ETYM Spanish.
1. A Spanish dance in triple time, accompanied by guitar and castanets.
2. A short jacket; worn mostly by women.
3. Music written in the rhythm of the bolero dance.
Spanish dance with sudden pauses and sharp turns.
Lively Spanish dance; waist-length jacket.
Spanish dance in moderate triple time (3/4), invented in the late 18th century. It is performed by a solo dancer or a couple, usually with castanet accompaniment, and is still a contemporary form of dance in Caribbean countries. In music, Ravel’s one-act ballet score Boléro 1928 is the most famous example, consisting of a theme which is constantly repeated and varied instrumentally, building to a powerful climax. The ballet was choreographed by Nijinsky for Ida Rubinstein 1928.