MERENGUE

French Mrengue, couple dance originating in the Dominican Republic or Haiti and danced throughout Latin America. Originally, and still, a rural folk dance, and later a ballroom dance, the merengue is at its freest away from upper-class ballrooms. It is danced with a limping step, the weight always on the same foot. The music is in 4/4 time with three sections: paseo, merengue, and jaleo. There are several varieties, some with other names, e.g., jaleo and juangomero.