DANCE MERENGUE LIKE A PRO IN PUNTA CANA!
When you are in Punta Cana. You will notice that music plays a big part of the culture. Music is everywhere. From the bus to the supermarket to the gas station. You will be hearing Latin tunes everywhere you go. Especially Merengue, which is the national dance and music of the Dominican Republic. When you are finished reading this article you will be dancing it like a pro.
The National dance Merengue
In our article BOP faces, Amil Maleck mentioned that he was Dominican and could not dance Merengue! Something that is considered as the national dance in the Dominican Republic. Especially since the weekends in Punta Cana are filled with parties, where dancing is a must. You wouldn´t want to move your feet the wrong way.
It is the official music and dance of the Dominican Republic. That is the reason why you hear Merengue all over the place. It stems from 1930 when dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo declared Merengue as the national music of the Dominican Republic.
There are different theories of where the dance style comes from. One theory is that from the war hero, who loved to dance, but came home after the war with a limp and could only move his feet in a specific way. The other theory is from African slaves working in the fields chained to each other. They could only dance and move by stepping from side to side because they were restricted by the heavy weight on their feet.
Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra, who we mentioned in BOP´s weekly, is one of the innovators of the music genre. By remixing the style in the 80s and 90s he made it mainstream. By now you get how important is to how to dance Merengue in Punta Cana.
Where to start?
The man needs to take the lead. He puts his hand on the woman´s waist and holds it. Not squeezing, but firm. Then the hips need to start moving. Sway them from side to side, but the torso keeps still. The feet can move very gentle in a marching kind of form while bending the knees slightly. Just twist and turn to the music, but at all times you keep holding each other’s hands.
Merengue in Punta Cana
Want to have more professional help you can follow classes in Punta Cana too!
Corola Ole Punta Cana Art & Dance offers different classes. You can ask for private classes when you want to learn Merengue.
Carol Dance Studio also offers a variety of dance styles including Merengue. Contact them for further details to get you moving as a pro on the dancefloor.