Jemar J. Castor BSED 2- English Course Facilitator: Pamela F.

Guevara

Unit 3: Selected Ballroom Dances

Research a Ballroom Dance

If you wanted to learn one ballroom dance that was not featured in Latin- American or
Modern Standard competitions, what is it? Explain why you chose this dance, as well as its
history, present time, and how it is now being performed. Refer on the format of Lesson A and
B.

If I wanted to learn one ballroom dance that was not featured in Latin- American or Modern
Standard competitions, it would be “Bolero”. I choose this dance because it has many variants
and can be performed by either solo or couple. Also, the tempo here is somewhat slow, so it is
easy to follow compared to other dances. Even though, that it still needs a flexible body to
execute steps properly, for me, this is interestingly exquisite.

History of Bolero

The Bolero originated as a Spanish dance in 1770s and had many different names. It was
known as the “Escuela Bolera,” “Goyescas,” and “Baile de Palilos.” Bolero dancing fused
common popular dances with classical ballet to create a dance that was more polished for
storage. It combined contradanza with the sevilana.

The Bolero started as a dance for a couple, but later became adapted for larger venues that
needed more dancers with more technical choreography and moves. The Bolero developed for
a theater due in part to the influence of Italian Ballet specialist who frequently performed in
Spain during this time.

The development and success of Bolero dancing continued in the 20 th century. The Escuela
Bolero expanded with more schools opening throughout Spain. Spanish dancers and dance
companies included Bolero performances in their shows particularly from 1940 to 1965. Bolero
dances were accompanied by castanets and guitars.

While Bolero was originally danced in 3/4 time in Spain, it was changed in Cuba initially to 2/4
time and then eventually into 4/4 music in the 1800s. The Cuban Bolero originated in Santiago
de Cuba in the last quarter of the 19th century. The 19th century. Cuban Bolero music
developed with the traveling musicians of Santiago de Cuba who earned their living moving
around singing and playing the guitar. Bolero dancing is often called the “Cuban Dance of Love”
because of its slower, dreamy tempo and romantic melodies. The Bolero was introduced to the
United States in the mid-1930s and during that time it was danced in its classical form.

Bolero Dance Today

Today, in the United States the Bolero dance is known as one of the competition dances in
the American Rhythm ballroom dance category. It is one of the five competitive American Latin
style competitive dances. The Bolero is danced with both Ballroom and Latin characteristics.
The first step is typically danced on the first beat and held during the second beat with two
more steps falling on beats three and four. In competitive dance the music is in 4/4 time and
ranges between 96 and 104 beats per minute. The dance has a “rise and fall” and a closed
Jemar J. Castor BSED 2- English Course Facilitator: Pamela F. Guevara

dance frame position that is much like the Ballroom Waltz. However, it also uses hip motion and
Latin style gliding steps. The Bolero is danced to very slow, melodic Latin and contemporary
music.

A version of the Cuban Bolero is danced throughout the International Latin dance world and
supervised by the World Dance Council, a registered company established to provide an agreed
basis for holding world championships for competitive ballroom dancing. This version of the
Cuban Bolero is labeled under the misnomer “rumba’ and came out in the early 1930s when a
simple overall term was needed to market Cuban music and dance to audiences unfamiliar with
the Latin music and dance terms. Today, Bolero is most popularly danced in dance studios and
ballroom studios. While it is a social dance, it is not embraced as much socially as it is
competitively. Popular reality competition dance shows often feature Bolero dancing as a dance
style challenge for its dancing competitors.