There are two Spanish dances which give many people a great deal of enjoyment.They are the Salsa and the Merengue.The majority of Latin dances are in fact derived from Afro-Caribbean rhythms and they can be learned and practised by almost anybody.
The Merengue is in fact the name of the national dance of the Caribbean island of Dominican Republic.It is a dance danced on every festive occasion.It isn’t just danced here but throughout the whole of Latin America.It is in fact easier to dance than the salsa as it allowsmore freedom of expression.It is an “on the spot ” dance,with very little covering the ground.It can be danced close together or apart.So as you can see it is a very versatile dance.
Now the salsa is a very high energy dance.It started out in places like Cuba and Puerto Rica but it really came into its own in the 1970’s in the New York City Latin Nightclubs.It is a strictly ‘macho” dance.The male is the boss and the woman the follower,a typically Hispanic philosophy.First of all comes the mastery of the basic steps and then you have to learn all of the little signals given by the man to the woman so that she knows what to do next.Sounds difficult but the music does help.
