o-p-q

ONE-STEP
The One-Step that consisted entirely of chasses without any change in rhythm. It was danced to the popular music of World War I.

PACHANGA
In 1955 Eduardo Davidson, a Cuban Colombian, introduced the Marencumbae, a Colombian dance in Cuba. He made up patterns for this dance by watching musicians keeping time on the band stand. It was then introduced into the United States to play for the Cuban Embassy's annual affair at the Waldorf and he was simultaneously booked at the Palladium. It was originally called the Charanga with the major variation known as the Pachanga. It eventually became just the Pachanga, with the music called the Charanga. A Charanga band is the typical Spanish Danzon type band that only played in salons; the others that played far out and wild were called "orchestra typical."

PASILLO COLOMBIANO
The Pasillo Colombiano is a Colombian dance very similar to the Cuban Bolero except that it is danced to a time of 6/8 against 3/4 meter.

PASO DOBLE
The Spanish March or One Step, the Paso Doble makes an especially good exhibition routine when the man styles his body movements to look like a bullfighter's and leads his partner in and out of the patterns as if she were a cape. It is usually in 2/4 time.

PAVANE
In the Pavane, one of the court dances (circa 1830), couples paraded around the hall barely touching fingers and the trains of the women's gowns trailed the floor like a peacock's tail. (Pavane means peacock.)

PEABODY
A fast Fox Trot during which the dancers may use many quick steps set against the figure called "open box." It was popular in the larger ballrooms where dance space was not a problem.

PLENA
Several distinctive airs have originated in Puerto Rico, including the Plena, which is a topical ballad similar to the Mexican Corrido. When danced it resembles a Bolero.

PORRO
A Colombian dance, the Porro is similar to the Cuban Rumbas in that it expresses various activities or tells stories set to a very syncopated 2/4 meter.

POLKA
The Polka was introduced to society in 1844. Every now and then it is revived because of its boisterous charm. It was supposed to have been originally created by a Bohemian girl. The basic step consists of a preparatory hop followed by a chasse done first to the left then to the right. Curiously enough, it reappeared in the 1940s in the Cha Cha as one of the more popular steps.

QUADRILLE
The Quadrille is a "Set" dance and consists of a series of dance figures, the most frequently used is called the "Flirtation" figure, in which the man dances with each woman in turn.

QUICK STEP
The English version of the Fast Fox Trot, the Quick Step has quick hopping steps set in with the smoother gliding figures. It is very popular in Europe as a competition dance. It ranks among the "Big Five," the other three being the Slow Fox Trot, the Waltz, the Tango, and the Viennese Waltz.

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