Merengue

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The party dance of the Caribbean, the Merengue is the official music and dance of the Dominican Republic. There are a number of stories as to the origin of the dance from the affectionate story of the limping war hero whose dance style was imitated by the public that honoured him, to the story of slaves dancing in the sugar beet fields while chained together.

The merengue partner dance consists of a simple two step pattern that is danced in close (often very close) hold. Due to the simplicity of the step pattern the Merengue quite often contains complex twists and turns where couples get twisted together into intricate arm and hand holds. A fabulously fun dance that is enjoyed by millions worldwide!

The merengue rhythm is one of the core dance styles in Zumba.