‘A trace of stiffness of limb and angularity of movement, proper to the _Jota_, imbued it with a continuous hint of the rural grotesque. Yet, as the angular spire of the Gothic cathedral need be no less graceful than the rounded dome of the mosque, so the _Jota_ concedes nothing in beauty to the more rolling movement of the dance of Andalusia. It is broad and big of movement; the castañets most of the time are held strongly out at arm’s length. One of its many surprises is the manner of the pauses: the movement is so fast, the pauses are so electrically abrupt, and the group in which the dancers hold themselves statue-like through a couple of measures is so suddenly formed, that a layman’s effort to understand the transition would be like trying to analyze the movements of the particles in a kaleidoscope.’ The _Jotas_ of the other provinces, particularly of Andalusia and Valencia, are less racial than _la Jota Aragonesa_, but nevertheless they are true to the spirit of their localities. Thus the Andalusian _Jota_ breathes mystery and romantic gloom, while that of Valencia is fluid and graceful in every movement. The great violinist Sarasate was so fond of the _Jota_ that he made special trips after his concert season in the capitals of the world to his home town in Spain, and immensely enjoyed dancing with his old friends and the townspeople or playing the violin to them free of charge. An extremely graceful and dignified Spanish folk-dance is the _Bolero_. This dance more than any other resembles the general architectonic and decorative style of the Spanish middle class. It has round and fluid lines, rich, soft forms, and graceful poses. In many respects it rather suggests a mediæval ballroom than a simple folk-dance. Some authors say that it is an invention of Sebastian Cerezo, a celebrated dancer of the eighteenth century, but the Spaniards themselves maintain that it dates back to the Arab rule or before. Blasis writes of it: ‘The _Bolero_ consists of five parts: the _paseo_, or promenade, which is introductory; the _differencia_, in which the step is changed; the _traversia_, in which places are changed; then the so-called _finale_; followed in conclusion by the _bien parado_, distinguished by graceful attitudes, and a combined pose of both the dancers. The _Bolero_ is generally in duple time, though some _Boleros_ are written in triple time. Its music is varied and abounds in cadences. The tune or air may change, but the peculiar rhythm must be preserved, as well as the time and the preludes, otherwise known as feigned pauses--_feintes pauses_. The _Bolero_ step is low and gliding, _battu_ or _coupé_, but always well marked.’