Bolero dance history:   It is said that there are two origins of dance history of American Bolero hailing from Spain and Cuba. It was originally performed solo by a woman, now it is mostly done in couples and it can also be done in a ballet style with several couples in the Quadrille. It is a three quarter dance that has its roots in the 18th century. A ballet dancer by the name of Sebastiano Carezo is supposed to have been the person responsible for the invention of it in 1780. It was the main structure of his French ballet. Fandango served as the main dance in those times but was replaced by the bolero which was a combinations of the sevillana and the contradanza.

 In Spain it was divided into five parts, the paseo which is a short introduction, the traversa is a crossing, the differencisas which is a series of steps, the finales where the dancers interact as they pass each other and the bien parado a salute prior to leaving the dance floor. It is a dance of romance and love and all the emotions that come with it. It has been the national dance of Spain for many years.

  Some say the bolero has Afro-Cuban roots like the rumba. Sometimes it is performed with bongos, conga and guitar and frequently includes Spanish vocals. For the spectator, it is difficult to distinguish the bolero from the rumba. It has a graceful and slow movement. There is a similarity in the steps that appear like the two-step. Like the rumba there are crossover breaks, fifth position breaks, underarm turns, open breaks and cross body leads. But unlike the rumba it includes rising and falling and stretching movement. There is a lift and an extension of the body during the slow step.