Lizbeth Fuentes

Activity Title​: Merengue Dancing

Sources for Activity & Adaptations​:

Collins225. (2015, May 18). How to Dance the Merengue. Retrieved March 14, 2019, from
https://www.sunrise-villa.com/blog/how-to-dance-merengue/

Nair, T. (n.d.). Merengue Dance Steps. Retrieved March 14, 2019, from
https://dancepoise.com/merengue-dance-steps

Shepherd Center. (n.d.). Understanding Spinal Cord Injury. Retrieved March 13, 2019, from
http://www.spinalinjury101.org/details/levels-of-injury

SpinalCord.com. (n.d.). Cervical Spinal Cord Injury. Retrieved March 13, 2019, from
https://www.spinalcord.com/cervical-spinal-cord-injury

Wheelchair Dancing : NCHPAD - Building Inclusive Communities. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14,
2019, from https://www.nchpad.org/983/5219/Wheelchair~Dancing

Equipment needed​:
- Open space
- Power Wheelchairs/ Manual Wheelchairs

Activity Description​:
- The leader holds their partner around the waist, and the partner places an arm around
the leader’s shoulder. Leader in the dance always starts the dance with the left leg and
the weight of their body is on the right leg. The follower always mirrors the leader and
thus, always starts with her right leg.

Lesson 1: Learning basic steps

1. The follower starts on their right foot, the leader starts on their left foot, so they start from
the same side.
2. The movements begin by the partners marching in place bending their knees to get the
hips moving and shifting in time with the music.
Lesson 2: Separation move
3. Both the men and women will do 4 very small steps back in order to create some space -
be sure to extend the arms when you do this.
Lesson 3: Underarm turn
4. The follower will do four or eight walks around under the arm while the guy stands in one
place and keeps the rhythm going.
 Lizbeth Fuentes

Primary Interaction Pattern(s)​:

- Intragroup
- Action of a cooperative nature by 2 or more persons intent upon reaching a
mutual goal

Adaptation for C 1-8 Spinal Cord Injury​:

- Adaptation: Individuals diagnosed with C 1-8 Spinal Cord Injury often have paralysis in
the arms, hands, trunk, and legs making it hard for them to move. Due to their lack of
mobility, the individuals diagnosed with a spinal cord injury need alternatives to
participate in merengue dancing. To adapt this activity, instead of the marching in place,
they can follow their partner by moving their power chair or wheelchair to any direction.
For the turns, the individual does not have to hold the partner’s hands and arms, they
can simply just make good eye contact and spin their chair in the direction they wish to
turn. Lastly, the separation move is easily done by moving their chair back and forth.