Monika Liu’s unexpected decision in the semifinals of “Salsamanui”: “It’s an extremely risky step” | Names

This time, the performances of the participants took place in an impressive place – the best restaurant in Havana, which was visited by many of the brightest stars from around the world. The theme of the evening will be incarnations, so each couple will choose for themselves what they would most like to reflect.

However, it should not be forgotten that the most important thing is to impress the commission. And during the semi-finals, there are different rules: the commission will not award points to the participants immediately after the dance, but only when all the couples have appeared.

After summing up the results of the previous four shows, it became clear that Sim Buterlevičius and his partner Indira and Ugna Zavistauskaita and her partner Alfredo are saying goodbye to the project. Ugnė said that she understood that everything in life is not about victory, and Sims thanked fate for meeting Indira.

Last time, Monika Liu and her partner Manuel became the leaders. True, during the semi-finals, they, like the rest of the couples, lost all their points. Sunday’s performance is a new beginning. Couples will have to rely on the evaluations of this commission!

However, it is this couple that is constantly pampered with the most beautiful praises – both by the commission and by other participants of the show. “For me, a couple of them are mostly about salsa. About that magical salsa, which is so hard to feel,” said Ugnė.

“Monica dances unreal – I can’t believe she dances like that.” Something supernatural is going on in it! Even the Cubans themselves remain mad,” said Gailė.

Perhaps because something supernatural is really happening in it, Monika and Manuel decided to choose a special ritual dance for the semi-final. They decided to go to the core – the very roots of the African Cuban dance.

“I asked Monika, what does she want to become?” To which actress, singer? She said she wanted to embody the color blue. Because we are in Cuba and we have our Afro-Cuban religions, for us blue is identified with the goddess of the sea,” Manuel said.

The latter goddess is also called the mother of all children on earth. “This is a completely different level of consciousness. This is how you dip your foot into some depths where there are already treasures”, said Monika before the performance.

Such a feeling will be further strengthened by the crazy wind on the eve of the semi-final. “Cuba is collapsing. Either she already wants to drive us out, or she doesn’t want us to leave, because there hasn’t been such a wind in all this time…” Monika said.

However, the couple’s decision to dance ritual dances was viewed cautiously by the teacher of “Salsamanui”, choreographer Sandra Saikauskaitė. “By taking it upon herself to dance, Monika takes an extremely risky step. It is an authentic dance performed during religious rituals. In this dance the Cubans are very obnoxious. In salsa, they allow everything: you can take a big step, you can take a small step, you can be this and that. And here they won’t make a mistake, because this is very delicate and sensitive for Cubans,” she said.

Another risk is that the judges are different every time. Therefore, on Sunday, each couple is like a completely blank sheet for them, which only begins to fill up after the show begins. However, Manuel promised that he and Monika would dance not only with their bodies. Their souls will dance too.

“I always told Monika that she was a goddess. I told her, ‘Believe that you are a goddess, a queen, and shine.’ And she begins to shine brighter and brighter,” he said.

“Salsamanai” – Sundays, 7:30 p.m. on TV3.