Paso Doble Dance: A Brief History of Paso Doble

The paso doble, or pasodoble, is a Latin ballroom dance. “Paso doble” may have originated in either France or Spain—the term “paso doble” means “double step” or “two-step” in Spanish—as the briskly paced paso doble music accompanied the fast steps of a military march in both countries. The dance also has connections to bullfighting: Fast-paced paso doble music originally served as an introductory theme for Spanish bullfighters entering the ring. The movements of the matador and the bull inspired the dance, according to Spanish legend.

In Europe, Canada, and Asia, paso doble is a social dance, but its complicated choreography makes it better suited as a competitive dance form. It’s one of the five international Latin dances performed at dance competitions worldwide, along with the jive, rumba, samba, and cha-cha-cha.

The paso doble has a complex history that begins in the eighteenth century:

• Spanish origins: The origins of the paso doble vary according to sources. Some historical records claim that dancers first performed paso doble music in Spain in 1780. Paso doble tunes were then reportedly adapted as marching music for Spanish infantry troops, who were reportedly able to take 120 steps per minute—or double their normal pace—because of the music’s quick 2/4 time signature (two quarter-note beats per measure). In the nineteenth century, paso doble songs also served as music for Spanish bullfights during the paseo, or entrance into the ring.
• French origins: The French version of the paso doble origin story is similar to the Spanish iteration: It reportedly began as a dance style from southern France called the “paso redoble,” which the French military adopted as a fast-paced march. How the paso doble picked up the bullfighting influence is unclear in the French version. Still, when the paso doble dance resurfaced in Paris during the 1920s, its dance steps resembled a romanticized duel between a matador and bull.
• Worldwide popularity: The paso doble’s dynamic choreography helped popularize the dance in the United States and other parts of the world. It has been a highlight of competition dance since the mid-1940s. In 1963, the World Dance Council’s World Dance Program added the dance to the rosters of their classical and Latin American dance classes. The program continues to teach and preserve the dance.

Several characteristics define the paso doble, including:

1. 1. Influences: Flamenco dance strongly influenced the paso doble. Both the paso doble dancer and the flamenco dancer stamp their feet in rhythmic patterns as part of their performance.
2. 2. Music: Spanish composer Pascual Marquina Narro’s 1923 composition “España Cañi”— a slow-building song built on a 2/4 marching rhythm—is most often associated with paso doble. Most paso doble songs, including modern paso doble songs, feature variations on “España Cañi’s” structure.
3. 3. Steps: Paso doble steps represent a bullfight, with the male partner—the matador—in the lead, and the female partner following. Their movements are sharp and confident, with heads and chests held high. The dance also features seven steps with French names like the “huit” or “sur place” that occur during breaks or “highlights” in the song. In competitive ballroom dancing, the number of highlights varies according to whether the competition is at an open level, which allows for improvisation, or syllabus level, which restricts the dancers to specific movements.

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