Bolero - Definition and Overview

For other uses, see Bolero (disambiguation).

The bolero is a type of dance and musical form.

Spain

Bolero originated in Spain in the late 18th century and 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.

Cuba

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.

American Style ballroom

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.

Example Usage of Bolero