fandango
A lively Spanish dance in triple meter, accompanied by guitar and castanets.
In Depth
The fandango is one of the oldest and most important Spanish dances, with roots possibly stretching back to the 17th century or earlier. Danced in triple meter by a couple, it features proud, upright posture, intricate footwork, and accompaniment by guitar, castanets, and hand-clapping.
Mozart included a fandango in the third act of The Marriage of Figaro, and the dance appears in works by Gluck, Rimsky-Korsakov, and de Falla. The fandango influenced later Spanish forms including the malagueña, granadina, and other regional variants. Its passionate, proud character embodies the spirit of Spanish dance.
Mozart's inclusion of a fandango in The Marriage of Figaro was musically daring — the Spanish dance was considered risqué and socially subversive in 18th-century Vienna.