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Seguidilla

Dance
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A Spanish song and dance form with quick rhythms and flirtatious energy.

Detailed Definition
The seguidilla is a Spanish song and dance form, often associated with lively rhythms, brief verses, and playful courtship. Different regional versions exist, but the form commonly carries an agile, teasing character. In poetry, a seguidilla can lend a scene the brightness of guitars, handclaps, and quick exchanges between lovers or rivals. Its compact, animated movement makes it useful when a poet wants to suggest wit, seduction, or a flash of regional color.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poet can use the seguidilla’s quick Spanish dance rhythm to create a lively, playful stanza; Federico García Lorca often drew on Spanish folk-song traditions, offering students a model for bringing dance and local music into lyric poetry; A poem may describe castanets and rapid footwork to establish the bright, agile atmosphere of a seguidilla; Alternating short and longer lines can suggest the changing pace and turn-taking of the dance
Additional Notes
The seguidilla combines song, dance, and verse in Spanish tradition, often with quick rhythms and playful courtship themes. It is especially relevant to poetry because its sung text may use compact, repeating stanza patterns.
Other Meanings of “Seguidilla”
Also Known As
Seguidillas
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