A quick, elegant waltz-like couple dance of the Andes, born in nineteenth-century salons and danced with small, lively steps.
The pasillo developed in the nineteenth century from the European waltz, adapted to Andean taste with a faster tempo and shorter steps — hence its name, ‘little step’. Played by string trios and later by bands and pianists, it became the music of family gatherings, serenades and salons in Antioquia, Caldas and Bogotá. Instrumental pasillos can be brilliant and fast, while sung pasillos are often romantic and nostalgic. As a dance, couples turn in close hold with light, quick footwork and graceful changes of direction.
