Learn To Dance Merengue

The Merengue is a ballroom dance of Dominican and Haitian folk origin, characterised by a sliding step and the music for this dance is usually in rapid 2/4 time.

Both Haiti and the Dominican Republic Claim that it was their country that originated the Merengue.

The Haitian story is that an early ruler of the country had a lame son who liked to dance.

In order that he would not feel embarrassed about his affliction, the entire government took to dancing the Merengue as if they too were lame.

The Dominican story differs only slightly, claiming it was born at a dance given for a great hero returning from the wars. He got up to dance and limped on his wounded left leg.

All the other men present, rather than embarrass the hero, also favoured their left legs as they danced.

Regardless of who claims to have originated the dance, the Merengue continues to enjoy favour with all dancers, who find its music lively and spirited and fun to dance to.

The lame leg theory, originally introduced when the dance was brought here in the early 50’s, has slowly disappeared from sight, making the Merengue one of the easiest of the Latin dances, and great fun to dance.