Dancing @The Palladium-January 2010

Well the New Year is just about rolling in in a few hours. So just to get all you dancers who frequent the Palladium a heads-up, here's the January 2010 schedule courtesy of KI of the Dance Fever Website. I've never met KI or know what he looks like, but for those who know him or will have occasion to meet him, please go ahead and give him the shaka sign and thank him for providing the monthly Ala Wai Golf Course Clubhouse schedule of events. Thanks, KI.
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Tango... The Dance That Expresses Love and Hate

Can the International style Tango, the Argentine Tango, the Filipino Tango, and the American style Tango be danced with the same tempo music? Eight couples met at Radford HIgh School yesterday (Sunday) to choose the Tango music that would be compatible to all four dance styles. The music chosen is upbeat and stimulating with heavy drama. Richard and Lynn Nakamura is spearheading this "let's show the audience the different styles of Tango that is offered by Dance Hawaii" showcase with valuable assistance from two well known showcase performers Reggie Gascon and Gayle Kawahakui.
All for fun and entertainment and dancing at the same time, there will be four couples on the International Tango, two couples on the American Tango, one couple on the Filipino Tango, and one couple on the Argentine Tango. Can they all dance with the same tempo music? Well, we'll find out for sure come January 15 at the Dance Aliamanu 1st Anniversary & Charity Ball.
And dat's a wrap for this last Sunday 2009.

Dance Aliamanu Instructors Gets Feted

This past Tuesday night Dance Aliamanu honored their dance instructors with a 7-course Christmas dinner at the Imperial Chinese Restaurant at Pearlridge. Along with Dance Aliamanu President Maurice Morita and lovely wife Gilda, there were about 41 in attendance. Not all of them instructors but well wishers for another successful year for this growing dance organization. In less than a year, Dance Aliamanu has stretched out from its homebase in the Salt Lake area to Kaneohe (Kapunahala Elementary), Honolulu (Washington Middle), and Hawaii Kai (Koko Head Elementary).


Lani and I are new to this organization knowing only a handful of instructors from our stint with HBDA. But we sat at a table where we got acquainted with some new faces (Larry & Candace, and Eddie & Wally, and Jim B.), and Maurice & Gilda, and Andy & Monica Pascua.


After dinner (which incidently was so delicious that there was nothing left on our table to doggy bag and take home), and when everyone was settled, Maurice gave a short speech on the direction Dance Aliamanu was headed into the new year.


He then introduced all the dance instructors and thanked them for volunteering their time for past services and for being there in the coming year. He also recognized our music DJs Michael Chinnen and Andy Pascua, and Derrick and Kieko for designing the instructors' shirts.


Stan and Maurice were the photographers last night. I was the elusive paparazzo snapping away with my little digital cam at anyone that talks and breaths as I went table-hopping meeting new faces. It was a good night for getting together with the other instructors, also.


Dance Hawaii Kai opens with the two dances that draw the most dancers to the hardwood floor; the Waltz and the Rumba on Tuesday January 12, 2010, 7PM at Koko Head Elementary School. More on this later.
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Dancing The 3rd Week Of December

A Visit With Doug Kessler
It's Monday and the start of a new week. Got a call from Doug Kessler in the afternoon. No, in fact he was returning my call that I made earlier. Okay, every dancer on this island knows the dancing maestro who puts on the most exciting, entertaining and well received dance showcases at least two times a year. Arrangement was made to visit the studio for a few photo shoot. I stopped by the Keep On Dancing Studio at 7 PM where Mr Kessler holds his classes. Of course, there was a motive for my visit. My son, Nick and his partner Junie were going to be there for dance lessons, and I also wanted to meet Doug Kessler in person. So there I was watching the maestro teach the Cha Cha, the Samba, and the Rumba. You gotta be impressed with Doug Kessler and his teaching method. He teaches steps, musicality, styling and theory with each lesson and with patience. What a deal if you ever want to learn how to dance from one of the well-known professional dance teachers in the islands. More on Doug Kessler when I get the announcement of his upcoming Mardi Gras showcase in March 2010.



Lani takes a Crash Course in Country Line Dancing
Yes, you read right. Lani took a crash course in the Country Waltz, Cha Cha, and the Swing to assist Sandy Zook in the Christmas showcase at Kahala Nui just 24 hours before showtime.



The Kahala Nui Christmas Party featuring Sandy Zook and The Eclectics in a showcase with dancing and singing was held on Friday afternoon in the Diamond Head Rooom. The room was packed with Seniors and guests at the Senior Living. It was an enjoyable and entertaining afternoon with Seniors joining in on the Country Line Dances at one end of the room and partner dancing on the main stage.



I won't go too heavy on this event because Sandy promises a cover story on this blog soon. So I'm just gonna sneak a photo of the Choreographer Sandy Zook and The Eclectics. Stay tuned.



Friday night, John and Alicia of Star-Struck Dance Studio in Hawaii Kai invited me to their studio Christmas Party. I got there a little early for the party but in time to observe their students learning the Hustle from Alicia. Good basic steps for any beginning dancer. The studio was well decorated with the Christmas spirit and there were refreshments laid out for the party. General dancing started after the group lesson. John and Alicia hosts free dance lessons at Koko Marina Center Courtyard on the first Friday of each month. Checkout their website for more info.

The Palladium December 2009 Schedule

I finally got the December Schedule. Thanks to George Santos who had a spare one in his pocket and was more than willing to share one with me. On this late date, the clipboard that holds the printed schedule is kaput....no more. So lucky me, thanks to George, I got one and able to post it on this blog for everyone. Now, if you see George at the Palladium, go tell him, "Eh, Keoki, mahalo, bro!" And maybe I'll be lucky to get the Palladium January 2010 Schedule from him.

(If da buggah too small to read, just left click da mouse on da schedule)

What A First Week In December It Has Been!

Lani and I concluded our last dance class for this Fall Session on Monday at Ali'iolani CSA on the Cha Cha and the Jitterbug, two HHSAA Football Championship games at the Aloha Stadium, introduction of New Cha Cha Line Dance by Andy and Monica at Dance Aliamanu, USA Dance Classic Holiday Ball featuring the Diamond Head Theater Shooting Stars preshowing before the showcase of up and coming top amateur ballroom couple Marco Camarlenghi and Martina Minasi at the Palladium, and StarStruck Dance Studio first monthly free dance lessons at Koko Marina Center with certified professional dance instructors John and Alicia Aros. (note: see bio on Marco and Martina by Calvin Ota on the Town Dancer blog, and bio on John and Alicia by Geoffrey Fells on the Dancing In The Dark blog).

Lani and I topped off the Cha Cha with the Circle Breaks and Shoulder Check ending with the Half Moon pattern. I think the students loved the combination because they kept on dancing well into the first 15 minutes of the second hour. After a short recess and review of the previous Jitterbug patterns, Lani and I taught the Travelling Swivels, and Shoulder Check with Touch The Back Tuck ending. With Rock Around The Clock blaring and the students having fun dancing, it was hard for me to call it a night after the nine o'clock quitting time.


Maurice Morita, President of Dance Aliamanu e-mailed me that Andy and Monica were going to teach a new extended version of the Cha Cha Line Dance at Aliamanu Middle School on Thursday. Regardless of the heavy rains and strong winds, Lani and I decided to venture again into Central Oahu. It was a good turnout for there were others who braved the not-so-nice weather. The new Cha Cha version has some good Latin variations which are in tune with the music and dance. It should be a hit on the dance floor at the Dance Aliamanu 1st Anniversary and Charity Ball in January.

As for the USA Dance Classic Holiday Ball, Guest Authors Ravi and Synthia have a terrific first hand audience reaction on Marco and Martina's peformances in Dancing In The Dark blog. After reading that blog, scroll down to "Talk To The Animals" at the Honolulu Zoo blog. It's happening this Sunday (Dec. 6). Ravi sez that admission is $4 pp as you enter at the exit gate; the entrance gate will be closed.


Friday evening rolled in and thank goodness no heavy rain..in fact no rain at all..just strong cold winds and every other thing that happened on Friday. Football games, big shindig at the Palladium, and of course the weather. Met John and Alica Aros at the Koko Marina Center Courtyard for the StarStruck Dance Studio Demo and free dance lessons. Enticing Latin music was blaring over the speakers for this first Friday of the month event. I guess with all the other events going on, the turnout was low but that did not hamper the instructors and students spirit. Three of my dance students, two students of StarStruck Studio, and a couple of walk-by ladies joined in for the free Mambo and Rumba dance lessons.






John and Alicia Aros demonstrated the basic steps as they taught the Mambo during the first hour and then the Rumba during the second hour. John and Alicia will be giving free dance lessons on the first Friday of each month at the Koko Marina Center Courtyard. For more info please log on their website at www.starstruck-studio.com.
And dat's a wrap for now.

Dance Classes @Koko Marina Center in Hawaii Kai

Alicia and John Aros, Certified Professional Dance Instructors of Star Struck Studios will be conducting dance classes in the Rumba from 5PM to 5:45PM, and the Mambo from 6PM to 6:45PM at the Koko Marina Courtyard this Friday December 4th. No experience needed, beginners encouraged to come for these free lessons. For more info please contact Alicia and John Aros at ph.395-0976.

Palladium Monthly Dance Schedule

Looking to go dancing this weekend at the Palladium but out of luck in getting a dance schedule? Well, no hu hu! Just log in to www.dancefeveroahu.com or bettah yet click on the link on the right.

Talk To The Animals

Okay, Students of Dance. If you go to the zoo and talk to the animals like Dr. Doolittle, they'll probably whisper, "Hele mai kua ko kakou Kekemapa eono."
Loosely translated "Come back to our house December 6). Guest Authors Ravi and Synthia have again got their fingers on the pulse of upcoming performances by the talented 7 to 17years young DHT Shooting Stars. If you have the succulent taste for Broadway musicals, this is one event you won't want to miss. Please check with the Honolulu Zoo for more info.

ContraDancers Hawaii @Moiliili Community Center

Aloha Students of Dance. There's another weekend event hosted by ContraDancers Hawaii. If you're in the mood for top spinning dancing with calls like the Square Dance or Circle Dance, you might want to check out this venue.

Contra Dance, Saturday Evening, November 21st 7:00-9:00 pm. Moiliili Community Center, 2535 S. King St. (near University Ave.) 2nd floor, above Moiliili Thrift Store. Make a right turn into the driveway immediately after you pass the "Down to Earth" health food store.


Live music by "Whiskey Starship":
Abby Brown, flute
Kevin Craven, fiddle
Jeff Klein, mandolin, banjo, and guitar
Dennis Suyeoka, mandocello
John Kahle, guitar
Robert Bley-Vroman, keyboard
Caller: Darrow Hand

Your $7.00 donation will help cover costs. It is a good idea to bring water to drink, as there is no drinking fountain in the building.

NOTE TO NEWCOMERS: If you haven't danced before, get there early. The first part of the evening is especially good for getting a feel for what it's about. The caller will explain and teach all moves. Also, you can show up a few minutes before the dance begins, and the caller will be happy to give you a brief explanation and demonstration.

USA Dance Classic Holiday Ball

Aloha Students of Dance,
Just got this poster from Ravi and Synthia. For more info on the Showcase performers, please go to the Town Dancer blogsite. Calvin has a short bio on Marco Camarlenghi and Martina Minasi. Also for a pre-show performance, try to get there early for the Diamond Head Theater Shooting Stars.
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Cruising The 3rd Week Of November

Aloha Students of Dance. I hope you were able to take in all those mellow news by Calvin, June, Maile, and of course da mysterious Specter on the links to this blogsite. I've been laying low for awhile but not too low that I'm out of touch. I gotta thank Ravi and Synthia for their contribution to the Dancing In The Dark blogsite on The Festival of Lights, and the upcoming Diamond Head Theater Christmas With Jim Nabors. They are pretty much connected with the Diamond Head Theater Shooting Stars, the USA Dance Organization, and the Lotus dancers. So stay tuned for more happening from them.

This past Sunday, Lani and I cruised over to Radford HS to observe the Dance Aliamanu Showcase practice choreographed by Andy and Monica. We were invited to participate with the eight couples but with such a short time to pick up the routine before the big event, we had to decline. However, it is a captivating medley and one to watch and enjoy come January 15.


Our Monday night Cha Cha and Jitterbug class went okay. Despite the strong winds and rain, we had a good turnout of students. Lani and I taught the Circle Breaks in the Cha Cha before going back to reviewing some of the previous patterns. We did the same for the Jitterbug after Lani and I taught the Shoulder Check.



Tuesday night is when Lani and I become students of Andy and Monica in the Filipino Tango. This was our 4th lesson and we were very eager to learn the Grapevine pattern that Andy and Monica had demonstrated last week. New students had shown up on this
4th week of lesson. I think it was a blessing, too, because everyone was in favor of going over the patterns in Block 2, and 3.
The Fiqure 4 leg lift, the two cross hands underarm turns became much clearer and danceable. As we progressed into the Grapevine pattern, the Filipino Tango became easier to dance with music.

The winds were pretty strong Wednesday evening as Lani and I headed for Kaiser CSA for our Foxtrot and Tango class but it was much cooler than the Wednesday before. I guess I got into the Grapevine fever from the evening before. So Lani and I taught the Grapevine pattern in the Foxtrot before reviewing some of the other patterns. The students were really into it and started to form their own combination of patterns. This was the goal that Lani and I had set for our students and it was coming into play.
Since our students were dancing the Grapevine with other patterns so well, the Grapevine fever hit me once more. What's good for the Foxtrot has gotta be good for the Tango, I thought. So Lani and I taught the Grapevine pattern in the Tango and it worked out very well with the students. (Info: The American Tango Grapevine pattern is not the same as the Filipino Tango Grapevine).
That's a wrap for now.

Being A Weight Watcher In Da Jitterbug

Aloha Students of Dance! It's no big secret that you gotta Watch Your Weight no matter what style of dance you're learning. So for the moment, let's talk JITTERBUG...the one that Dr. J calls it America's coolest dance. Dr. J mentions five secrets of Jitterbug success but for now let's leave the secrets where they belong....to Victoria. Here's his pitch on my top of the chart Swing Dancing.
"One thing you've got to be aware of while learning to dance is where your weight is. I don't mean the effects of a diet, or where you stashed your barbells. I mean which foot you're putting your weight on. Be conscious of where your weight is supposed to be, and how it changes from step to step. Dance is a smooth motion, and your steps should be smooth and light. If your weight is placed incorrectly, your whole body will be out of position. You won't be in place for the next step, and the move won't work. Plus, you'll throw your partner off." AUWE!
Here's two simple rules he sez to remember: "(1)When stepping, always put your weight on the leading foot (the one you've stepped with), and (2)Watch out for Godzilla Feet. Stepping is not an invitation to imitate Godzilla, stomping around the dance floor like a 40-ton prehistoric monster. When you change weight, don't plunk your feet down as if they were made of lead. Keep your weight in the front, on the balls of your feet."
Mighty good tips from Dr. J on being a Weight Watcher. He adds: The only one reason to learn Jitterbug....TO HAVE FUN!
Dat's a wrap for now. (Photo: Da big guy with sharp teeth is from Dinosaurs Unearthed Exhibit at the Bishop Museum).

Getting Stuck On Filipino Tango

Aloha Students of Dance. Well another Tuesday rolled by and Lani and I are back at Dance Aliamanu getting our second taste of the Filipino Tango with Andy and Monica. There were a lot more students tonight than last week. And it was a good thing there were new faces in the crowd 'cause it meant that Andy and Monica had to review the first block of patterns for the new ones as well as for us and those who needed the brush up. After several reps on Block One, our instructors demonstrated variations of how we could sweeten the dance moves with continuous girl underarm turns or spot turns. Nice for the guys but could make the girls dizzy after awhile if they are not use to spinning. The patterns in Block Two was fun to dance. Leg lifts in figure four form and a rapid turn to Crossover Break ending with Spot Turn was a snap, thanks to Andy and Monica's well defined instructions and demonstrations. With the music playing, it was much easier to dance the patterns of both Blocks One and Two the length of the song. As Andy had hinted to the students, musicality was the key to dancing smoothly the Filipino Tango...... just hang loose and let the music dictate the moves.

Dance Fundraising, A New Venue

Okay, Students of Dance, all kidding aside. Fundraising for a good cause but it's not a new idea. For dancing events?....maybe it's new. Last week it was USADance who issued a challenge to other dance clubs to get on the bandwagon to help the victims of natural disasters in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Samoa through fundraising. (I'm hoping one of the Guest Authors for DnD will share the experience of that event with us). This weekend, HBDA is hosting a fundraiser at the Palladium for the same cause. Should be a fun night of dancing and a Costume Contest to boot. HBDA's Masquerade Ball has always been a crowd pleaser in the past and should continue to be so this Saturday. The kids had fun this Halloween dressed up in their favorite hero's costume. Now it's the grownups' turn to go Treat-Spooking without the Tricks. For more info, scoot over to June's announcement on the Dance West Oahu and Town Dance blogsites.

So You Think You Can Dance The Filipino Tango

Curiosity got the most of me this week. Got the word that Dance Aliamanu was gonna teach the Filipino Tango at their main hangout...Aliamanu Elementary School. Heard so much about this dance in Pepe's blogs that I had to see first hand what this dance was all about. And like a bad cat, I got Lani to join me in this venture for a new experience. The drive from Hawaii Kai was long but traffic was moving very good for a Tuesday week night. Some how it seemed a lot longer now than when we use to travel the same route many years back when we were teaching dancing at neighboring Aliamanu Middle School for HBDA. Anyway, when we arrived at the school, Richard Nieto and Elsie McGrew were teaching the Rumba to a nice crowd of beginning level dancers. They covered three patterns on this first lesson night. Richard's wife Cora was handling the music. (Photo; Elsie, Richard, and Cora)


During the short recess, Lani and I got to meet Andy and Monica Pascua who were going to teach the Filipino Tango. Of course, Andy and Monica are no strangers to us since we both were former dance instructors for HBDA.

Okay, getting to the meat of it. Filipino Tango is not anything like your International style or American style Tango patterns. Tonight, Andy and Monica taught several patterns which were at first difficult but with continuous practice we were dancing the first block of patterns to the moderate tempo Tango music. I gotta say that Andy and Monica were very patient and kept on demonstrating this first block till we got it. As he put it to the students..we're there to learn. Okay, my description of the dance for this first lesson. The dance hold is the same as the American style Tango. It has many hand changes like the Salsa, there are some movements like in the Rumba and other Latin dances, and the ladies spot turns and underarm turns adds a great deal of spice to the dance. Just from tonight's lesson, I can see some elements of a showcase type dancing in the Filipino Tango. Very showy and may become a big hit in social dancing. More on the Filipino Tango come next week. (Photo: Monica and Andy)

The 4th Week of October That Was

I know! I know! I've been laying low for a while! Hope you all enjoyed reading the terrific blogs by Geoffrey, Calvin, Maile, June, and da Specter.
Okay, Students of Dance, I haven't been idle, though. On Monday my Cha Cha and Swing Jitterbug class resumed after a 3 week stretch of breaks. Lani and I did an extensive review of all the patterns taught prior on both dances. Wasn't too bad in getting the students back to the level they left three weeks ago. Got to squeeze in the SIDE PASS and CUDDLE in the Swing, and the CHA CHA CHASE before calling it a night.


Come Tuesday, Lani and I headed for Dance Aliamanu to pick up some tickets for their 1st Anniversary & Charity Ball from Maurice. The American Ballroom Line Dance was in session with Kevin and Margaret Yee instructing. Good number of students. Got to meet and chat with Maurice's main squeeze Gilda. Friendly and gracious lady. The second class Argentina Tango with instructors Robert and Vanelle Hirayasu started after a short break. Simple patterns but a good introduction to this style of Tango and the intricate patterns to follow.


Wednesday was a big day for Lani and me. Rummage Sale at the Kokohead Seniors Club in the morning and teaching Foxtrot and Tango in the evening. The Rummage Sale got off to a good start with nearly every member bringing in a lot of "white elephants". Only thing they were mostly girly things...no guy stuffs. Lani had this wild idea to spice up the "Sale". She asked me to be like a "gigolo". You know...dance with the ladies for 50 cents a song. And dance I did with several ladies...Swing, Cha Cha, Tango, Waltz, and Rumba. Low budget but it was fun. All proceeds went to the Seniors Club along with whatever the Rummage Sale brought in.


Evening came and it was time to head to Kaiser CSA for our Foxtrot and Tango class. Lani suggested that we teach the new steps first and then go back to reviewing the ones we taught previously. The students were all in favor of it. So we got to introduce the RIGHT TURNS pattern in the Foxtrot. Then reviewed all the previous patterns in sequence. We did the same for the Tango by teaching the LA PUERTA (photo: starting count 5 & 6) and then going back to reviewing the previous Tango patterns. It was humid but the students kept plugging along on both dances. Lani and I think they liked the new format.
That's a wrap for this week. Keep on dancing!

A Taste of Dance Honolulu

Aloha Students of Dance,
The Fall Recess is finally over and Lani and I are back on the dance circuit. Yesterday was a holiday for most Federal workers but the CSA was closed because of Teacher Institute Day for the DOE. So there was no Monday night dance class for us Special Interest Teachers, too. But we'll be back tomorrow (Wednesday) night at Kaiser CSA for our Social Foxtrot and Tango classes.

All was not a lost Monday though. Lani and I cruised down to DANCE HONOLULU, an offshoot of DANCE ALIAMANU, last night. Actually, our trip was to pick up the tickets for the Dance Aliamanu 1st Anniversary & Charity Ball. As we walked into the Washington Middle School cafeteria, Lynn and Richard (Mr. and Mrs. Quickstep) greeted us. It was good to see and chat with them again. Also, it was nice to see dance teacher Gayle Kawahakui there too. Had a small chat with her. Got to meet Maurice Morita, the main man who organized Dance Aliamanu, Dance Kaneohe, and Dance Honolulu with the help of his faithful followers...akamai kind of guy.
Also got to reacquaint with former HBDA dance instructors, Richard and Cora, who we befriended when Lani and I were teaching for HBDA.


The class was in session with the NightClub Two Step, taught by Cullen and Cheryl Chong. You can spark that they are good dance teachers because the students were having fun learning to dance the Two Step. I had a nice talk with Lynn about Cullen and Cheryl. She had high praises of their ability to teach dancing. I hope to hear more about them for future blogs.



As Lani and I were leaving, Lynn and Richard introduced to us Miss Hawaii 2002 Kehaulani Christian who will be performing in the Celebrities/VIPs Showcase at the Anniversary Ball. (see photo with Lynn and Richard). By the way, Richard and Lynn are teaching Mambo this session.

October 2009 Events @The Palladium

More happenings goin' on at the Palladium this month. Sorry for the delay in posting this sched but no hu-hu, there's still a lot of dancing goin' on till the end of October.
(Left click mouse on graphic to zoom in. Right click mouse to print).

A Worthy Cause by Dance Aliamanu

Aloha Students of Dance,
I received the following e-mail from Lynn Nakamura announcing the Dance Aliamanu 1st Anniversary & Charity Ball. From the info I got from her, it's going to be a BLAST with guest VIPs and a lot of general dancing. Anyway read on and decide real quick if you plan to attend this event. You can contact Lynn at her cell phone number or Gayle at gaylekawahakui@aol.com for tickets.
Frank



Hi All,
If you are available on Friday, January 15, 2010, please come and support this event. A portion of the ticket price will be donated to the schools where we hold our dance classes.
If you or your friends want to attend this function, please let me know right away to reserve the tickets.
It'll be a really fun event and for those who like to dance, there will be a lot of time for dancing. See the attachment.


We'll have celebrities/vips like Melveen Leed, Aureana Tseu - Miss Hawaii USA 2009, Liana Green-Wright (Mrs. Hawaii 2009), Kim Anderson - Pookela Award Winner and Lead in West Side Story, Michele Choy - Narcissus Pageant & Coronation Coordinator, and a couple of vip men (maybe). We're still working on the men.
Please pass this information on to friends and family. I believe we've already sold over 200 tickets and our maximum is 400 tickets. We just started selling the tickets 2 weeks ago and plan to have all tickets sold before the end of November. Tickets are on a first come basis, so don't miss out, give me call asap if you want to reserve your tickets.
Mahalo,
Lynn
cell 372-2256

(Left click mouse on graphic to zoom in)

Getting Old Is Like Riding A Bicycle.......

Aloha Students of Dance.
This past Wednesday, Lani shared her knowledge of Tai Chi and Yoga physical exercises with the Seniors at the Kokohead Seniors Club. She started with the importance of proper breathing..inhaling all the way down to the abdomen and exhaling by numbers. Then came the Yoga stretching exercises involving the head, neck, arms, body, legs, and feet. Most of the Seniors followed the exercises standing while a few followed sitting in their chairs.



After the Tai Chi and Yoga physical execises, Lani taught the Seniors the Macarena line dance. It was an invigorating morning for the Seniors and they showed their appreciation for the two physical activities. Hopefully they will continue to keep on "peddling so they don't fall". Growing old is one thing and getting old is another.

Flicker Flashback To The Year 1996

Aloha Students of Dance. I hope you didn't hop on the space shuttle back to 2009 yet. Okay by now you gotta know that I'm a Trekkie, with all this space travel talk. Yeah! it use to be "All I really need to know I learned from watching Star Trek."

But now it's Star Gate SG-1. But "Star Gater" doesn't sound as appealing as Trekkie. Just like the Palladium is a very good place to go ballroom dancing but for Exhibition or Competition Dancing, the old gal doesn't have that strong appeal quality. Just like the way Geoffrey Fells mentioned many a times in his blogs. So stick around for a while and imagine the times and thrills when HBDA hosted all the "Balls" at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. Feel the excitement and the difference?

Anyway, I was scanning through my archive of videos and sparked the 37th Anniversary Ball that HBDA hosted at the Sheraton. I had forgotten that Lani and I were on the program showcasing the Bolero that Albert Franz choreographed for us. (Talk about Senior Moments. Auwe!).




There were a lot of group routines performed by various chapters and they were good ones for the level of dancers. There were big name performers who danced solo exhibitions. Ed and Matilda Felix were flawless dancing the International Waltz. Lester and Henrietta Muramoto dancing a beautiful upscaled smooth International Foxtrot.


And for the finale, Dance Director Ben and Faith Agbayani had the audience in a frenzy as they burned the floor with an entertaining Eastern Swing. Lani and I felt honored performing among polished dancers that brought entertainment and showmanship for the audience to enjoy that night.