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They say if you can walk, you can do the Merengue. That's hardly surprising, given the legend of its origin. The story goes that a soldier returning from war was honored with a large homecoming dance. Unfortunately, his leg was wounded, so he could only step with his good leg, then drag his other leg to where he was standing. The resulting step, step, left, right, left, right pattern in time with the 4/4 music gave rise to the Merengue.
Of course, to dance the Merengue, you don't just drag one leg limping around the ballroom floor, but the constant stepping motion as if you are marching in place is the basic pattern, keeping your feet close to the ground. More than any other dance, the Merengue is the easiest to learn and it proves that the soul of dancing is not to be found in the feet alone. It's the style and attitude you put into the steps that matter most.
If you haven't mastered the Cuban Motion yet, this is the dance to practice on. The Cuban Motion can make the simplest of steps entrancing to watch and it's a lot of fun. Simply take a step on every beat of the music as you make your way around the room. In partner dancing, the woman mirrors the steps of the man, so when he moves his left foot, she moves her right. He holds her in the classic ballroom position: left hand holding her right hand, his right hand at her waist, her left hand on his right shoulder. Then it's just one foot after the other and away you go!
The two step pattern can be started on any beat, but in order not to get lost in the middle of the music, it's always best to start on the downbeat. The head is kept erect and the upper body remains upright, giving it a majestic appearance and somewhat of a military bearing. The tempo can be quite fast, and there is no rest for the weary, so turns are usually made in four steps to four beats of the music.
The Forward Basic, Back Basic, and Side Basic are the basic movements of the Merengue. And if you're partner dancing the female should be mirroring the footsteps of the male as he move forward, side and backwards. You would usually move for eight counts before beginning another movement.
The movements can range from mild to wild as you move in a fast pace around the room. The dance is spontaneous and you can add arm twists, turns, pretzels and/or tunnels as you continually march through them. Or you can make it sexy and dance very close as you gaze into you're partner's eyes and fall in love dancing to the Merengue.
Of course, to dance the Merengue, you don't just drag one leg limping around the ballroom floor, but the constant stepping motion as if you are marching in place is the basic pattern, keeping your feet close to the ground. More than any other dance, the Merengue is the easiest to learn and it proves that the soul of dancing is not to be found in the feet alone. It's the style and attitude you put into the steps that matter most.
If you haven't mastered the Cuban Motion yet, this is the dance to practice on. The Cuban Motion can make the simplest of steps entrancing to watch and it's a lot of fun. Simply take a step on every beat of the music as you make your way around the room. In partner dancing, the woman mirrors the steps of the man, so when he moves his left foot, she moves her right. He holds her in the classic ballroom position: left hand holding her right hand, his right hand at her waist, her left hand on his right shoulder. Then it's just one foot after the other and away you go!
The two step pattern can be started on any beat, but in order not to get lost in the middle of the music, it's always best to start on the downbeat. The head is kept erect and the upper body remains upright, giving it a majestic appearance and somewhat of a military bearing. The tempo can be quite fast, and there is no rest for the weary, so turns are usually made in four steps to four beats of the music.
The Forward Basic, Back Basic, and Side Basic are the basic movements of the Merengue. And if you're partner dancing the female should be mirroring the footsteps of the male as he move forward, side and backwards. You would usually move for eight counts before beginning another movement.
The movements can range from mild to wild as you move in a fast pace around the room. The dance is spontaneous and you can add arm twists, turns, pretzels and/or tunnels as you continually march through them. Or you can make it sexy and dance very close as you gaze into you're partner's eyes and fall in love dancing to the Merengue.
About the Author:
Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin have been performing, coaching and developing fantastic choreography for over three decades. The own NYC's premier dance center If you interested in learning more history of any dances make sure you check out their webpage. They are currently teachingdance lessons in NYC
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