Magical Merengue Moments

It's been quite a while since I last danced the Merengue so when Eric Tan of Classic Dancesport said that he was starting a Merengue class at the Kuala Lumpur Dancers' Association (KLDA) on Friday evenings, I took the opportunity to join the class as a sort of refresher and also for the fun of it. The Merengue is a happy and lively dance and is one of the easiest social dances to learn. Because of its simple rhythmic structure, the Merengue is a dance you can dance immediately the first time you learn it. It is the national dance of both the Dominican Republic and Haiti and is very popular in the Caribbean and South America. Dominican immigrants to the United States in the early twentieth century also helped to spread the popularity of the dance in the USA.

The commonly used time signature for the Meringue is 4/4, meaning there are 4 beats in a bar of music. The tempo can be very fast, up to 40 bars per minute but it is normally played at 29 - 32 bars per minute. Depending on the figures, the Merengue can be danced in closed position with the man's right leg in between the lady's legs, or in open position. A dance step is taken on each beat of music. Although the tempo may be fast, the upper body is kept upright and stately and figures are usually danced to four-beat counts. Partners may walk sideways, forward & back or circle each other in small steps. Variations include body drops, underarm turns, alternate underarm turns and the more advanced and intricate moves like the double-hand turns & pretzels.

The main characteristic of the Merengue is the Merengue action which is a movement of the hips due to the weight change from one foot to the other when stepping on alternate feet. Often described as being seductively attractive, the Merengue action should however be natural and not appear exaggerated. The Merengue action is also used in some figures in the Latin American dances, like for example in the Chicken Walks in the Jive and the Plait in the Samba. In both these figures the man walks back with a Merengue action while the lady does the Chicken Walks or Plait moving forward. The next time you organize a social event, remember to play some Merengue music and listen to the squeals of delight as the couples Merengue on the dance floor!

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Samba Rhythm's Gonna Get You Dancing

The Latin American Samba or known simply as the Samba has its origins in Brazil. It is however not to be confused with the Brazilian Samba which is the dance of celebration and joy at the Carnival held in Brazil each February. This kind of Samba is very diffferent from the more stylized international version which we are more accustomed to watching and dancing. The Brazilian Samba is danced solo whereas the international (Ballroom) Samba is a dance for couples. It is danced to a "Quick, Quick, Slow &" rhythm using fast three-step weight changes. There is little or no bounce action and the speed or tempo of the music can reach up to 58 bars per minute!

The Samba is a bubbly dance characterized by the use of bounce action and pelvic action. The time signature of the dance is generally 2/4, which means that the rhythm has two beats to one bar of music. There is a musical accent on the first beat of each bar. The tempo of the music can vary from 48-52 bars per minute. Most Samba music is written in two bar phrases. It is desirable and more enjoyable for each figure or group of movements to commence at the beginning of a musical phrase. This is achieved by choosing the correct Precede or Follow to suit the phrasing. The Samba is a dance of contrasting rhythms, and the following rhythms are generally used.

Counts (Alternative method of counting) --- Beat Values

1. 2 (S S) --- 1. 1

1 a 2 (S a S) --- 3/4. 1/4. 1

1 a 2 a 1 a 2 (S a S a S a S) --- 3/4. 1/4. 3/4. 1/4. 3/4. 1/4. 1

1. 2. 3. (No alternative) --- 3/4. 1/2. 3/4

SQQ (1. 2 and) --- 1. 1/2. 1/2

SQQQQQQ (1. 2 and 1 and 2 and) --- 1. 1/2. 1/2. 1/2. 1/2. 1/2. 1/2

QQS (1 and 2) --- 1/2. 1/2. 1

SSQQS (1. 2. 1 and 2) --- 1. 1. 1/2. 1/2. 1

The normal bounce action which is so characteristic of the Samba can briefly be described as a slight straightening of the knees on the first 1/2 of the beat and a slight flexing on the second 1/2 of the beat. There are two beats to a bar in Samba music and two complete bounce actions to the bar. The Samba bounce action should be a gentle rhythmic action felt through the knees, ankles and instep of the leg supporting most of the weight but you must be careful not to exaggerate it. Bounce is not used where there is a "Quick" in the timing of the figure. Bounce action is used on all figures having the count of "1 a 2" ( 3 steps to a bar).


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Carnival In Rio Draws To A Close With Spectacular Samba Parade

The Brazilian Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese) is an annual festival held four days before Ash Wednesday, the day of fasting and penance that marks the beginning of Lent. It is held in February every year and starts officially on a Saturday and ends on Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Billed as "The Greatest Show On Earth" the celebrations began on February 21 this year. In Rio De Janeiro, which is regarded as the Carnival Capital of the World, the festivities began with the crowning of the Carnival King (Rei Momo) and who was also presented with a giant key by the city's mayor, Eduardo Paes. Then it was party time all over the place and which culminated in the Carnival Parade also known as the Samba Parade.

The Samba Parade began in the 1930s in the streets of Rio. In 1984 it found a permanent home at the Sambadrome stadium. The top 12 samba schools which are actually social clubs, parade in the Sambadrome over Sunday and Monday nights to compete for the champion's crown. Each school features up to 6000 drummers, dancers and other participants as well as beautifully decorated floats. Leading the drums corps of each school is a rainha or queen who is usually dressed in little more than a huge plumed headdress and high-heeled shoes. The schools put up various performances with different themes and specially composed samba songs.

Almost all of the music played during the Carnival is samba. It is a uniquely Brazilian music and a dance form that was invented by African slaves during the 18th century. The modern-day Carnival samba dancers often compete with each other to see who can wear the most fabulous, colorful and enormous headdresses which can make all but the most basic foot movements impossible. The Carnival samba is very different from the more stylized Latin American version (sometimes known also as ballroom samba) which we are more accustomed to watching and dancing. How is the Brazilian Carnival samba different from the Latin American samba?

In Rio, the samba is danced solo while the Latin American samba is a dance for couples. The Carnival dancers perform fast three-step weight changes with a slight knee lift, the sections of which are led with alternate feet to a "Quick, Quick, Slow, &" rhythm. The women are adept at showing off their hip movements while the men's action is less exaggerated. The ladies meanwhile also have to keep their heads poised and balanced in order to avoid toppling their magnificent headdresses. There is less bounce action in Brazilian samba compared to the Latin American version. The samba as a social dance is also enjoyed in Brazil and a slower version called the pagode is popular there.

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The Macarena Still Going Strong

In 1996, a piece of Samba music captured the imagination of the world, reaching the number one position in the popular music charts of many countries around the world. It was called Macarena, and it was sung by several artistes but the favourite version was by a group called Los Del Rio from Spain. The version by Los Del Rio spent 14 weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and also broke records at that time by remaining in the Top 100 Chart for 60 weeks. The song Macarena has recently been named as the number 5 most popular song in the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

A special line dance was created for this mega-hit and it became the International Dance Of The Year 1996. In the Macarena, the dancers usually arrange themselves in lines facing front. Everybody starts together and performs the same sequence of moves, one for the first beat of each new bar of music. Start by standing with your feet a little apart and just go with the music.

1. Extend the right arm, palm down
2. Extend the left arm, palm down
3. Turn the right hand, palm up
4. Turn the left hand, palm up
5. Move your right hand across to the left shoulder
6. Move your left hand across to your right shoulder
7. Place the right hand behind your head
8. Place the left hand behind your head
9. Move the right hand across to the front of left hip
10. Move the left hand across to the front of right hip
11. Move the right hand on to the back of right hip
12. Move the left hand on to the back of left hip
13. Roll your hips to the right
14. Roll your hips to the left
15. Clap your hands
16. Jump, making a quarter turn to the right

Then, simply start again. Due to its simplicity and repetitive choreography, the Macarena became very popular at parties, functions and social gatherings. Whilst its popularity has waned somewhat, the Macarena together with Achy Breaky Heart and Night Fever have remained firm favourites with line dancers. The Macarena is without doubt one of the defining songs and dances of popular culture.

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