Merengue Dancing is a Latin America style dance and it’s the national dance of the Dominican Republic. Merengue is a combination of two dances, the African and the French Minuet. Merengue dancing is a couple’s dance, eventhough the original was not dance by individual couples and the original movements were only the shaking of the shoulder, nowadays it’s dance in 4 beats or 8 beats, and with a sensual movement of the hips. The basic steps counting on 8 beats is the most popular (1, 2, 3, 4 – 1, 2, 3, 4) and only after completing those eight steps you can change to some other movement. Merengue dancing is composed of three basic movements; they are the Side Basic Movement, Forward Basic Movement and the Back Basic Movement. The combination of these three movements, with small variations in body position, makes up the steps of the dance. In this dance you move in every beat.

From all the dances, merengue is the easiest to learn, if you can walk you can dance merengue. One important rule of all Latin dances is “feel the music”, is important to enjoy the music in order to make your movements look natural. The music indicates what to do, just feel the music, because dance is based in listening and moving to the rhythm of the music. Another important rule is the tempo of the music, the tempo indicates dancers how fast or pause they should make the movements, displacements or turns. The tempo is the important component that differentiates merengue from salsa, mambo and other kind of dances. The music tempo is about 120 – 160 beats per minute.

Here in Panama City, Panama merengue is one of the most popular dances and there are many academies where you can go and learn in the different workshops, more of how to do the merengue dance, the important steps and movements such as the position,  the correct posture, and men’s and women’s basic steps. Learning how to dance merengue is a great way to start familiaring with Cuban Motion.

Even though the Tango dance is not categorized as part of the group of erotic dances, it is known as the most sensual dance in the world, followed by the flamenco and then salsa. However, people are starting to realize that it is indeed a dance that requires a lot of eroticism and sensuality.

When people hear Tango, they only think about Argentina. Why? As many of you will know, its origins are from Argentina, but according to the region it spreads into, it also had its origins in Uruguay, United States and Europe. People also don’t know that there are over 10 different types of tango that are also dance to different types of music. The most popular tango is, of course, the Argentine Tango. The Uruguayan tango, the Ballroom tango, and the Finnish tangos are also very popular. In every type of tango, it is pretty essential to dance with a partner, although there are some interludes where you can do some solos.

The popularity for this dance has been increasing so much that you may see it being feature in many films. Also, many gentleman clubs, nude clubs and even escort girls are starting to use this very provocative dance as a way to fill the environment with eroticism and desire.

Here in Panama, the most known type of tango is the Argentine Tango. In this type, you can either dance with a “frame” or dance very close to your partner. The eroticism of the dance lies in the expression and passion that is shown by the couple. To be great dancers, the couple has to be able to show true dramatic feelings that will make everyone get really involve with the story-telling dance. The steps for this dance consist of very complex figures that can be broken into smaller and not so complicated steps.

The tango has become part of the sexy dances in Panama. If you wish to enjoy a good tango night, you can go to the social club in El Panama Hotel on Wednesdays where you can enjoy a Buenos Aires TANGO Show or go to Pizza Piola on Fridays for another tango show or dance lesson. Both of these events are performed and organized by the “Academia de Tango Argentino en Panama”, Academy for Argentine Tango in Panama, which is located on Balboa Avenue in Panama City, Panama that specializes on the teaching of this type of tango, so you can learn more about the sensuality in this dance that is just starting to rise here in Panama City, Panama.

Salsa dancing is a couple’s dance. Salsa dancing is one of the most sensual dances around the world. Here in Panama City, Panama we have a lot of academies where you can go and learn how to dance salsa, but I especially recommend people go to “El Bohio Florencia” located in Via España, infrot of ULACIT University, behind Galerias Florencias. The “Bohio Florencia” have its famous “talleres aprende a bailar salsa” (salsa lessons workshop) all Thursdays from 6:00 p.m to 10:00 p.m.

In these workshops we learn 2 different types of style: the Puerto Rican style, the most common when we talk about dancing with a partner and “La Rueda” originally from Cuba. There also is “cha-cha-cha”, that is even more sensual; its basic steps are 1-2-3 cha-cha-cha 5-6-7 cha-cha-cha. The modern salsa has elements of jazz, ballet, hop-hip and reggae.

The workshops are divided in three groups, the basic level, the intermediate level and the advance level.  In the basic level we find amateur people who are learning the basic steps that are, the forward steps 1-2-3 and the backward steps 5-6-7, the displacement and the lateral steps, and people dance alone the classic “rumba”. In the intermediate level people usually put in practice what they have learned in the basic, but here they are going to dance with a partner. In the advance level people learn the different turns, new steps of “rumba”, and also the famous cha-cha-cha.

Salsa dancers can dance on style 1 and on style 2, the difference of the two is that when people dance on 2, the leader steps forward are done with the left foot on count 2 and when we dance on 1, the leader steps forward are done with the left foot on count 1.  Here in Panama when people are learning how to dance, they usually begin dancing on 1 and then they learn how to dance on 2, something they cannot do, is dance 1 and 2 at the same time because then there are not going to be on tempo and when you are not on tempo you are not dancing salsa. In salsa the men are the one in charge of guiding the partner and memorizing the choreography because if it is a contest the women most follow him, he’s  the leader and the women is the one who excel the couple.

I had begun a new journey into dance: Samba. Samba came to Brazil via African slaves.  The meaning of the word Samba is an ongoing debate whether it means belly button, pleasing, enchanting, honoring, or revering.  What I am sure is that Samba comes from the African word Semba and this very erotic dance is highly known around the world as synonymous of Brazil.  When we think of Brazil we think of Samba and beautiful women.

Three Saturdays ago, I took my first class of Samba.  A friend and I enrolled together in this energetic and fun class.  We went to Rasheda studio expecting to find a few students, but we were very please that this is a full class.  The instructor, Elizabeth, is from Sao Paulo, and she came ready to teach the most basic step in Samba.  Elizabeth told us to relax and have fun with this dance.  Samba has not steps with specific meaning like in ballet.  It is a more free spirit dance where you can make it as sexy and erotic as you like, or you can just do a nice dance.  To Sambas is about feeling free and use your body to express this feeling.  Samba is using your femininity and saying without words how happy you are.

The basic step is about stepping back with one foot while you touch with the heel of that foot you moved the side of the arch of the foot that didn´t move.  You do a three step movement while going back and once you manage to do the step, a lot easier than it sounds, you can focus on do some movement with your upper body.  We spend a full hour doing this basic step at different speed, and I didn’t really found the femininity and free part she explained. It was pleasing enough, but I guess it will take a lot of practice for me.

Last week Elizabeth was out of town.  So Kira, a belly, samba, and salsa dancer, was there to substitute for Elizabeth.  I thought we were going to be doing the same basic step in Samba and I didn’t know better cause I missed a class the week before.  Boy, it was nothing like that.  Kira puts on a full hour of nonstop aerobic exercise.  We were moving, dancing, jumping, and all this while on our toes.  It felt great to be shaking the booty and finally experiencing the free I was looking for.  Kira is a very good dancer and she showed us three new steps in Samba:  Side to side jumping-shaking thing that I can’t really explain, going forward with pelvis circles, and down to the floor with pelvic circles.  Also she took the basic step to the next level making us do it very fast and incorporating twist and drops with the hips and the use of the arms.

Kira explained to use that she learn just watching her instructor, without any instruction about how to do the steps.  She basically stood there in her class and followed the instructor.  Good thing for us, she is very patience and explained each step very well.

At the end, we have all this great feelings around us from the enchanting dancing. It was exhausting and exhilarating, but I am definitely waiting for Saturday for the next class.

What’s next?  Stay tune!

Belly Dance, or Dance Orientale, has very inexact origins.  As part of fertility rituals, this exotic dance was a common denominator of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and India.  During this period of time, matriarchy was practice and it was believe that women had magical powers because they could create life.  For this reason, it is believe that these dances where performed by women offering the sensual movements of their bellies and hips to gain the favor of the goddess of fertility and earth.  Today, some people in North Africa and the Middle East still practice Belly Dance during labor.

The search of new exotic cultures, customs, and landscape, in Middle Eastern and African’s countries, resulted in given Raks Sharki the name we use today: Belly Dance.  Raks Sharki or Dance Orientale is characterizing by the movement of hips, turns, and the isolation and control of head, thorax, arms, and hips.  Also, we have Raks Baladi (Folks Dance) which is a more elemental dance where there are hips movements but not much traveling steps.

Until then, Belly Dance had been performed in small places and as private affairs.  However, this change when in Cairo was open in 1926 the first party club, where performances by sensual dancers where in the repertoire.  Casino Badia or Madame Badia’s Cabaret was the center for what we know today as Belly Dance.  Badia Masabni was not only the owner of casino Badia, but she was also the creator of mixing elements from other dance forms like ballet with Dance Orientale, looking to attract an European audience. 

One tradition where this dance was known as a popular dance was elevated by Badia to a more professional level.  She also expanded the repertoire of the belly dancers and the use of the arms with more fluids movements like the snake arms; and the use of the space to dance.  The dancers became more sensual and cheerful.

As Badia Masabni gave Belly Dance today´s sensuality and eroticism, Hollywood was helping to give a bigger impact of Dance Orientale in the world with the introduction of the two pieces costume, which identify today’s belly dancers, and the use of veils in the dance.

The secret of Belly Dance is that never goes out of vogue and everyday has more fans.  Men and women equally work towards the practice of this dance and to maintain its place in the world of dance.  We never end the quest for the exotic, the sensual, and the forbidden.

Reggaeton is a type of urban music very well known in Latin Countries and has started to be known in the music business.  Reggaeton is a blend of Jamaican reggae and dancehall with Hispanic rhythms and hip hop.

There is a controversy of whether this rhythm is originally from Panama or Puerto Rico. We are not sure where it actually originated, but we can say that it all started in Panama when Jamaicans were brought to Panama to collaborate in the construction of the Panama Canal around the early 20th century. The Panamanians adapted the Jamaican music styles and created the Spanish version of reggae. The first Spanish Reggae was recorded around 1970 by Panamanian artists that later introduced this gender to Puerto Rico.

The first popular Spanish Reggae song was “Son Bow” or “Dembaw” (They Bow) recorder by Panamanian artist El General in 1991. El General is known as the Father of Reggaeton. Though he didn’t get the respect he deserved among the audiences, he made a tremendous contribution to this gender that is very well recognize among his fellow singers.

Meanwhile in Puerto Rico, hip hop was already in the streets and Spanish Reggae was started to become popular. This combination of these two styles and the inclusion of few other musical genres made the perfect blend to create a new style of Spanish Reggae that we know as Reggaeton. 

Reggaeton started to become popular during the mid 90’s in all Latin Countries, specially Puerto Rico and Panama. But it wasn’t until 2003-2004 that it made an impact in the Latin youth in the United States. It was then that this genre exploded and started expanding around the world.

Nowadays being very popular, Reggaeton is a genre of its own and is played everywhere you go from night clubs to bars to strip clubs and many other places of relaxation and fun.

The combination of the rhythms in Reggaeton makes this a very sexy and erotic dance. Women all over the world like to dance to this genre because of the freedom and sensuality that they can use to dance to it. From booty shaking to hip movements and the sexiness of its steps, Reggaeton has become very popular. You can let your imagination flow as you get involve with the beat and very contagious rhythm of this genre. A lot of women like to touch their bodies and their partners’ bodies while dancing to this kind of music. Many men like women to place their bottoms right on top of their private parts so they can feel the heat and sexuality of this dance; some women love to feel men getting excited, which will usually happen if you let yourself go with the music. You can even perform striptease or pole dance with this genre!

Whether they are dancing or singing the songs, Reggaeton has become a form of expression for young people around the world. No matter where or when it all started, Reggaeton is not going anywhere!

RESPECT!