Zapateando takes its title from the Spanish verb “zapatear,” which derives from the Spanish word to stomp, kick, or dance with a shoe (Spanish: Zapatos). The title is my nod to the famous Mexican dance style, the zapateado. This popular dance style is used in Mexican genres such as sones, huapango, jarabes, and chilenas. I grew up listening and dancing to these types of genres, and they remind me very much of the beautiful dances of Mexico.

This composition does not contain any traditional Mexican tunes. Instead, I composed my original material first and developed it later throughout the piece. I allowed myself to express my original melody through multiple artistic lenses to achieve a unique and authentic sound that depicted this beautiful dance style.