[Music]
>> Nick: Welcome to Dance Papi. I'm Nick and this is Serena and we're from Salsa Vale Todo
and we're the producers of the Salsa Rueda Festival. Today, we're going to do 3 Cuban
Salsa moves in one video. Don't be alarmed. These are all of your basic closed position
moves. They're called Pal medio, Son Montuno and Llevala Pa'bajo. Pal medio is a great way
to start with your partner in a social dance situation. Taking your partner, remember leaders
to make sure that your right hand is up here between the shoulder blades, and the left
hand is nice and lightly holding onto her hand. Try to keep her elbow below her shoulder.
There's no need to have the hand way up here, so we can all relax.
Pal medio is danced on our downbeats, our halftime steps. This is a great way to establish rhythm
with your partner. It looks like this: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.
We're just going tap, step, tap, step, tap, step, tap, step.
Again it's 1, 3, 5, 7.
1, 3, 5, 7.
Second move we're going to do is called Son Montuno, and this is our basic. Followers
are going to be stepping back with their right foot. Leaders step forward with their left,
1. We step in place on 2. We come back together on 3. On 5, 6, 7, we do the other side, so
followers are going to step forward with their left foot. Leaders are going to step back
with their right, 5. In place on 6, back together on 7. The whole thing looks like this:
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7...
...1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.
Okay, the last and final move we're going to do is called Llevala Pa'bajo. Leaders are
going to step forward both times with a small turn in their shoulders.
>> Serena: Followers are crossing back both times starting with their right foot on 1.
Let's look at 1, 2, 3. Here we go, 1, 2, 3.
>> Nick: On 5, 6, 7, we do the other side, again with a slight turn, leaders stepping
forward with the right foot, followers stepping back with their left, 5, 6, 7, so the whole
thing looks like this:
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7...
...1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.
Now we're going to show you the transitions between these three moves, Pal medio, Son Montuno
and Llevala Pa'bajo. The transitions always happen on 7. If we want her to change her
footwork on 1, we have to let her know on 7. If we're going from Pal medio to Son Montuno,
watch what I do on 7.
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.
Notice my weight comes forward a little bit and I'm stepping into her space. This way,
she knows to step back on the 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.
Now the same thing's going to happen if I transition to Llevala Pa'bajo. Watch my 7.
5, 6, 7.
Notice I've already prepped her to step back with a slight turn in her shoulder:
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7...
...1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.
I'm going to show you all 3 transitions from one move to the next.
We go 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7...
...1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.
Now we're going to show you with music and the counts, Pal medio, Son Montuno and Llevala
Pa'bajo. Here we go - 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, I switch.
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7...
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, I switch.
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.
>> Serena: Thanks so much for watching us on Dance Papi. We'll see you next time.
Thanks. Bye.
>> Nick: Thanks, bye. Bye!
>> Serena: I'll scratch your eye!
>> Nick: Bye!