Spain / France, early 20th century
PASO DOBLE
Spain's rhythmic bullfight
The Paso Doble is a couple's dance inspired by the Spanish bullfight and Spanish military marches. Though its roots are Spanish, it was in France, in the 1920s-30s, that it was codified as a ballroom and competition dance. The male dancer embodies the toreador, proud and combative, while the female dancer represents the cape (the muleta) or the bull, depending on the interpretation.
The dance is theatrical, martial, and full of contrasts. It alternates between moments of great nobility, with tall postures and taut lines, and fast sequences with chassés, pivots, and foot stamps (the "appels"). The music, often traditional Spanish pasodobles such as "España Cañí," structures the dance into distinct phases.
The Paso Doble is one of the five Latin dances of international DanceSport. It is the only competitive Latin dance without a characteristic hip movement: it favors posture, gaze, tension, and dramatic character. It is a performance dance, highly prized by competitors and audiences alike.
How it's danced
Technique & figures
The Paso Doble is danced as a couple, to fast, strongly marked two-beat music. The leader embodies the matador, with attitudes of defiance, bravery, and control. The follower plays the role of the cape or bull, with sweeping movements, pivots, and extensions. The dance is structured in "phrases" corresponding to the phases of the bullfight.
Styles and fundamentals
The technique rests on a very upright posture, an open chest, low shoulders, and a fixed, intense gaze. Steps are crisp and precise, often staccato. The "appels" are heel strikes or foot stamps that mark musical accents. The arms form clear lines, and the couple's frame remains toned. Hip movement is absent in favor of an almost military body carriage.
Main figures
- 01
Appels
Heel strikes or foot stamps that mark the dramatic accents of the music. A signature of the paso doble's martial character.
- 02
Promenade
A noble, slow movement of the couple, with taut body lines and a gaze fixed forward. Embodies the matador's entrance into the arena.
- 03
Chassé
A fast sequence of small steps in which the couple moves sideways or diagonally, with total control of weight and tension.
- 04
Pivot
Fast turns on one foot, often performed by the follower, with a leg extension and perfect body carriage.
- 05
Espagnade
A cape figure in which the follower turns around the leader with a wide arm opening. Represents the movement of the muleta.
- 06
Huit
A figure-eight sequence in which the couple moves with sharp changes of direction and foot accents.
Reading the music
Paso doble uses Spanish pasodobles, military marches, and dancesport compositions. The most famous is "España Cañí" by Pascual Marquina Narro. The music is fast (roughly 120 BPM), with clear accents and contrasting sections evoking the phases of the bullfight.
Did you know?
Explore the rhythms
Same family
Standards & Latines de Salon
Cross connections
Styles from other families that share a common language with Paso Doble.