Apartao
Merengue open-break separation
MerengueLevel: Beginner1 min read3 citations
See it danced
Video demo
Apartao is a merengue partner figure in which the couple moves briefly away from one another while keeping a joined handhold, then returns to the prior partnered frame; English-language instruction often glosses the same action as an open break.[1] It sits on merengue’s steady two-step pulse, with each partner continuing to step on every beat and using the knees and hips to keep the characteristic grounded sway rather than pausing in the separation.[2] In a common eight-count teaching frame, the leader steps away on the left as the follower steps away on the right, each moving back from the partner on the first beat, then both recover distance and rejoin over the remaining beats. The figure is not a turn: the bodies usually remain square, with only small frame adjustments needed to preserve elastic hand contact. Its vocabulary belongs to social merengue’s broader Dominican-derived partner practice, which spread through Dominican communities and popular dance instruction beyond the island, including New York and Miami.[3]
How it's danced
Lead and follow cues
CountMerengue eight-count teaching frame: 1-2-3-4 separate while stepping on every beat; 5-6-7-8 return while stepping on every beat. The figure may also be shortened to a four-count apart-and-return phrase in social dancing.
Lead
From closed or open two-hand position, keep the merengue step on every beat. On 1, step away from the follower on the left foot, allowing the connected hand or hands to lengthen without pulling. On 2-4, continue small in-place or retreating steps while keeping the torso square and the arm elastic. On 5, begin returning toward the follower; on 6-8, close the distance and re-form the prior frame, with no intended turn and no slot exchange.
Follow
From closed or open two-hand position, keep the merengue step on every beat. On 1, step away from the leader on the right foot, matching the distance of the lead without collapsing the arm. On 2-4, continue compact steps with the torso facing the leader and the hand connection lightly stretched. On 5, begin returning toward the leader; on 6-8, close the distance and settle back into the prior frame, with no intended turn and no slot exchange.
Song timingFits steady social merengue in 2/4 or 4/4 feel. Comfortable at moderate-to-brisk social tempos when the separation stays compact; very fast tracks require a smaller apartao with less arm extension.
Learn first
Prerequisites
- Merengue basic step
- Closed hold and open two-hand hold
- Elastic hand connection
- Ability to maintain timing while changing distance
Watch out
Common mistakes
- Breaking the merengue pulse by stopping in the separated position instead of stepping through every beat.
- Pulling the partner away with the arms rather than creating a small shared retreat through body weight and foot placement.
- Letting the joined arm fully lock, which removes elasticity and makes the return abrupt.
- Turning the apartao into a cross-body or underarm turn even though the base figure is a square-facing separation and return.
- Separating too far for the music or floorcraft, making the rejoin late on counts 6-8.
Don't confuse with
Easily confused moves
- Salsa open break: a related separation idea, but organized around salsa break counts rather than merengue's step-on-every-beat pulse.
- Cross-body lead: not the same figure, because apartao does not exchange places through a slot.
- Apartada as a generic Spanish word for separation: in this card it refers specifically to the attested merengue open-break move.
- Solo merengue styling break: apartao remains a partnered figure with maintained hand contact.
Around the world
Other names
Dominican merengue / Spanish-language instruction
Apartao
Attested spelling for the merengue open-break separation.
Spanish-language merengue instruction
Apartada
Attested variant name for the same brief separation-and-return action.
English-language studio merengue instruction
Open break
Functional English gloss used for the same partnered separation while maintaining hand contact.
References
How to cite this article
Choose a style and copy the citation.
Bailar Editorial Team. (2026). Apartao. Bailar Biblioteca. Retrieved July 4, 2026, from https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/merengue-apartao
Bailar Editorial Team. “Apartao.” Bailar Biblioteca, 2026, getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/merengue-apartao. Accessed 4 July 2026.
Bailar Editorial Team. “Apartao.” Bailar Biblioteca. Accessed July 4, 2026. https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/merengue-apartao.
@misc{bailar-move-merengue-apartao, author = {{Bailar Editorial Team}}, title = {{Apartao}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {Bailar Biblioteca}, url = {https://getbailar.com/biblioteca/move/merengue-apartao}, note = {Accessed: 2026-07-04} }
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