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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 Buena Vista Entertainment, where he shares his passion and knowledge for Afro-Latin and Caribbean dance styles with the community.
Pablo is bringing a Rumba Columbia workshop and a Son - Improvers workshop to Salsa Tumbao 2025. We chatted to Pablo about what drives him to dance.
What is your dream car - and why?
"I'm a bit boring in this area, haha. I'm not attached to any particular one.
When I was young I wanted a 'Peugeot 307 CC Cabrio' because It looked cool. However, eventually I wanted an eco-friendly one, like a Nissan Leaf. Nowadays, I would want something balanced - between comfortable for family (to take my son away, bikes, etc), eco friendly and economic. Nothing too fancy."
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.
What drives you to dance?
"Definitely people's good energy and willingness to learn. It is my new drug.
Apart from the fact that I love dancing...I just enjoy sharing my passion so much. If it was up to me, a class should last longer than 1hr."
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.
How do you feel after an amazing evening of dance with great people?
"Lately, a lot of physical pain (feet, knees and back usually) ...haha, I'm getting old. But also a lot of peace...definitely a sense of 'this is so nice' and I'm so fortunate that I get to share this with people in the same frequency."
After gathering all that 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.
You have five words (not necessarily a sentence) - how do you convince someone to start dancing?
"Mmm So limiting, 5 words.
Maybe - Feeling uncomfortable makes you grow.
I usually have a short conversation with them and they are in. But I won't share my secret."
He had a break from teaching for 2 years, after becoming a father.
However, he's currently teaching Casino (known as Cuban salsa) since 2025. Plus organizing regular social dances with the new local group (Nelson Latin Dance Collective) and collaborating with other organizers like Northwest Salsa and Saione, known promoter of Latin culture from Auckland (Nelson Latin Fiesta in April 2025).
One of his main goals is broadcasting about how vital it is to learn about the music and dance from Cuba and Africa.
“We have to go back to the roots! As simple as that.”
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