History of Latino Dance Styles
Merengue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It is danced in 2/4 time, and consists of side steps similar to marching, along with shoulder and hip shaking. There are 2 possible theories on Merengue’s origin. In one, it evolved from slaves who were chained together with one leg. They dragged their free leg while working to the background of drums playing. This would later give way to the idea of using only a single leg while dancing. The second one was related to a soldier who returned after winning many battles in war, that was part of the revolution of the Dominican Republic in the 19th century. This soldier would constantly limp due to his injured leg. To pay respects to his success, and, out of sympathy, the people of his village would also start limping and dancing to the beat. The original Merengue was danced in groups, and not in individuals pairs like today. Partners would dance apart at arm’s length while facing each other in a circular group formation. Merengue is made up of a combination of two dances: the French and African minuet (dance consisting of short steps), which emerged in the 18th and 19th century. Slaves in the Dominican Republic watched their masters dance for ballroom events, and they would imitate them, but would adjust them by quickening the tempo and rhythm of the dance. Today, Merengue is performed with partners holding each other close together as they execute side steps, and perform turns together or individually. It is one of the most well-known Latin American dance styles, along with the Bachata.