Divino Ritmo Dance Grand Ball 2011 got underway last Saturday night at the Sheraton Waikiki's Molokai & Lanai Ballrooms. Billed as "Neon Lights, The Call of Broadway, the very well put together show was awesome to the max...electrifying and for the most part very entertaining. The colorful costumes, the glamour, the dancers, the lightings, the music, the props (mustn't forget the long white limo)....I gotta say, "WOW! This is Broadway!" The dance floor was the main stage and like the pauses between each act of a stageshow, there was darkness that instilled a feeling of mystery before the spotlight revealed the actors/dancers.
There were two Acts nicely spaced apart which gave moments for general dancing in between. There were some added features to both Acts that included the Divino Ritmo Dance Studio Formation Team, a dance exhibition by Professionals Lucas Jaime and Yanna Samkova, a formation dance by the Divino Ritmo Dance Novice Ensemble, and a solo Jazz dance to "All That Jazz". There were so many participants in this exciting Broadway Show that I couldn't get all their names. But kudos to all of them for an excellent performance in dance showmanship. I hope the proverbial words of "A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words" will display the high energy performance of the participating dancers.
The showcase music was edited by Lucas Jaime and the tunes carried the essence and heartbeat of Broadway. Like a stage show, the numbers in the acts clicked and there were no pauses. As each number in the Acts was being played out, actual clips from Broadway Shows and movies were displayed on the large movie screen....a wonderful flavor to capture the passion of "The Call of Broadway".
EmCee was Justin Cruz, the meteorologist (weatherman) for KHON News. He kept the program rolling along at a smooth pace.
The program began with a vocal by singer Katie Chow who belted "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets" to a Cha Cha beat. She also closed the program with an upbeat song. She is a terrific singer and a marvelous presence at the beginning and ending of the show.
Yanna and Lucas performance in cabaret style was superb with spins and aerial lifts which brought an exciting ending to "Neon Lights, The Call of Broadway".
General Dancing continued till 11:30PM.
