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The Panqué is the original name used in Cuba. In Miami they change the name to Siete (Seven). The Siete name is almost never used in Cuba. I prefer the Panqué name because in my country a pancake is flat and often rolled tight like a Burrito. Since the figure consists of a “roll her in – roll her out” type of motion, the Pancake name is best because it helps us remember the figure.

Siete is a basic figure of one count of eigth: roll her in, roll her out. When we say a move starts with Siete, we almost always talk about a move that starts with the first “1-2-3” of Siete (roll her in), and instead of rolling her out as in Siete, we roll her out in a new way. The “5-6-7” of Siete becomes the beginning of a new move.

In Rueda de Casino there is a long tradition of “fun” moves starting with Siete/Panqué. Some of them only works in Rueda de Casino or they are really not meant for social dancing.

All together we have more than 20 more or less well known moves in the Siete/Panqué family.

Coca-Cola

The Siete/Panque family of moves are not that difficult when done in classes, workshops and in Rueda de Casino, because the Follow knows what is coming. The moves are often surprisingly difficult in social dancing, because they are difficult to lead.

Many of the Siete figures continue with a Coca-Cola turn around the Lead. But the start position of these Coca-Cola turns are not ideal with the Follow’s back to the Lead. The Follow need to angel her left foot to the extreme left but there is no way to lead that. Most Follows end up doing a Coca-Cola turn that is far from well-formed.

I use very many Coca-Cola turns and I am always aiming at perfection. I always do them on a curved or straight line in forward walking motion. I start them mostly on “5” but also on “7” and “2” and even on “1” as an exception to the rule. These Coca-Cola turns are three step turns where the Follow’s steps exactly in the foot prints she would have stepped if she just walked without turning.

Coca-Cola from Panqué does not live up to my standards for how turns can be integrated beautifully into my dance. For that reason, I never start Coca-Cola turns around the Lead from the Panqué half position, Siete Moderno is the exception. I make the Follow step forward from Panqué as she does the turn and then into Rodeo.

Siete Loco

Siete Loco is a popular figure with several Complicado versions. They are only possible if the Follow overturns the first half of the Panqué figure and presents her left hand at her right shoulder. In almost all videos, I have seen, except one, there is no prepping of the Follow. The figure is done like in Rueda de Casino where no prepping is necessary because the Rueda Caller annonces the figure.

In social dancing, a Follow should not overturn and present her hand because in most Siete figures the hand is not used and the overturning creates instability. But there is a way to prep the Follow into overturning and presenting her hand:

If the Lead wants to do Siete Loco type of figures with overturning and the Follow presenting her hand easy to catch by her shoulder, the Lead can show a High Five with his right hand as he starts Siete. It signals to the Follow that the Lead wants her hand in the half-way position and that she must overturn.

How to lead Siete Loco

For many years I have considered Siete Loco and other Siete figures that require that the Follow’s left hand lands on the her right shoulder for utterly fake because there is no way to lead them. In most Siete figures the hand is not needed at her shoulder, so why should she place it there?

In the original videos from Salsa Racing and Salsa Lovers, and in the videos above, the Follow’s left hand land on her right shoulder by magic, or as used in Rueda where a Caller announces the figure. There is no leading.

Actually there is a way to lead the move. As I and my training partner Mona shows in the next video. The Lead simply shows a High Five to the Follow as he starts the Panqué. This indicates to the Follow that the Lead wants to clap her left hand or to grab it in the halfway position of Panqué. In the video we just clap hands.

If the hand lands over her shoulder easy to grab, the Lead can proceed with the Coca-Cola. If not he simply continues with some other Panqué figure where the hand is not needed.

I am not going to make a video where I show Siete Loco because it contains a Coca-Cola turn on an L-shaped line. I only turn on curved or straight lines. L-shaped figures are not part of how I want to dance Casino based on natural walking.

In the next video clip from the Polish most excellent Agassi couple, we see how the Lead shows a High Five at the start of Siete Loco, signaling that he wants to clap or catch the Follow’s right hand in the half-way position of Panqué.

I do test the classic Siete figures in social dancing from time to time to see if I can use them for something.