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.
