Dance Style: Merengue

The Merengue is one of the most popular latin dances and the national dance of the Dominican Republic, and also to some extent, of Haiti. There are two popular versions of the origin of the Merengue. The first story alleges the dance originated with slaves who were chained together and, of necessity, were forced to drag one leg as they cut sugar to the beat of drums. The second says that a great war hero was wounded in the leg during one of the many revolutions in the Dominican Republic. He was welcomed home with a victory celebration and, out of sympathy, everyone dancing felt obligated to limp and drag one foot.

The Merengue is a spot dance, meaning it doesn't move aroundthe dance floor so it is ideally suited to small, crowded dance floors. Merengue is a fun dance with simple steps so it is easy to learn quickly and the "1-2" march-like rhythm makes it a favorite throughout the Caribbean, Latin America and South America. It is the perfect dance to learn for those planning a honeymoon in any of these regions of the world. The Merengue was introduced to the United States in the New Y ork area and like the other Latin dances is here to stay. You can merengue any night of the week in any Latino bar in the area.

Song Examples of Merengue:
"Suavamente" Elvis Crespo
"The Cup Of Life" Mark Anthony
"Lets Get It Started " Black Eyed Peas