Around the decade of 1840 Puerto Rico received many immigrants from Cuba, who brought with them some new music. The "contradanza" was losing popularity, due to its rigidness and the new dance began to displace it. This new music was called "habanera" (from the name of Cuba's capital city, La Habana). The habanera was danced by couples in a very free manner that was liked very much by the youth of that epoch. At the beginning, cuban music was used, but later on puertorrican composers began composing their own music and adding their variations and flavor.
The first part, called the "paseo", usually consisted of 8 measures , and lacked a rhythmic base but served as a tonal introduction. The second part, which was called the "merengue" (which is the name of a delicious candy made of whipped egg whites and sugar) was extended from its original 16 measures to 34 in 1854 and up to 130 later on. Other parts began to appear and a new musical form began to take shape.
Apparently, the original danza was very unsophisticated and was rejected by some of the high class people of that time (but not by the youth), maybe due to the fact that couples could get very close together and could talk privately to their ears. This caused governor Juan de la Pezuela to emit a decree prohibiting it, but it didn't prevail. Some titles of those first "danzas" were: The tail of the pig; Oh, I want to eat pork chops, and others by the same style.
The form continued evolving until it was taken by the young pianist Manuel G. Tavarez, who just arrived from his studies in Paris, and took it to a new artistic level. His disciple, Juan Morel Campos took it from where he left it and developed it to its maximum expression, composing more than 300 danzas, most of them masterpieces of an exquisite beauty. The evolved danza was inspired mostly on women and love and their titles reflected that change: Margarita, "From your side to paradise", "Laura and Georgina" (one of the most exquisite and popular dedicated to the beautiful Capó sisters from Ponce), "My sorrows", etc.
The romantic Danza is more faithful to a form, which consists of four parts: an introduction or "paseo" (usually of 8 measures), a first theme, a second theme, and a third theme, each one of 16 measures. The third theme is usually more lively and in it the "bombardino" (an accompanying instrument which sounds very much like a trombone) leaves its role as accompanist and becomes the soloist playing the melody, sometimes in an "ad lib" or virtuoso fashion. After the third theme there is a recapitulation of the first theme and sometimes a coda for the end. All parts except the coda and recapitulation are played twice. There might be variations to this as the introduction of "bridges", parts of 8 measures instead of 16, etc.
Although danzas are mostly romantic, they are characterized by a very peculiar rhythmic accompaniment, played by the left hand when at the piano or by the "bombardino" or trombone in orchestras.
The festive danza is not so faithful to a form, except for the fact that all have an introduction. After that, they may follow the form of the romantic danza or have just two or three more parts without any particular organization. They are very rhythmic, lively and fast.
Then begins the dance: The gentleman holds the lady by her waist with his right hand, and with his left hand in a right angle position holds the lady's right hand. She rests her left hand over his chest (so that she can control the distance between them and push him back if he tries any undesired advance).
Couples move freely, but without almost lifting their feet from the floor. Thighs should not be moved. Every couple moves freely to the rhythm of the music, doing some turns and keeping the rhythm until the end of the music, at which time the gentleman takes the lady back to her chair.
**Danza, a musical form created in Puerto Rico, is one of our "Bailes de Salon" (Ballroom Dances). It flourished in the second part of the 19th century in the salons of elite, agricultural landowners (hacendados) with cultural ties to Spain, and was later adopted by all, merchants and peasants alike. Danza's invention was heavily influenced by the classical music and dances enjoyed by Europeans in the early 1800s, with a hint of Afro-Carribean syncopation. There are several theories on how Danza was born, but Salvador Brau offers the most popular theory in his essay "La Danza Puertorriquena:" popular classical dances such as the Contradanza from Spain, as well as the Minuet, Cachucha, Waltz, Britano, and Rigodon, introduced to the Island by immigrants from South America in the early 1800s, were replaced around 1840 by new music arriving from Cuba called the Habanera. The Habanera quickly became popular on the Island, especially by the youth, because of its freer and less rigid dance form. In the early days, original Cuban Habaneras were enjoyed, but later Puerto Rican composers began inventing their own works, giving birth to Danza. Early composers included Manuel G. Tavarez, the "Father of Danza," and later his most famous student, Juan Morel Campos, who wrote more than 300 Danzas before he died at the young age of (almost) 39.
The national anthem of Puerto Rico, "La Borinquena," is a danza. When Puerto Ricans think of Danza, they remember an elegant dance from days gone by, ladies with fans and ballroom gowns, men in white tie-and-tails. In those golden days, the orchestra would begin by leading dancers in a "paseo," an elegant walk around the ballroom, giving gentlemen the opportunity to show off their lady's grace and beauty. This romantic introduction ended with a salute by the gentlemen and a curtsey from the ladies in reply. Then, the orchestra would strike up and the couples would dance freely around the ballroom to the rhythm of the music. In those days, every lady and gentleman learned the language of the fan -- the secret code that helped them attract the attention of the lady or gentleman of their dreams!
Lanceros
Lanceros, a traditional dance from our "Bailes de Salon" (Ballroom Dances), came to Puerto Rico via Spain in the second half of the 19th century. It was a popular dance in the salons of elite, agricultural landowners (hacendados) with cultural ties to Spain. The roots of this dance originated in Ireland as a dance called Lancers Quadrille (or Lanciers in some countries). It was invented by Dublin dancing-master John Duval and was based on the Quadrilles danced in France in the late 18th and early 19th century. (Although, Englishman Joseph Hart is historically cited as the first creator of Lancers in 1819.) Variations of Lancers, found in many European and Latin American countries, made its way to Puerto Rico starting with its introduction to Paris from Ireland in 1846, followed by the traditional route of other European dances, from France to Spain, Spain to the Carribean.
In Puerto Rico, Lanceros was traditionally danced by 8 to 16 couples in the
formation of a quadrille. The ladies were elegantly dressed in ballrooms gowns
and fans, men in romantic white tie-and-tails. A "Maestro de Baile" (a caller,
basically) led the couples through set choreographies made up of five parts or
musical variations on Lanceros (the Reception, the Balance, the Rose, the
Visit, the Chains) which incorporated the four basic formations that make up
Lanceros (balance, cierre, rosa, and cadena).
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