Merengue Dance Classes

Merengue is the easiest and quickest Latin dance to learn, with simple steps based on a 1-2, 1-2, rhythm of a marching beat, of 1-2-1-2 and 2 steps/2 beats to the music. Merengue music varies considerably in pace, some tempos slow, others incredibly fast, and often starting slow but moving to a faster beat.

History of Merengue

Merengue comes from the Dominican Republic, and has been popular there since the 1850's - indeed it has become the Dominican Republic's national dance. The Merengue is not only well established in the Dominican Republic, but is also hugely popular throughout the Caribbean and South America - and actually with Latin dancers worldwide!

There are a few stories about the origins of the Merengue, but two in particular stand out. The first one speaks of a hero returning to his village after fighting in one of the many Dominican Republic revolutions. This hero had wounds to one leg, and in sympathy during the villagers' celebrations everyone danced with a limp. (...We weren't too sure on hearing this story if that would have made him feel any better or not?!!). The second story speaks of slaves cutting sugar cane to the rhythm of drum beats, and because they were chained together they had to drag one leg as they moved along together.