hi

will you be introducing merengue lessons in the future?

Even if this site has no merengue videos, you can find several on YouTube.

jj

you can find various merengue video's on youtube so you can watch the routine its very easy and basic, unless you haven't danced before :)

Hi, doc....,
Absolutely, Merengue is one of the easiest dance to learn. I say next only to slow dancing!
The old saying: "If you can walk, you can dance the Merengue" applies. Because dancing the Merengue is just like marching with one step taken to each beat of music; so you can't go wrong, just follow the beat then add to that the so-called "cuban hip motion" and it will become sexy! Anything goes in Merengue so have lots of fun dancing it!

There is much more to Merg. than "dancing " one step.

It has quite a number of variations, and can be danced in 3 different rhythms ( Standard, Half time and Double time ).

And by the way, the merg. thats danced by the Dominicans, is so removed from the world of B/Room it looks like another dance !

Terence, would those three different rhythms be true of some other Latin dances, and also the Rumba?
I was learning half-time to the Rumba recently, so I know it can be done in that dance.
I like it as a nice variation or break from the regular pattern. But if not done properly, it can really look choppy -- almost as if you are "cheating" just to change the rhythm.

The Latin genre has far more variety in its song written arrangements than probably all other dances combined.

One needs to know that, first " Rumba " is an umbrella term that encompasses several of the " Son " rhythms, namely.. Guaguanco, Guaracha, Montuno, Guajira and Son Montuno .

This allows for speed changes as in Rumba/Bolero ( its correct name ) thru to Guaracha ( a very fast form and is an off shoot of Danzon ,the original form ).

Going back to merengue , again, it depends upon the country in which the music is recorded . Even the Domincans music has a wide variety of tempi, some extremely fast ( Dominicanos LUV that ! ).

So, changing speeds within a song does happen in ALL dances ( we syncop. where there is NO syncop. in some dances ! ) .. more to the point, is knowing WHERE and WHEN to change .

PS.. halftime Rumba could be a Bolero?

You can go quite far with understanding the origins and possibilities.

But the usual reason a ballroom DJ puts on a merengue is that it can be a fun but extremely simple dance requiring very little knowledge to try.

I do understand dancing. I used to watch this couple perform the Merangue. The moves were far from simple . To coin a phrase I could watch them till the cows came home. They were that good.

I completely agree with Anymouse and Me's posts!
Merengue is a fun, simple and easy to learn dance! I am sure that's what Doc likes when he inquired about the Merengue! Let's not scare Doc with how it's danced now compared to then! Like I said and based upon Me's observation about the couple's dancing, anything goes in Merengue! Simply put, sky is the limit as one can do a lot of variations and can't go wrong!
So Doc, before you dance Merengue, watch from the sideline and don't be intimidated by those out of this world's variations because you can do it too! That simple!!!
Happy dancing!!!