The huapango is a lively Mexican dance of Spanish origin that is especially popular in the lands along the Gulf of Mexico. Performed by singers and instrumental ensembles ranging from a duo of guitars to a full mariachi band, it is characterized by a complex rhythmic structure mixing duple and triple meters which reflect the intricate steps of the dance. The huapango is danced by men and women as couples; the men sing, the women do not. Nicolas Slonimsky explained that the word huapango "is derived either from a native vocable meaning ‘on a wooden stand’ (the huapango is danced on a platform), or it may be a contraction of Huaxtecas de Pango. Huaxtecas means a tropical valley, and Pango is the ancient name of the river Panuco." A very well known piece of classical music is the Huapango, by the mexican composer José Pablo Moncayo. Dance (from Old French dancier, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression (see also body language) or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ... Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ... The classical guitar typically has nylon strings. ... Mariachi is a type of musical group, originally from Mexico, consisting of at least two violins, two trumpets, one Spanish guitar, one vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar) and one guitarrón (a small-scaled acoustic bass), but sometimes featuring more than twenty musicians. ... In music, duple refers to duple meter. ... Nicolas Slonimsky (April 27, 1894 - December 25, 1995) was a Russian-American composer, conductor, music critic, musician, and author. ... José Pablo Moncayo (June 29, 1912- June 15, 1958), Mexican composer of nationalistic classical music. ...