4 beats/measure; 22 – 28 meas/min

Bolero was a Spanish dance in 3/4 time during the 1700s, but it was danced to 2/4 music and then to 4/4 music in Cuba during the 1800s, and it became popular in the United States in the 1930s. Round dancing picked up this rhythm in the 1990s. The classic example is Sleeping Beauty by Brent and Mickey Moore, released in 1993. Bolero is smooth, powerful, romantic, full of love and yearning. It has been called the “Cuban Dance of Love.”

Bolero is characterized by a closer hold, almost a waltz closed position. In Round Dancing, the figures begin on a slow step, considered a preparatory step. The maximum body rise is gained on the slow and this rise is achieved with the leg and the body rather than from the ankle and foot as is done in the smooth rhythms.  Lowering occurs in a rolling like motion on step two and continues into step three with slight progression. Step two and three are not rock recovers. Unlike Rumba, there is no Cuban motion of the hips in the basic figures. The basic partner position is in a loose CP similar to that used in the smooth rhythms with the woman slightly offset to the right of the man. The tempo of Bolero is very slow, about 22 measures per minute. Thus, strong control is required to capture the essence of the rhythm. When teaching this rhythm, encourage the dancers to work on developing the control necessary to sustain body motion throughout each figure.  It could logically follow Foxtrot.  In fact, it may be best to wait until the Phase III dancers have had experience with Slow Two-Step before moving to Bolero. 

The rise and fall constitute one crucial feature of bolero. Begin each measure in a lowered position with soft knees. Rise to a height at the end of the long first step (the slow), lower a little for a small second step (the first quick), and then lower more for a medium third step (the second quick). You are now low and ready for the next side step. The rise and fall is in the body, not in the feet and ankles. Again, step well to the side on the slow in a lowered position. Don’t rise as you step, but step and then rise to two straight legs. The two quicks are not just a rock and recover, but take a small step, really just placing the foot in preparation for a substantial third step. It might feel like “step, rise, push, crash.” A second key feature of bolero is a heaviness, an inertia, and a connectedness between the partners, from one body, through the arms, to the other body. So you don’t just take the steps described above. You have tone that connects you to your partner, and each helps the other take each step. There is a dragging kind of feel and a consequent smooth flow. Especially during the “quick, quick,” he pulls and then she pulls. Maybe it’s like swinging on a double playground swing: he pumps and then she pumps. Bolero is certainly a Latin rhythm, but there is not much use of the Latin or Cuban hip motion that is more noticeable in rumba and in mambo. We would use Cuban hip motion in Bolero Walks, but in other common figures, body rotation would be more important. As you step to the side on the left foot, rotate a little left face. As you step back with the right, keep that rotation—we are using contra-body movement. In rumba, you tend to dance square to your partner, but in bolero, you dance at an angle, always rotating. The body never stops; it stays in motion.

Credits: http://haroldsears.com, www.roundalab.org

ROUND-A-LAB PHASE III Figures

  • BASIC
  • BOLERO WALKS
  • CRAB WALKS
  • FENCE LINE
  • FORWARD BREAK
  • HAND TO HAND
  • HIP LIFT
  • LUNGE BREAK
  • NEW YORKER
  • OPEN BREAK
  • REVERSE UNDERARM TURN
  • SHOULDER TO SHOULDER
  • SPOT TURN
  • TIME STEP
  • UNDERARM TURN

ROUND-A-LAB PHASE IV Figures

  • AIDA
  • CROSS BODY
  • HIP ROCKS
  • LEFT PASS
  • OPENING OUT
  • RIGHT PASS
  • SWITCH
  • SWITCH CROSS
  • SWITCH ROCK
  • TURNING BASIC

ROUND-A-LAB PHASE V Figures

  • CONTRA BREAK
  • CUDDLE
  • HALF MOON
  • HORSESHOE TURN
  • RIFF TURN
  • SWEETHEART

ROUND-A-LAB PHASE VI Figures

  • CHECKED RIGHT PASS
  • FULL MOON

Bolero Teaching Video Links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md3pmCQE8e8 “Mi Vida Sin Tu Amor Ph4+2 Bolero“