Seguidilla

[1][2] The earliest and most influential of the types of seguidilla are thought to originate in either La Mancha or Andalusia, having become typical of large parts of central Spain.

The dance is performed in pairs with animated footwork reflecting the rhythm of the guitar and percussion, yet restrained upper body movement.

In general, seguidilla folksongs begin with a brief instrumental introduction, often played on guitar, followed by a salida, which is a small portion of the song text acting as a false start.

An original song entitled Seguidilla occurs in Act I of the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet, where it is sung by the title character to persuade her captor, the soldier Don José, to set her free.

It is possible also that the "Veil Song" (Act II, scene 1, of Don Carlos) by Giuseppe Verdi is meant to evoke the style of a seguidilla, though stylistically it is closer to a bolero with added flamenco-style melodic colouration.