Merengue
Merengue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic and part of Dominican identity. The north of the country, the Cibao region around Santiago, is considered its cradle, and its influence reaches Puerto Rico, the United States and the wider Caribbean, with variants in Venezuela, Colombia and Central America. UNESCO inscribed it on its Representative List in 2016.
It is danced in pairs, in 4/4 time, with flirtatious gestures, as a kind of danced walk with slight knee bends that swing the hips from side to side. Traditional ensembles use accordion, drum and saxophone. Learned by observation, participation and imitation, it is present in education, celebrations and national life, and 26 November is National Merengue Day by presidential decree of 2005.
Sources
- UNESCO: Music and dance of the merengue in the Dominican Republic (Representative List, 2016)
- Wikipedia: Merengue (dance)
- Diario Libre: Festival del Merengue announced by Brugal and the Ministry of Tourism (2014)
Organisations connected with this dance
Listed as references; being listed is not an endorsement by or of the organisation.