Swingers @The 2012 Seniors' Fair

It's the time of the year when the Silver Generation make the journey to the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall for the annual Hawaii Seniors' Fair - The Good Life Expo; if not for the entertainment or selecting a vendor that appeals to them or maybe to renew their ZIPPY's Senior Discount Card. Yeah! September is a great month and it finds Lani and me heading to the Blaisdell this fine Saturday morning after a onolicious breakfast at ZIPPY's in Hawaii Kai. Traffic was a little heavy on the K Highway and I wondered if everyone was headed to the Seniors' Fair,  too.  Okay, admission is free to the Fair but the parking fee is still 6 bucks no matter if you stayed all the way to  4:30PM which is when the Fair ends.  Anyway, we got see a lot of vendors offering Senior Care, Health Care Insurance, Flu Shots, Travel Literatures and lots more that would be of concern and interest for the Silver Generation. My interest was the programs on stage while my main squeeze was more in tuned with the booths that offered avenues to maintain good health. I'll never know who I'm gonna meet while pushing my way to the stage area. Yeah! it was crowded alright. Some of our dance students who we haven't seen for a long time came up to us with a "hello" and a hand shake or hug. Got those greetings from the politicians, too, but the Governor was more giving with a handshake and passing out sealed packages of colored popcorn. Must've been good tasting popcorn 'cause Lani dugged into half a package before I knew it. Dat's okay but when Lani came back from her excursion of the nearby booths and said that a lady at the booth said that she knows me from working together at Safeway Stores way back in the 60's, the big question was a shaky "Oh!Oh!who can she be????"    

On the Main Stage were our friends from the STEPTACULARS, the performing dance group that have appeared for at the Seniors' Fair time and time again. I didn't get to see the whole show but I did get to see our friend Salome, Ron and his wife Manjit, and a new act with Sonny and Cher impersonators singing "I Got You, Babe". It was an entertaining and colorful show with music and dancing as only the StepTaculars can do it.

There were Hula Dancers from Na Wahine O Ka Hula Mai Ko Pu'uwai, Silver Sneakers Group Exercise Class from 24 Hour Fitness, and 808 Zumba from Washington Fitness. The latter two encouraged the seniors to participate in the movement exercises.

I had missed Bill Doherty of the StepTaculars Flamenco and Cape Dance earlier but lo and behold there was another Flamenco Dance performance scheduled at the Galeria Stage. Lani and I got to meet Marquis Johnson before he got on stage with the three ladies who were gonna dance the Flamenco with him. Except for the fast footwork, it was a different Flamenco dance from the ones that I observed in the past. It was a striking performance that drew a large audience and even got my main squeeze interested in Flamenco Dancing.

Lani and I were very, very impressed with the performance by the Nanakuli High School Performing Arts students. They put on a musical show like one from Broadway with many solo singers, many dancers, and singers that danced also. Most if not all the songs and music were from the Rock & Roll era of the 40's to the 60's way before these young students were born. (Songs made popular by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and others). And they carried the tunes and dances as though they were projected back in time. No doubt the singers and dancers were top-notch performers.
(Left click on photos to zoom in)

IBDI 5th Term Dance Schedule 2012

Registration for dance classes is from 5:30PM to 6PM

Mahalo to my Teacher Assistants @IBDI

After 20 some years without a bad cold, it finally struck my main squeeze Lani and me. I battled with mine for a couple of days and got well enough to handle the Club Merengue class tonight. Unfortunately, Lani is still battling hers that she was not able to teach tonight. Fortunately, I have two SUPER Teacher Assistants (Kathy Uehara and Dean Sierra) who were a big help with the class. Thanks to my students and music player JoElla also for understanding when my voice crashed sometimes during the period. Before the class ended, the students looked pretty good dancing all seven patterns of the Club Merengue with music..

Dance Magic 808 Dance Classes @Salt Lake District Park

Well. our tour for Dance Magic 808 at the Salt Lake District Park on August 28 was over as quickly as it begun. Lani and I had fun teaching the East Coast Swing during the past two Tuesdays. Hopefully, Dance Magic 808 will find a place to open dance classes in the East Honolulu area so Lani and I can continue to support the club as dance instructors.
New dance classes at the Salt Lake DP starts tonight with the Argentine Tango by Robert and Vanelle Hirayasu, and the International Samba by Richard and Lynn Nakamura, and Thursday night classes with Line Dancing by Roxanne Kaino, followed by the International Waltz by Lester and Henrietta Muramoto. First class starts at 6:45PM but go there early to register.
Please mark your calendar: Dance Magic 808 will have their first social dance at the Palladium (full ballroom) on Sunday, September 30 from 6PM to 9PM.

Dancing In Paradise: The Dragon Ball 2012 Part Two

ACT TWO

The Slow Waltz is one of Lani's and my favorite dances. The Slow Waltz performed by Mimi and Lucas was smooth with a light floating quality. A perfect dance to start Act Two.

The Samba Choreographed by Yanna Samkova sure put these Keikis in the lime light. Their performance was high spirited, colorful and fun to watch.

The Tango choreographed by Lucas Jaime was probably the most stylized and dramatic dance of the showcase. It had drama without the head jerking and with a bit of acting to compliment the Tango . It was different and yet slow enough to appreciate the essence of the Tango and the performers.

If anybody came prepared to steal the spotlight tonight, my money is on Shervelle Bergholz. She had the angles to capture the eyes of the audience. Playing up to the audience as she strut with sex appeal around the dance floor while keeping Lucas waiting to start the Cha Cha. That wowed the crowd. The Cha Cha performance was playful and entertaining to be sure.

Now you gotta take a shine to Rolando and Gloria for their performance of the Samba. They were magnificent in this dance. From start to finish, their facial expression displayed an aura of enjoyment...they were having fun performing in this racy dance. With all the appreciative applause and whooping during and after their performance it's a sure bet that Rolando and Gloria connected with the audience.

The Swing choreographed by Lucas Jaime was another fun dance to watch. It had character with all the ingredients of Lindy Hop and Jitterbug. The lifts were amazing and the dance was performed very very well.

The Viennese Waltz performed by Bella Boyer with Lucas Jaime was classic storybook dance which had a touch of cabaret dancing. At times, it was wild with turns, lifts, and spins but it brought excitement to the dance. A terrific performance. 

General dancing to the music and vocals of the Gonzales continued after the last performance of the showcase. This time with Buffy joining in with Jesse and Jesse Jr.