Natasha has been dancing to Latin beats since she knew how to walk!
	Natasha's Tips: When dancing merengue, you should think of the dance as a fluid, rocking motion. Don't forget to move those hips—focus on moving your lower body. Your elbows should stay close to your body, slightly bent and the upper body shouldn't move until you get the hang of the lower body moves.

So You Think You Can Dance
Moving to the Latin Rhythms

By Melissa J. Algranati

Ever find yourself checking out the latest videos or TV reality dancing show and think, "I would love to do that!"

Dancing is a great way to learn about culture, express yourself and get fit. Throughout history, dancing has been a way for people to celebrate or express themselves. Originating for all over the world including countries like Brazil, Argentina, Cuba and even the US; the Latin craze that is sweeping the dance floor is a great way get moving and have fun.

Merengue is one for the most popular Latin dances and a great dance to get you started on your road to Latin dancing success. It is easy to learn because it can be danced in a small area and is danced on every beat. The one-two march rhythm of merengue makes most of the moves easy to pick up.

Merengue is considered the national dance of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and the origins of the dance can be traced back to two interesting stories. One tale claims that the dance originated with slaves in the sugarcane fields. Slaves who were chained together were forced to drag one leg as they cut the sugar to the beat of the drums. The other tale alleges that there was a great hero of one of the many revolutions of the Dominican Republic who was wounded in the leg. To celebrate his success he was honored with a victory celebration. Out of sympathy and to honor him everyone dancing felt obligated to dance with a limp and drag one foot.

Now that we know a little bit about the history of merengue, here's your chance to pick up some moves that are guaranteed to make you look great on the dance floor. First, pick a song with a Latin beat. Once you've got your song, then start working on the basics by using the two Latin dance moves highlighted in Merengue Madness (PDF 962KB), print it out and take it with you to the dance floor! Now, add to your basic moves some of the different suggestions from the "Flava" box. Don't be afraid to mix things up and keep moving for the duration of the song. Not only is this a lot of fun, but it's also a healthy way to get your body moving. If you dance to four fast-paced Latin songs in a row (about 20 minutes), you get a great cardio workout. Don't forget to check out Natasha Bannan's tips for moving to the Latin rhythm.

Components of this article were adapted from Express It!