The Merengue
As the national dance of the Dominican Republic and one of the most popular dances in Latin America, the merengue is an important asset to the culture, which combines both European and African cultures. It quickly became one of the most popular dances in the Dominican Republic because of the simple and easy steps and movements. Not only a type of dance, the merengue was also the official music of the Dominican Republic. Danced in pairs, participants move to the rhythm of music played on instruments such as the accordion, drum, and saxophone. In French the word “meringue” translates to, “a confection made from whipped egg whites and sugar”. The translation relates to the light and fluffy nature of the dance where one gradually
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The merengue brings individuals, groups, and communities together, promoting respect and coexistence. The dance having originated in the Dominican Republic has influenced other countries such as Puerto Rico, the United States of America, and the Caribbean region. There are two stories to the origin of this dance. The first story claims that the dance developed when slaves were chained together, while they would work in sugar fields they would be forced to drag one leg to the beat of drums.The second story tells of during the time of the many revolutions in the Dominican republic, a great hero was wounded in the leg. As a result, a group of villagers held a celebration of victory, and to welcome him home they danced, limping and dragging one foot, in sympathy. The merengue was one of the most popular dances in Dominican republic by the nineteenth century. Throughout the Caribbean and South America, it was also one of the most common Latin American dances, not only in the Republic. Used on every dancing occasion, there is a lot of variety found in Merengue music. A great variation of tempos provide Dominicans a shock of quickening pace at the ending of a song making it …show more content…
Once strongly influenced by European dance, the merengue adapted styles and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, livening up the dance, making it more popular. The original form of the merengue, called the merengue típico, emphasized its European influences, including a set framework. Beginning with a slower paced instrumental section, continuing into singing, introducing the lyrical section. The last section is a directional dance, including a call and response type event. This section allows the audience to participate, allowing them to dance a two step simple pattern to a quick tempo. To highlight the occurrence of the period of jazz, the merengue típico includes the distinctive factors of the use of the instruments, the accordion and the saxophone. One form of the merengue is the ballroom merengue, including the limping characteristic discussed in the stories of the dances origin, the steps are performed on an established beat. This form is a partnered dance, performed to simple choreography, partners maintain close contact, and can be seen twirling and spinning in slow circles. Even if the speed of the music increases, partners movements must remain leisurely,
The tradition still takes place today in many areas of Mexico. However, some parts of Mexico do the dance a little differently. The dance is more common in the central regi...
The indigenous people of the Mexico have kept the tradition of the Concheros dance alive since the 1500s. Despite the modernization of the people, the dance itself has remained the same, as people return to their indigenous roots. The special performance can be viewed from a political or spiritual point of view. “For some groups, the dance has become a conscious way of reasserting an Indian identity in a country, especially in and around Mexico City, that is increasingly in danger of forgetting its indigenous past” (Rostas, 12). Although the dance originally started around the Bajo region and Mexico City, it has spread much further north and into the United States as well, allowing people to celebrate feasts of saints and for other purposes (Rostas, 15).
Foley, Eric. Cultures of the World Dominican Republic. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1995. Print.
In “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop, the narrator attempts to understand the relationship between humans and nature and finds herself concluding that they are intertwined due to humans’ underlying need to take away from nature, whether through the act of poetic imagination or through the exploitation and contamination of nature. Bishop’s view of nature changes from one where it is an unknown, mysterious, and fearful presence that is antagonistic, to one that characterizes nature as being resilient when faced against harm and often victimized by people. Mary Oliver’s poem also titled “The Fish” offers a response to Bishop’s idea that people are harming nature, by providing another reason as to why people are harming nature, which is due to how people are unable to view nature as something that exists and goes beyond the purpose of serving human needs and offers a different interpretation of the relationship between man and nature. Oliver believes that nature serves as subsidence for humans, both physically and spiritually. Unlike Bishop who finds peace through understanding her role in nature’s plight and acceptance at the merging between the natural and human worlds, Oliver finds that through the literal act of consuming nature can she obtain a form of empowerment that allows her to become one with nature.
This paper will be a detailed description of what dance was like in the 1950’s specifically focusing on 1954 to 1959. It will also go beyond to demonstrate how the style of dancing is a direct reflection of the society during that time period. The topic will be presented in class and a brief reflection will be included in this paper.
Another influential form of dancing is Irish step dancing. Irish step or clog dancers use wooden soled shoes and very little upper body mov...
All around the world, there are thousands of cultures. Although they are different, every culture partakes in dance. Dancing is something known worldwide. Every culture has traditional cultural dancing they partake in. Mexico has many cultural dances. La danza del venado is one traditional dance from Northern Mexico. La danza del venado, is known as the deer dance.
Each movement of the work corresponds accordingly to a different country in Europe at the time known for a particular style of dance. The Intrada would be the opening of the program, followed by the French Basse Dance, the English Pavane, the Italian Saltarello, the Spanish Sarabande, and finally concluding with the German Allemande. Even though the work was performed by a modern ensemble, where many instruments had not even been invented when music of this type was originally composed, the instrumentation of the brass section versus the woodwind section and the artistry of the musicians performing are able to recreate a much older style. Overall, the piece Courtly Airs and Dances, is an emulation of a style dating back to the Renaissance period of music, with each movement reflecting a particular style of dance characteristic to the culture of individual European
This dance they get into nature by way of rhythm and it can make your body
Wisner, Heather. “With a Hop, A Kick, And A Turn, Cumbia Enters the Global Stage.” Dance Magazine 80.9 (2006): 64-68. Humanities Abstracts (H.W. Wilson). Web. 7 Dec. 2011
If I were to take you back in time to Neolithic age you would see many paintings on cave walls that resembled today's dance and some that you would not recognize much because they were not passed on through time. Many of today’s dances were constructed in the Stone Age and evolved through time to what we have today and along the way many steps have been changed or added to spice up the dances.
Salsa is one of the most distinctive genres of the 1900s in the music industry; characterized by a very lively, powerful and danceable upbeat. Salsa is a fusion of many Latin musical genres that combines rhythms, instruments and musical elements primarily from the Cuban son based on a three-two beat with syncopation rhythmic pattern known as the clave and Afro-Cuban dance. The roots of salsa originated in Eastern Cuba, but by mid-century the Havana came to be home to this music and many foreign musical genres such as the American Jazz and popular music. Even though, salsa genre has evolved differently across Latin America with the unique sounds of their country of origin, such the Colombian salsa and Puerto Rican salsa, it is still today the most popular style of dance in many Hispanic communities
The Taino loved dancing and singing and used the same word for both arieto. They danced and sang to the music of drums, reed pipes and wooden gongs at festivities such as the naming of a baby, the wedding of cacique or the inauguration of a new cacique.
In New York, the dance is characterized with a heavy Puerto Rican rhythm and sound. The type of Salsa is metaphorically polished and smooth. Its structure is that of Jazz music with lengthy breaks of instruments. Some of well-known musicians who play this type of Salsa are Celia Cruz and The Spanish Harlem Orchestra. The dancing borrows Puerto Rican fast foot work. This type of Salsa is known as Salsa 2. Los Angeles doesn’t have its signature type of Salsa. Bands here adopt the classical Puerto Rican music. The dancing moves are both exciting and sexy. In Cuba, they dance to a type of Salsa Timba. The movement is fast as in Afro Cuban music. Cuban Musicians have blended in the popular Reggae and Pop music in between the breaks. The dancing style is called “Casino” simply because when it was started it was played in gambling joints or casinos. One notable difference is that Cuban Salsa is circular rather than linear. The man keeps moving around the woman. The Colombians have maintained their Salsa Dura up-to-date. The dancing style is spectacular with swift movement of feet and tight spins. The dancers stay close; bodies almost touching. The West Africans also have their Salsa. (Carwile, 2017)Traditional music instruments are relied upon to give the rhythm. The dancing style is what they call Salsa Mbalax more African than
The final type of dance that will be explored will be ballroom dancing. Ballroom dancing is a traditional type of dance usually performed with a partner. Types of ballroom dancing include the waltz, swing, salsa and latin dances however there are many other types of ballroom dancing.