Paso Doble

FAST FACTS:

• The Paso Doble on the competition floor should create a Spanish Bull Fighting atmosphere. The Paso Doble is the dance for the Man, which allows him to fill the "Space" with strong three-dimensional shapes and movements danced with "Pride and Dignity."
• The woman's role varies depending on the intepretation of the dance. The woman can take the role of the matador's cape, the bull or even the matador at different times within the dance.
• Characteristics of the Paso Doble are the "Marching" flavor given to the steps and the cape movements creating the required tension between both dancers.
• It is one of the only dances that is danced only in the ballroom world.
• It is one of the most dramatic of the dances.

DISTINCTIVE MOVES:

• Look out for chassez cape - the man using the woman as the cape to bring her around.
• Apel - this is when the man stamps his foot - this should be very strong. The man would stamp his foot as if he was trying to attract the bull's attention (the bull often gets distracted by the crowd in a bull fight).
• There are strong Flamenco influences in the dance where the use of castanets is simulated.
• The arpel is a commencement of a movement with the stamping of the feet where the man and woman walk in separate directions.

In the photo:  MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY, LAILA ALI