Paso Doble:
Paso Doble or pasodoble is a lively style of dance to the duple metered march. It actually originated in France, just after world war 2, and enjoyed a short spurt of popularity before being overshadowed by “crush” dances. It was picked up by the international competitions before it could fade into obscurity. It is modeled after the sound, drama, and movement of the Spanish bullfight. Paso doble means "two step" in in Spanish.
Paso Doble, like is a progressive international dance. dance. The Paso Doble (which actually originated in Southern France) is the Latin dance most resembling the International Standard style, in that forward steps are taken with the heal lead, the frameis wider and more strictly kept up, and there is significantly different and less hip movement.
A significant number of paso doble songs are variants of España Cañi. The song has breaks in fixed positions in the song (two breaks at syllabus levels, three breaks and a longer song at Open levels). Traditionally Paso Doble routines are choreographed to match these breaks, as well as the musical phrases. Accordingly, most other ballroom Paso Doble tunes are written with similar breaks (those without are simply avoided in most competitions).
Because of its inherently choreographed tradition, ballroom Paso Doble for the most part danced only competitively, almost never socially — or at least not without sticking to some sort of previously-learned routine. This said, in Spain, France, Vietnam, and some parts of Germany to the left of the river Rhine, it is danced socially as a lead (not choreographed) dance.
In the Australian movie, Strictly Ballroom, the Paso Doble is the key dance to the story. Paso Doble is based on music played at bullfights during the bullfighters' entrance (paseo) or during the passes (faena) just before the kill. The leader of this dance plays the part of the matador. The follower generally plays the part of the matador's cape, but can also represent the bull or a flamenco dancer in some figures.
The man is the Spanish matador with his proud, upright carriage, back arched, shoulders back, head up. Forward steps are heel/flat in a marching tempo or up on the balls of the feet in a more prancing attitude. The woman is usually the matador's cape, so she will dance more lightly and flowing. Part of this theater involves the use of body sway. If you feel the slightest urge to sway, exaggerate it. The woman will be more cape-like, and the man will perhaps appear more as though he is avoiding the bull's horns but bravely not moving his feet. There is no Latin hip action.