Bolero
Bolero is both a musical style and a dance from Cuba. It is similar in many ways to the Rumba, but with a slower tempo, a softer action and more dramatic shaping. The movement of the hips is very important in the Bolero. It is usually danced with a partner, but solo versions are also possible.
Learn the Bolero at Long-Steps
We’ll take you through all the steps from scratch. Even if you have never danced before, we will show you how. You do not need a partner to learn the dance, your instructor will dance through it with you.
Long-Steps currently teaches the Bolero periodically during our Adult Classes and by Private Tuition.
Long-Steps teaches the Bolero according to popular and recognised resources.
History of the Bolero
As with many Urban Latino dances, the music of the time paved the way for the development of the dance. In the late 19th century, certain musicians in Cuba made their living travelling through the country, singing and playing the guitar. These musicians were known as trovadores, and Pepe Sanchez was one of the earliest and is credited as the father of the Bolero style. It became incredibly popular, and spread through Latin America in the early 20th century and then into the United States in the 1930s.
Where there is music, dancing soon follows. The dance Bolero follows the same Cuban timing as the Rumba, with the first step of a figure danced on the second beat of the bar, not the first, and has three steps for every four beats. The slow step over beats 4 and 1 include a hip movement over the standing foot. American Rhythm Bolero (a variation) also has three beats, but has a slow step over beats 1 and 2, then two quick steps for beats 3 and 4.
Sources:
Technical Details
Time Signature: 4/4
Musical Selection: Bolero
Tempo Range: 20-24 bars per minute
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