paso doble
Definition
Noun 1. A style of music: A specific type of music in march time, composed for accompanying the dance of the same name. It is characterized by a fast, duple meter (2/4 time) and is often associated with and played at bullfights. 2. A ballroom dance: A lively ballroom dance performed to this music, characterized by its marching rhythm, dramatic poses, and stylized movements that often mimic a bullfighter's actions.
Examples of Usage
- As music:
- The band struck up a lively paso doble as the matador entered the ring.
- Her favorite part of the Spanish festival was listening to the traditional paso doble.
- As a dance:
- They won the competition with their passionate performance of the paso doble.
- Learning the basic steps of the paso doble requires good posture and precise timing.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used metaphorically to describe any situation with a fast, direct, and confrontational rhythm or pace.
- The political debate turned into a verbal paso doble, with each candidate aggressively challenging the other.
Variants and Related Words
- Paso doble is a loan phrase from Spanish, meaning "double step." It is typically used in its original Spanish form in English and is not pluralized (e.g., ).
- Ballroom dance: The general category to which the paso doble belongs, alongside dances like the waltz, tango, and foxtrot.
- March: A musical composition with a strong regular rhythm, to which the paso doble is closely related in style.
Synonyms
- For the music: March (specifically a Spanish march), processional music.
- For the dance: Latin ballroom dance, competitive dance. (Note: Specific dance names like "paso doble" have no perfect synonyms.)
Related Idioms or Phrases
- While not a phrasal verb, the phrase "to dance the paso doble" is the standard construction for performing the dance.
- The couple practiced for weeks to dance the paso doble flawlessly.
Noun
-
music in march time composed for dancing the paso doble; often played at bull fights
-
a ballroom dance in fast duple time
