PABLO SALAS - Nelson Son

ALL THE WAY from Santiago, Chile, Pablo has been settled in the sunny city of Nelson for the past 6 years. He is the director of NelsonSon Dance & Entertainment, where he shares his passion and knowledge for Afro-Latin and Caribbean dance styles with the community.

Pablo is bringing a Palo Congo workshop and an Intermediate Son workshop to Salsa Tumbao 2024.
These promise to be energetic and a lot of fun!

I chatted to Pablo about his love of Cuban dance - and his love of Coffee!


First and foremost, how do you take your coffee?

Short answer, depending on my mood.
Generally speaking, if I had to choose one…It would have to be a double shot ristretto and ¾ milk (oat). What we call ‘a magic’ in Australia.
Anyways, as I am a barista I normally make it myself, depending on what I feel like that day.

If you're ever in Nelson drop in for a coffee and a chat with Pablo at La Planta cafe!

Pablo began his dance journey at a young age (15yo), starting with Rock & roll, passing through Lambada, Cumbia, Merengue and Axé; then Bachata, Reggaeton and Salsa LA for a short time. Until he discovered his true love and passion: Cuban and African rhythms.

Pablo never considered becoming an instructor, but in 2003 he found himself helping out in classes. In 2005, he got introduced to ‘Rueda de Casino’ thanks to the dance group ‘Latido en Clave’ (Universidad de Chile). In 2014, the opportunity of ‘flying solo’ presented itself whilst backpacking in NZ. What better way to practice your (broken) English - than teaching dance in exchange for accommodation!?! 

Pablo suddenly found himself involved in the world of Latin Dance. 

Cubans speak of sabor (flavour) when they talk about dancing. When and how did you find your own personal style in dance?

I definitely found my ‘own flavour’ when developing my skill set and studying Cuban styles while in Australia. During my 1st year there, I went to all the classes I could find. I tried as many instructors (almost all of them!) and attended as many congresses as I could. I also took some lessons in Cuban percussion.
So I guess all of that hodgepodge (plus lots of practice) allowed me to find my truth on the dancefloor.

After teaching Cuban Salsa in Paihia and Queenstown during his 1st visit to NZ, Pablo moved to Melbourne, where he continued to develop his dance skills and competency. He was part of several performance teams - dancing with Rakata, Acontra Casineros, Afro Latin Tribe and Alex de Cuba, amongst others - in various famous Australian festivals (Portsea Festival, Melbourne Latin Festival, Havana to Melbourne). In his last year in Australia, he had the honor of learning Son and Casino from maestros Eric and Chantal from Buena Vista Turro Martinez.

Describe a move that you love / that is part of your typical style

It is definitely a ‘camina’ (‘to walk’ for non Spanish speakers) & something funky/fun as a follow up (like a mambo, sacala, rodeo, etc)
I love the classic/basic steps. Most dancers forget that we have a full dance floor to step on and they stay in the same place for the whole song. We have to use the space. We have to learn how to ‘spread our wings’ and give our dance some pace and flow. 

That's one of the perks of dancing Cuban! We are free to move.

What tips do you have for students who are still trying to find their own sabor?

Students must listen to different music (Latin) and watch how it's danced, over and over again. They need to try different styles and most importantly, different teachers. Also, it really helps to dance with people at different levels. and practice in front of a mirror by yourself.
Having a mentor or someone that can guide you (even from Youtube) in developing your repertoire and skills, is definitely a plus!

Having gathered a wealth of experience and expertise, Pablo moved back to New Zealand with his kiwi wife and dance partner, Nikki. Since then, every trip around the South Island has been a great opportunity to connect with the local dance community, resulting in very good relationships with dance schools in Invercargill, Dunedin, Blenheim and Christchurch, where he has had the chance to promote Cuban culture through workshops and classes.
He is currently only organizing a few Latin Dance nights (+ some workshops and privates) as he took some time off to be with his beautiful child (Pablo is dad to Amani, 2yo). 

However, he's looking forward to running regular classes again in 2025.

What elements of dance add flavour / style to Cuban dance?

Confidence is key - ‘la clave’!
Making sure you really understand those 1, 4 or 16 steps you want to take, makes a huge difference. It's not about how MANY moves you know, it could be 10 moves; but if you know the ‘ins and outs’ of those 10, ooh lala! We got ourselves a dancer!
The element of knowledge is yours then. And confidence will just show naturally. 

Secondly, musicality must be there, at least at a basic level. If you look at the other ‘Salsa’ style dancers, not all of them have musicality. However, good ‘Cuban style’ dancers dance to the MUSIC, with the flow, not just adding steps/moves randomly without any reason. 

And lastly…respect.
Respect for the culture (roots), respect for the dance itself, and respect for your dance partner. You are not dancing in a vacuum. 

You need all these elements. It's beautiful when you can tell by how people dance, either by themselves or with partners, how their eyes shine with happiness or how some are high in the moment and are completely surrendered to the rhythms…It's sublime.

It's pure creation…art.

One of Pablo's main goals is telling everyone about how vital it is to learn about the music and dance from Cuba and Africa.
“We have to go back to the roots! It's as simple as that."


I loved putting this piece together. It brought me so many YES! moments. Pablo's passion for dance and life and learning just shines through!

Catch Pablo's Intermediate Son workshop on Saturday the 23rd and his Palo Congo workshop on Sunday the 24th