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The Panqué (Pancake) figure, also called Siete (7) in the Miami Rueda tradition of “Salsa Racing” and “Salsa Lovers”, is a unique basic figure of one count of eight. It is unique in the sense that it has its own set of steps we don’t see in any other basic figure, and it is unique because it doesn’t fit in easily on the “Partner Circle”. The Lead and the Follow don’t step Panqué on an “arch”, the figure is rectangular in nature like “forward and back” and the open-break version of Guapea.

The Follow’s Panqué steps:

1. Step forward on “1” and pivot 180 degrees around the foot like a half Pirouette.
2. Step in place on “2”.
3. Tap on “4”. Ready to do the same one more time to finish the figure.
4. Step forward on “5” and pivot 180 degrees around the foot like a half Pirouette.
5. Step in place on “6”.
6. Tap on “8”. Ready to move forward.

Tapping is optional but common for the Panqué figure.

The Follow should step Panqué as described as precise as possible almost in a mechanical fashion. It is beneficial for the dance that both the Lead and the Follow have a clear and common understanding of what exactly is the default form of Panqué. It is a perfect square, a quadrat. First and second half of the figures are identical.

In loose, dynamic dancing with a lot of movement, the Panqué figure is likely to be distorted to the extend that it can be hard to recognize the figure. This is not necessarily bad but often a creative variation depending on where the Follow is coming from and on where she is going next and on the interaction with the Lead.

We can safely play with the Pancake figure as long as we know the generalized, optimized basic version by heart and can find back to it at any time. The better we know the basic figures the more we can stretch and squeze them and depart from their basic form for creative purposes and combine them in new ways.

In social dancing we have thousands of Pancake figures even for the simple figure of one count of eight. But when we present Panqué in a tutorial, when we teach it at beginner and intermediate level, it is important to present a solid, generalized, optimized Panqué figure. Unfortunately: Many Panqués in tutorials are plain wrong. They often look more like what we should remember not to do.

Video #1 (in the making). Jesper shows the steps of the Follow.

Use sideways start position

Panqué figures work well in Rueda de Casino because the Follow knows what to do (she hears the Rueda Call). But even the basic Panqué can be surprisingly difficult in social one-on-one dancing, especially if the Follow hasn’t been doing it for a while. Panqué requires precise leading a little similar to a handheld Vacilala: The hand movement of the Lead is often too soft, and the Follow doesn’t get it, or it is too strong, making the beginning of the figure awkward, overturning the Follow.

If a Lead is using handheld Vacilalas a lot, it can be quite difficult suddenly to lead a Follow into Panqué. My first advice is that it helps a lot to introduce Panqué early in a dance.

The second advice is not to start from the start position of open position, Face-to-Face. Instead the Lead should open up the start position, make it wide open. The couple should stand side-by-side like at the start of a Paseo Walk. From that position the lead for Panque is less likely to be mistaken for the start of a handheld Vacilala.

If a Follow is used to Pancakes, the Lead can of cause also start them more directly, Face-to-Face, or the Lead can make the Follow almost walk into them by herself from e.g. Reína in a Paseo Walk.

Just doing one full Panqué and get back to the start position of open position, like from Guapea into Panqué into another Guapea is no big deal. In advanced social dancing we should almost always continue the full Pancake figure directly into something other than Guapea. Since it is recommended often to start Panqué sideways from a wide open start position, it is also logical to get back into this position and continue e.g. into a Paseo Walk.

Video #2 presents Panqué starting from a wide open start position and finishing into the same position:

In my dancing this way of starting and finishing Pangué is standard. The basic Panqué is a wonderful structural figure that can be used for Playfulness or to enhance many walks like Paseo. I wouldn’t trade the basic Panqué for any of the Panqué Complicado figures.

After the Panqué halfway position I sometimes continue into Panqué con Coca-Cola leading the Follow forward on a curved line. I also sometimes use Panqué con Reína (outside turn) and “Pancake with Hook Turn”, etc.

Follow’s free hand

How should the Follow position her free arm and hand in the first half of Panqué? I believe a Follow should be as free and independent as possible within the limitations of a dance based on leading and following. As a general rule of thumb a figure or move must not require anything of the Follow except basic following skills, common sense and natural behavior.

Social dancing should have as few choreographed moves as possible where the Follow must know the details of how to behave in advance. It is unrealistic that Follows should learn and remember details about each and every move except for the basic structural figures like Enchufla, Exhibela, Dile Que No etc. Moves must be leadable.

For Panqué there should not exist rules for where the Follow should have her free arm and hand except for what is natural and logical in the situation. Having arm and hand in basic walking position by her hip, like when doing basic steps, arm bend around 90 degrees, is always more than good enough.

When the Follow pivots around at the beginning of Panqué, the arm is likely to swing a little out. Some Follows might force it back into the hip position or place it on stomach, heart or by the left shoulder. A Follow can ever bring her free arm over her head with a styling gesture and place her hand on top of her left shoulder or just place it by he left shoulder. All these options for what to do with the free arm and hand are based on what most Followers actually do in hundreds of videos.

In Video #3 I present some of the many ways Follows are likely to hold the free arm and hand on the way into the half-way position of Panqué.

None of all these arm-hand trajectories and positions interfere with how most Leads use Panqué. It is important that the Follow has moments where she can be herself, style a little, be playful and react to the music.

Unfortunately the Miami Rueda tradition developed a couple of Siete figures, like Siete Loco and Siete Moderno, that requires that the Follow’s arm and hand either end up at the Follows left shoulder and is presented to the Lead to be grabbed or that arm and hand follow a shoulder high upright Police-stick trajectory the Lead can intercept. And trajectory and positioning must not just happen by accident. They must be done on purpose, deliberately, in order for Siete Loco and Siete Moderno to work properly.

These requirements are evil because they dictate behavior a Follow must use in each and every Pancake figure despite the fact that the requirements are irrelevant for most Panqué figures. And despite the fact that most Leads prefer Follows that have an open mind when Pancake is done instead of a head full of specific Miami Rueda expectations they have no desire to fulfill.

How to use Panqué

Panqué have probably always been used in its basic form in social one-on-one dancing but its popularity comes from Rueda de Casino, where we see surprisingly many Pancakes often with an element of fun and even a little naughty like Panqué con Chocolade. Siete moves plays a major role in the Miami based Rueda tradition from where they have spread into social one-on-one dancing where many of them are not leadable. This “Siete” Rueda tradition constitutes a paradigm, a specific mindset for how to use Pancakes.

In the Miami tradition, the basic Panqué figure is just an almost boring stationary figure. Its main purpose is to use it to remind people about what comes next. The basic Panqué is just preparation for the more complex Complicado versions.

It has taken me years to unlearn this Rueda tradition that doesn’t make sense to me in social one-on-one dancing unless you just want to dance like a one-couple Rueda with the Lead as move caller, practicing moves on a string!

I believe in a completely different way to use Pancakes. A different paradigm. For me Pancake is a wonderful advanced way to walk that can be incorporated into many types of walks and especially into the Paseo Walk. Pancake is an advanced way to make walks richer. If a Follow expects and prepare for Siete Loco each and every time she receives a basic Pancake figure, she undermines the Lead’s ability to use Pancake as a creative, playful figure.

To me the basic Pancake figure is by far the most interesting of all Pancakes. I don’t need Complicado. Coca-Cola turns are always better and more interesting when done from momentum like after the first half of DQN. Pancake with Coca-Cola starts from a relatively stationary Panqué halfway position. it can be done and it is ok but we really don’t need most of those Miami Rueda tradition Complicados.

Rueda and One-on-One Moves

I strongly believe that moves in Rueda de Casino that are partner moves, moves that can be done by each couple in the Rueda independently, must be leadable even when used in Rueda de Casino. They don’t have to for the sake of the Rueda because they are called by the Rueda Caller as a substitute for leading and following. But such moves will unavoidable spill over into social one-on-one dancing where leadability is a requirement.

It can take years of frustration for Leads to find out why some of the great classic Rueda moves don’t work with Follows that are not used to them from Rueda de Casino. For years I believed I should just train hard and learn how to lead them better and that I deserved better Follows! Today I know the moves were simply junk.

Summa Summarum: Not leadable moves like Siete Loco and Siete Moderno should never be used. They should cease to exist.

Note: This is the sixth major update of this tutorial, 2026. Many of my tutorials for moves in the “Siete/Panqué” family need to be updated accordingly with more focus on leadability and the different requirements for moves in Rueda and social one-on-one dancing.