Grand Opening of The Aloha Dancesport Center

Hello again, dancers and readers of this blog. It's been a long spell since my last entry in the Dance Connection. Goes to show how long that my main squeeze Lani and I have been away from making the rounds of the dance circuit. But we're back! And speaking of "back", my old backbone is almost back in dancing shape and the legs are pretty much happy, also. Being that, we attended the Grand Opening of

Marie & Paul Laderta

Lucas Jaime and Yanna Samkova's Aloha Dancesport Center this past Sunday that's located at 350 Ward Avenue as guests of our gracious friends Paul and Marie Laderta. It was Sunday and there were a lot of parking spaces on the street as well as in the parking lot adjacent to the 350 building.

Admission to the Grand Opening was by invitation only and I could see why as the many guests entered the studio. The "opening" had a formal blessing both outside and within the studio by Kahu Kekuna from Kawaiahao Church. Photos show the guests and Kahu Curt waiting outside the studio on the second floor.

As everyone marched into the studio, Lucas and Yanna were there to greet and welcome each of the guests into their up scale and beautiful dance studio.

Aloha Dancesport Center owners and directors Lucas Jaime

and Yanna Samkova  with Kahu Curt Kekuna

The studio occupies all of the second floor facing Ward Avenue with 5000 square feet (I'm told) of the main dance floor and another room called Studio 2 adjacent to the main studio.  I thought the size of the main studio floor was just as large as the dance floor at the Pacific Beach Grand Ballroom. The studio is air conditioned and has a large TV screen  and mirrors covered all of the west walls.

Kahu Curt Kekuna asked everyone to stand and gather around Yanna  and Lucas

 as he said the blessing  and expounded the virtues of camaraderie.

Among those standing in the crowd were the friendly couple Tami Takisaki and Frank Weight who were sitting at our table. At the front is "Uncle Wes", and in back is Wun Ki, the webmaster for Dance Fever Oahu. 

The buffet dinner was served in Studio 2. It was a spacious room, also.

 DeeJay Lucas Jaime played the very best music for dancing and general dancing continued  before the student dance performance.

After the buffet dinner and general dancing, our host Lucas Jaime who also served as the EmCee  took us on a history journey that covered his and Yanna's life and their dream from New York to the present Grand Opening of their Aloha Dancesport Center. It was a remarkable stroll as they accomplish their goal to open a home base for their dance studio in Honolulu.

Then the showcase of exhibition dancing featured all the students of Divino Ritmo Dance performing with Lucas or Yanna. There were performances by dance couples Edwin and Remy Brion, and Rolando and Gloria Padasdao, and notables Paul and Marie Laderta, David Easa, and Maria Handl (who led the Conga Line Dance during  a short intermission).  The opening act was heart pumping that displayed the skills of the Keiki Dance Troupe that is going to be eye catching as rising stars.

All the performances of the student dancers were brief acts that  included mostly of the Waltz and Cha Cha with a sprinkle of Samba and Jive thrown into the mix. 

Concluding the showcase was the DRD Formation Team It was a sweet ending!.

      General dancing continued till closing at 10:30. Lani and I thank Paul and Marie for inviting us to this milestone Grand Opening of The Aloha Dancesport Center. Our congratulations and best wishes to Lucas and Yanna for accomplishing their dream. The studio is located just across Sports Authority on Ward Avenue.  For more info contact Lucas at: divinoritmo@aol.com or Yanna at: yannajs@gmail.com