What is Merengue's dance?

Merengue Dancing is a style of partner dance originating from the Dominican Republic. It is carried out on Merengue music, the official music of the Dominican Republic. While dance to the Ballroom Merengue is the official dance of the country, there is also a less formal club and folk version of dance. Merengue may have taken her name from one part of the current Cuban dance called upa .

Merengue was controversial because it was popular among poor rural, used African rhythms and often had gloomy lyrics. During the first few decades of the 20th century, Merengue became the higher class of the Dominican Republic more and more respectable and accepted with the help of professional musicians and harmless texts. Hely is related to a similarly named Méringue, originally from Haiti. Dictator Rafael Trujillo, who came to power in the Dominican Republic in 1930, said dance and music as official national forms. Perhaps he was inspired by his partly Haitian background, despite the violent anti -dominated POlitice, which he later developed in his government.

Merengue dance, as is traditionally done, is characterized by a stylized step of limping, known as Paso de la Empalizada or "Pole Step". The legend says the style has been developed to mimic or flatter the wounded war hero or the leader of the government who danced by limping. Empalizada causes the sides of the dancers to swing, and ideally the partners of the hips move in synchronization during dance. The couple can make slow turns, dance sideways, twist each other and turn independently. Merengue Dancing is taught in Dance Studios around the world as a Latin night club, although empalizada of the Dominican Republic is often replaced by an exaggerated Cuban HIP movement used in other Latin dance styles.

Club Merengue is a less formal style of merengue dance that has developed on SLatin American nightclub. Although he uses many of the same dance movements as dancing for a Merengue Ballroom, the tone is usually less serious and erotic. In addition, the basic step may be more sagging than Empalizada or Cuban hip movement and dancers can work independently with partners. In rural areas of the Dominican Republic, the traditional style of Merengue, known as folk or folklore merengue, is still being performed.