaks, as well as the Musical phrases. Accordingly, most other ballroom Paso Doble tunes are written with similar breaks (those without are simply avoided in most competitions).

Because of its inherently choreographed tradition, ballroom Paso Doble for the most part danced only competitively, almost never socially &mdash; or at least not without sticking to some sort of previously-learned routine. This said, in Spanish, France, Vietnam, Colombia and some parts of Germany to the west of the river Rhine, it is danced socially as a lead (not choreographed) dance.