Wood’s Bolero

The traditional bolero is a moderately slow dance in triple meter which originated in late 18th century Spain. Since then it has spread to other countries and become transformed in the process. The Cuban bolero became a bit faster in tempo and duple in meter. In the U.S. it became a staple of competitive ballroom dancing, even faster and in 4/4 time. Maurice Ravel’s Boléro for orchestra harkens back to the slower Spanish dance in three. Wood’s Bolero by Mark Wood, on the other hand, focuses on the American version but maintains elements of the dance’s origins and first iterations.