With Un Paso Hacia Ti, Bailar, Bailar, TelevisaUnivision Launches M-Drama Block on Canal 5 with Series Inspired by Asian Storytelling

TelevisaUnivision officially unveiled Un Paso Hacia Ti, Bailar, Bailar, executive produced by Luis Luisillo. The project becomes the first title in Canal 5’s new M-Drama lineup—a format that blends the storytelling tradition of the Latin American melodrama with the visual style, pacing, and narrative structure of the Asian K-drama phenomenon. The series premieres this Friday, July 24, at 7:30pm on Canal 5 and will also be available on the streaming platform ViX.

The original story was created by Andrés Montoya and Lina Arbolada. It follows Kevin Briceño, a young man from a working-class neighborhood caught between his family’s expectations and his passion for dance. The production combines dance, music, and drama in a compact 20-episode format.

THE M-DRAMA CONCEPT AND SHORT-FORM STORYTELLING

The company is targeting younger audiences by adapting trends from Asian storytelling. Producer Luisillo explained the origin of the concept for broadcast television: “Today, with this new M-Drama block on Canal 5, I’m grateful for the opportunity to have my project be the first to launch it. It’s not the first M-Drama we’ve produced. Last year my friends and partners, Carlos and Lalo Murguía, produced Contrato de Corazones, which performed very well. It did so well that Televisa decided to create this programming block and invest in producing four M-Dramas this year.”

Luisillo explained that the format preserves the essence of Mexican melodrama while embracing international storytelling techniques: “In the writers’ room, we tried to find a way to tell stories like they do in Asian culture without losing the DNA of our very Mexican melodramas. They use many storytelling tools, fantasy elements, flashbacks, and their series are much shorter—most Korean dramas run between 14 and 18 episodes. We wanted to follow that model.”

He also highlighted the importance of adapting these narratives for today’s multiplatform viewing habits: “Audiences are consuming content across many different platforms. Vertical content has become incredibly relevant because people want to enjoy good stories during moments like commuting or lunch breaks. With so much content available today, this format gives viewers another option that fits the way they consume entertainment across multiple screens.”

CINEMATIC APPROACH AND PRODUCTION DESIGN

The production enlisted professionals with experience on international projects. Colombian filmmaker Andrés Lizarazo served as lead director alongside director of photography Javier Morón.

Lizarazo described the visual concept behind the series: “Un Paso Hacia Ti has a lot of heart and was made with tremendous care. We poured our soul into its design and execution. It has very high production values, which is exactly what audiences are looking for in this new way of telling stories. The project has cinematic ambition—we carefully crafted every scene because we have dance, rhythm, and vibrant colors.”

The director also emphasized the extensive production design and character development: “We built an entire neighborhood called Palos Verdes, complete with its own barbershop and a beautiful rooftop. We also created a ballet academy that becomes a defining part of the story. Every character was carefully developed with a distinct identity, emotion, and authenticity. We needed dance, ballet, K-pop, and a fully realized world for each setting.”

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY AND FUTURE PLANS

The lead cast features young actors trained at Televisa’s CEA acting school, including Davi Ulloa, Pamela Cervantes, Steffy Torres, Mayte Fernández, and Facundo Castro. They are joined by Mau Salas, Arturo Viñales, Hugo Alcántara, Augusto Di Paolo, Maya Tierrablanca, Mateo Trabulsi, Alex Cortés, and Yeyo Maldonado, with special appearances by Eduardo de la Peña (“Lalo el Mimo”) and Miguel Pizarro.

TelevisaUnivision plans to make M-Dramas a permanent part of Canal 5’s programming. Four productions in the format will premiere this year, and the company expects to continue releasing approximately four M-Drama titles annually under the new storytelling concept.