The Dance Connection

The 63rd Narcissus Coronation Ball

2012-01-30T16:56:00.001-10:00

Boy, what a night it turned out to be this past Saturday in Waikiki. It's the little adventures that added some sparkle to Lani and me. We hadn't been to the Hilton Hawaiian Village for a big number of moons. Getting there was no problem except when we hit a gridlock at Kapiolani and McCully. So smart as I am (well I think I made a smart move), I pulled out of the left turn lane and headed for Atkinson Drive. Well it seemed like nearly everybody else had the same idea. More traffic but we got to the Hilton HV in plenty of time before the Open Bar opened. Lots of parking spots on the 3rd floor. Of course finding the Coral Ballroom was another task. I think we must've covered the whole acreage of the Village before we seeked help from one of the employees of this massive Village. "Eh, bro az da saym playc way ya wen pak yor car". Good thing, I'm local and can understand pidgin. Getting to the Coral Ballroom on the 6th floor was no problem. Hilton HV had gone high tech with the electronic prepay parking fee machine. Good feature and I believe every hotel needs a high tech device like this to speed the parking lot exit.....but you gotta read the instructions very cafefully if it's your first time use.....otherwise.........

Outside the Coral Ballroom were filled with guys in black suite and tie, and the ladies were mostly duked up in their finest Chinese garments. And the gals in the Coronation party..well pardon my French...OOH LA LA!

The Grand Opening Ceremony started with "24 Seasonal Drums" and "2 Majestic Dragons" performed by Gee Yung International Martial Arts Lion & Dragon Dance Association. The loud drumming was consistant to wake up the dragons that followed.....a Red Dragon and a Green Dragon. A very impressive dance by the young martial artists of one of the oldest martial arts organizations in Hawaii.

Remember my other blog on the Narcissus Coronation Ball about keeping an eye open for the "girl with the dragon tattoo"? Our table was about 10 or 15 yards from the stage but I manage to get close for a candid shot of the lady EmCee, the pretty Stephanie Lum from KHNL/KGMB TV.

It was a huge annual event and there were three distinguished speakers to give the welcome messges.... Mr. John Hui (President of Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii); Mr. Leonard Kam (President-Elect & General Chairman of the 63rd Narcissus Festival); and Honorable Peter Carlisle (Mayor of the City & County of Honolulu).

Mustn 't forget the introduction of some important guests.....too, too many for me to recount. So I leave it to the video guys to hammer that portion out.

There were a lot of beauties parading on the runway to the stage and they look like the royal court of 2011. Again, they were too numerous for a point and shoot camera buff like me. So it's in the hands of the video guys, again.

The invocation was said by 2008 Narcissus 2nd Princess Leilani Soon. Then dinner was served. It may have been a 6 or 7 course Chinese dinner but I lost count after four delicious entries cuz I'm not much of a big eater. Maybe the other nine tablemates were small eaters, too, cuz there were so much leftovers for anyone to scoop up for the next day's dinner.

There was break before the main program started...so Lani and I went gallivanting around the ballroom to see if we can spark anybody we knew. There were some of our dance students scattered all over the place. but most of the hard core dancers were on four tables near the large dance floor. Most of the dancers are members of IBDI, Dance Magic 808, and various dance clubs along the Moanalua Corridor.

The Main Program went smoothly thanks to the expert hands of Lady EmCee Stephanie Lum, and Michele Ching Choy, Chairperson of the Coronation Ball.

The Program opened with a hula dance by the Halau Hula Olana under the direction of Olana Ai. The hula with many dancers performed on the runway and on the stage. It was colorful and well done in unison. There was a solo hula dancer, too, which Lani described her performance as graceful and professional.

The hula performance was followed by the Parade of Past Presidents of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to honor Our Dragon Emperors on the Chambers 100th Anniversary. There were 18 presidents....too many to list here I'll let the photo tell the story.

There was a huge procession featuring the 2012 Narcissus Contestants and the 63rd Narcissus Queen and Court. All of them filled the stage and it was a colorful picture. Mayor Peter Carlisle crowned 63rd Narcissus Queen Tiffany Ho Yun Au as 1st Princess Amanda Mei Ling Wong, 2nd Princess Stephanie Hui Yuan Wang, 3rd Princess Julianne Joo Lai Cheng, and 4th Princess Cherie Oi Mei Ching looked on.

There were a couple of entertainment. Opera singer Bai He sang three operatic songs and she was magnificent. What a beautiful voice and what a treat to hear a singer that gives me chicken-skin. Okay, dat's how magnificent she sang. I didn't quite get a handle on the other act but they received a lot of applauses, too. Maybe a picture of that act can translate into a thousand words.

Richard and Lynn Nakamura of Dance magic 808 had choreographed a Waltz Formation dance for the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Officers and 2012 Narcissus Queen and Court. Participanting officers were President John Hui, President-elect Leonard J.K.H. Kam, Immediate Past President Jeffery D. Lau, Past President Alvin C.P. Wong, and Past President Edward Y.W. Pei. Whether it was nerve-wrecking or joyous for dancing in front of a large audience, it wasn't visible. But the aftermath sure told the story. Outside the ballroom, the Officers and Royal Court were congratulating each other with hugs and compliments for a well performed choreographed dance.

With the program almost coming to an end, I made like a paprazzi and cornered some of the beauties for some photo shoot with the help of Richard and Lynn Nakamura. I don't know if my point and shoot camera photos did any justice for this 63rd Narcissus Coronation Festival but I hope it did. One thing for sure it was a very colorful event with awesome entertainment....a program very well organized.

General dancing till midnight concluded the program. The dance music was chosen by Richard and Lynn and spun by DeeJays from LA Image Mobile Entertainment with a great sound system.

This was Lani and my first time attending a Narcissus Coronation Ball and we were amaze seeing some unusual but colorful ornaments such as the huge umbrella like shade that the Royal attendant is holding and following the Queen, and the foot piece that gave some height to the contestants as they paraded to the stage.

So was the "girl with the dragon tattoo" there? HMMMM!!!
(Left click on photo to zoom in)

IBDI Inaugural Ball Part 2

2012-01-26T15:33:00.000-10:00

Boy, I really overloaded this time. Too many things happening this first month of 2012. The PLATE! The PLATE! Just like what my main squeeze keep warning me...."too much on my plate; goin' take long time to chew down; and can choke if you rush it." Yeah! she one smart wahine. So now I gonna try finish this blog with the utmost care before my plate gets full again.

IBDI Inaugural Ball

2012-01-23T16:25:00.001-10:00

Boy! What a weekend it turned out to be. Sure kept me on my toes and choosing which of the pressing priorities I needed to tackle first on and off cyberspace.. Two birthdays (my beautiful teenage granddaughter and my beautiful first wife...okay just kidding. I mean my beautiful main squeeze forever and ever and forever); a wedding (my son the Defense Lawyer and my new daughter-in-law the Prosecuting Attorney); and the highlights of the IBDI Inaugural Ball at the Pacific Beach Hotel posting on this blog. PRIORITIES! PRIORITIES! Good thing that my main squeeze got us through the first and second stuff on the list. As for a teen age granddaughter, ours was not hard to please, and Lani was satisfied "dancing our a** off" at the IBDI Inaugural Ball and scooping the beautiful centerpiece on our table because her birthday was the closest date to last Friday. Incidentlly, the centerpiece was made and donated by exhibition dancer Emi Matsuoka. We're still experiencing the happiness of the wedding so I'm gonna jump the hurdle to the IBDI extravadanza at the Pacific Beach for now.

Lani and I got to the Pacific Beach Hotel in plenty of time...lots of empty parking spots on the 3rd and 4th floor...almost thought we had the wrong date or wrong hotel. Tom and Bunny were outside the Grand Ballroom when we got to the 7th floor. Chatted a little and then it was time to check in for our table number as more dancers exited the elevator and headed for the ballroom. As usual Dana Morey was manning the Reception Table but this time with a new gal, Barbara Troegner. And as usual, there's always a big smile with a welcome and "thank you for coming to our dance". Inside the ballroom, Eugene Shen ushered us to our table. Still early so Lani and I cruised around to say hello to some friends till our tablemates arrived....Richard and Lynn, Noli and Wowee, Derrick and Kieko, and Wayne and Joyce. Lani and I got to make words with the IBDI Dance Director Steven Sambrano, too, before warming up on the dance floor.

Tonight at the "Ball" was for the installation of the 2012 IBDI Officers and Board of Directors and to acknowledge the services of key volunteers who were retiring.....the gracious Grace Nohara (1st VP), and the dazzling Dance Director Renna Villanueva .....there may be others.

It's never a dull moment when you have an EmCee that can keep the heartbeat beating at a high level and there have been several at many events such as tonight. But tonight, IBDI got one of the best in Shari Berinobis. This lady EmCee got the know-how on how to keep the "ball" rolling with humor and authority throughout the evening. Lots of time and space for dancing before the program starts. And again IBDI hit the jackpot in getting Henry Lee and Jane Umeda to DeeJay. The music selections were great for dancing and the sound system even better.

Shirley Zhuang said the invocation with spirited words before the grindz time. As usual, PBH buffet was onolicious. More general dancing continued during dinner time and before the Installation of Officers.

Shawn Ching, TV Newscaster and personality was introduced by Shari to officiate the installation of officers. Not missing a beat, Shari added some bio of Shawn as a sports figure at the UH, a business lawyer, and married to Stephanie (?). Anyway Shawn maneuvered his way through the installation with skill and precision and the installation was all pau without any hitch. The officers for 2012 are Christopher Jay (Prez), Marsha Ninomiya (1st VP), Steven Sambrano (2nd VP and Dance Director), Barbara Troegner (Secretary), and Shirley Zhuang (Treasurer). The Board of Directors are Karen Choy, Robert Diana, Arnold Lee, Edward Matsuda, Dana Morey, and Eugene Shen.

With the BIG business already done, it was time for the BIG man to get hold of the mike. Prez Chris was eloquent in his President's Message. A year had passed with good vibes and there are some changes in store for the 2012 year. Got some new officers and some new members for the Board of Directors. Marsha Ninomiya takes over where Grace Nohara left off. That's gonna be a big shoes for Marsha to fill but knowing her, she's got that go get'um spirit and you can expect to see some big things happening in 2012.

Okay, it was time for the fun to begin. Shari got all the 2012 Officers and Board Members to start off the SNOWBALL dance. I couldn't hide behind the camera cuz my shutterbug friend aka Charlene Jay made a beeline for me as Prez Chris Jay took Lani on the dance floor. The SNOWBALL dance is so much fun especially when the dances are the Cha Cha or the Rumba.

Then it was SHOWTIME! Part I. There were a variety of Professionals in the exhibition dances. It was good having to begin with a dance that have so much power....the Samba. Professional Carlos Chang and Charlotte Bugarin were magnificent in this fast moving dance.

(To be continued. So stay tuned for more coverage on the Exhibition Dance Showcase. Left click on photos to zoom in)

USA Dance January Blast

2012-01-09T23:29:00.000-10:00

Gotta thank Glenn for keeping this weblog in the loop on how USA Dance fared at their January dance this past Saturday at the Palladium. If you missd the BLAST, no hu hu! There's another one coming up in March. (Left click on Glenn's e-mail)

Line Dancing With Salome

2012-01-06T18:56:00.003-10:00

It's Friday morning and the day looking to be a nice sunny day and a good time to go holo holo with my main squeeze Lani. Last week, we headed towards Kailua town and the traffic was slow going from the Castle Junction all the way on Kailua Road. Lots of new shops since we last visited Kailua but with no where to park, we headed to Kaneohe town. Nice drive but nothing new to see. We hadn't hit Like Like Hwy for ages and it was a nice cruise and scenery. But today, our best bet was to consult the MidWeek on where to cruise. We hadn't seen our long time friend Salome in many moons. You know the gal that spices up the dancing StepTaculars on stage, a member of the Red Hats, and sometimes she's a blond ooh la la? Okay, all kidding aside. Good friend Salome opened a new 8-weeks Line Dance Class for Seniors at the New Hope Diamond Head Auditorium in Kahala Mall this morning at 10:30 to 11:30. The hitch is that you gotta be 60 or plus for the $1/hour good deal and a one-time registration fee of 5 bucks. Best thing about it is that it's in the morning. You can reach Salome at 737-4596 for more info.

My main squeeze decided to join in with the other 16 line dancers in this nice spacious air conditioned
auditorium. Salome is such a good teacher that she gave more than dance steps. As with all her classes, there's a little light chat to get everyone comfortable. Then there's the warm-up exercise with isolation and stretching before the first step is taught; followed by a multitude of full body movements while dancing, and at the end of the session, there's always the cool down movements. The class runs every Friday morning till February 24.

IBDI New Year Ball

2012-01-01T04:42:00.002-10:00

Lani and I were looking forward to this IBDI last dance of 2011 and ringing in the new year with the New Years Ball at the Pacific Beach Hotel this past Saturday. It was a beautiful afternoon (Lani's words) and the drive from Hawaii Kai to Waikiki was a breeze. Parking at the hotel wasn't a problem tho' we were parked on the 4th floor garage. Two of IBDI's four best greeters greeted us at the ballroom entrance....friendly and always with a "glad to see you" smile..Dana and Delia.

We were a bit early so we hung around the lanai and made small chat with other dancers and guest
as they arrived. DeeJays Henry and Jane were still setting up for the long haul till midnight. But as soon as the music came on and tickled the ears of the dancers, the dance floor drew a lot of dancers. Henry and Jane did not disappoint with their rotating tempo from Slow Dancing to the High Powered Samba. The good dance music must've got to them, too, and it was good to see Henry and Jane dancing together.

EmCee for the evening was IBDI Prez Chris Jay who handled the 6 hour wait to the New Year with ease...sprinkling a fun program with games along with general dancing. But first, a huge welcome to all and a promise to make it a fun evening till the stroke of midnight. And that he did. Chris also said the invocation before the buffet dinner. Recognition and well deserved praises were given to 1st VP Grace Nohara who was a long time volunteer for IBDI and will be officially retiring at the end of 2011.

Gracious Grace Nohara has been the backbone of IBDI's organizing system. Her presence and friendly nature has always made guests and visiting professional dance teachers feel comfortable. Her organizational skills have brought professional exhibition dancers to perform for IBDI Showcases. Some as far as from Japan. She will be sorely missed.

General Dancing

No New Years Ball should fade away without a King and Queen. There was no primary or general election. Knowing how to dance was not a prerequisite. In order to gain the royal status, the winners had to have the lucky ticket number. For 2011 Ball, the lucky ticket holders were "King" Eugene Shen, and "Queen" Anna Kim. To seal the title of royal couple, Eugene and Anna had to dance around the ballroom floor to a Waltz. They danced beautifully with loud vocal encouragement from the audience.

One of the fun games resembled small kid time "Ring Around The Rosy" but more adult way. Since approx. 170 dances and guests couldn't be on the dance floor at one time, certain table numbers were called to participate. The objective was to rotate around the circle as the music played on (guys clockwise and gals counterclockwise) and when the music stopped, the couple facing each other was dance partners number 1. And it went on till there were three partners for each couple. I think it was a test for memory. The fun followed with couples dancing the Rumba, Cha Cha, and the Waltz. The remaining table numbers did the same routine.

More General Dancing

Another fun game was the Horse Shoe Dance. It brought nearly all the
guests and dancers on the floor to participate. Could it be that the $5
award to the couple that were at the starting gate when the music
stopped was a brilliant incentive? It was fun and a lot of $5 bills
were awarded out to the lucky couples.

Not to be outdone by the Horse Shoe Dance, the Snowball
was equally with incentives. When the music stopped, the person
dancing with a partner whose name was called out received a
$5 gift certificate to Zippy's Restaurant.

More General Dancing

(aka Jen Ken Po)

1st to 5th Place Winners of the Jen Ken Po Game

More General Dancing

This was a fun game that Lani and I put our hearts and

lungs to, whole heartily (pardon da pun). Had two chances

to inflate the balloons and attempt to burst them using our

tummys but was not successful. However it brought a lot of

laughter when my round balloons turned to pear shape.

Sure enough, there was a "Grand Prize" to the lucky ticket number holder.

More General Dancing

At the stroke of midnight, Derrick uncorked the bottle of
champagne (?) and we toasted to the New Year with those little
pop makers and singing "Auld Lang Syne". However the program did
not end there. Everyone met on the dance floor, forming a circle,
and holding hands. Lani and I had never experienced this wonderful
way of bidding "A Happy New Year" to everyone. It was like a Tsunami
rushing across the dance floor to brush cheeks with the gals and wishing
"A Happy New Year" to the guys. We must have done the Tsunami Rush
at least 10 times but then who's counting when you're having fun!

To Prez Chris Jay, Charlene, Grace, behind-scene volunteers, and
the Event Organizing Committee: the program, the dance music
arrangement, the games, and the ono buffet was very well put
together. And from the joys and laughter heard from all the guests
and dancers who were present, it was an enjoyable sendoff for
Year 2011 and welcoming the 2012 New Year!

(left click on photo to zoom in)

IBDI Christmas Ball

2011-12-18T12:46:00.000-10:00

Getting to the Palladium was no problem. It was Saturday and the drive from Hawaii Kai was a breeze. Walking up to the second floor of the Palladium, we met a few friends along the way. First stop was getting our bento. (only those who purchased tickets presale were handed the bento). Incidently, IBDI had served the best tasting bento and snacks this evening with Okinawa donuts. On the serving line was an old friend Marie Pereirra, and Elliot Oshiro. A lot of dancers and guests were already seated at the tables that were set up on the lanai and chumping down the ono teriyaki steak, breaded chicken slices, fish cake, potato salad on a bed of white rice and an Okinawa donut to boot. The doors were not open to the ballroom yet after dinner but standing in line to get in wasn't a waste of time. Lani and I got to make small chat with some of our friends and new acquaintances.

At the reception table were Dana Morey, a sweet lady that you see at most every IBDI events greeting comers and newcomers alike, and Fred Weddle. The dance floor was starting to heat up when Lani and got to our seats. DeeJays Henry Lee and Jane were already keeping the beat of the music at full swing and the floor started to get a bit crowded.

EmCee for the event was Chris Jay, Prez of IBDI. First on the agenda was to give recognition to three officers of IBDI who had volunteered with their whole hearted services throughout the years and now retiring from service.....Paul Araki (Auditor), Renna Villanueva (2nd VP and Dance Director), and Grace Nohara (1st VP). Then Grace took to the mike and introduced all the 0n-the-scene and behind-the-scene volunteers who worked to make IBDI a successful club.
Two go-gethers who are well known in the dance community who helps with the ticket sales were also recognized......Herbert Omizo and Annie Ferguson. Lucky numbers were called for the numerous door prizes during the program.

The showcase of Exhibition Dancing started with the Carlos Chang Group Formation performing a dance called "The Lion King". Now that's Show Biz! with the flavor of a Broadway Show and a welcome addition to a Dance Exhibition Showcase. The dancers performed superbly and the dance was very well choreographed by Carlos Chang with a great musical score that brought life, enjoyment, and entertainment.

After the heart-beating performance of the Lion King came a seductive Rumba danced by Robert Schiff and Renna Villanueva. It had a good measure of lifts, drops, and techniques that kept the heart-beat to continue. Both Robert and Renna are dynamic showcase performers and it carried on during the entire performance. Carried? Yes, Robert carried Renna onto and off the ballroom floor. And that's romantic!
Sergio Villanueva and Rosy Schiff came on strong with a spunky Jive with dips and twirls that delighted the crowd. It was fiery and fearless and very well performed.

Closing the exhibition part of the program was the Quickstep danced by members of IBDI and Dance Magic 808 and choreographed by Richard and Lynn Nakamura. It was dazzling and quick moving and danced with precision. Like a flower that blooms to life, the 14 members were excellent in performing a cluster and then blossoming out in this fast Quickstep.

The program was still in full swing after the Quickstep performance. All the dancers in the showcase were asked to remain on the dance floor and participate in the "Snowball Dance"......aka the "Icebreaker Dance". It was a Cha Cha and that brought nearly everyone on the dance floor including me who was picked by that good-looking blonde in the green gown in the above photo. Lani was scooped away by Tom Yoneyama who was in the Lion King Formation.

It was a well organized and an enjoyable Christmas Ball.......general dancing, good music, ono bento and snacks, and an entertaining showcase. Much kudos to the Officers, Board of Directors, and the many on-the-scene and behind-the-scene faithful volunteers of IBDI that made it so for the more than 400 dancers and guests who attended.

Dance Magic 808 Christmas Party & Dance

2011-12-17T14:35:00.000-10:00

It's da "Glasses"
Photo courtesy Charlene Jay

Talk about Filipino Time. You know what I mean....getting to the party half an hour late. (I know what it means because us Filipinos try rush but sometimes no can get there in time). Traffic was at a stand still most of the way from Hawaii Kai....on Kalanianaole Hwy and on the H1. Getting off the H1 via the School St. Offramp and then head to Ft. Shafter was my tactical move but alas the right lane was clear for a fast getaway direct to the Ft. Shafter Offramp. Lani and I got to the Hale Ikena 30 minutes late but so did a lot of others who trailed behind me at the Ft. Shafter Maingate.

The sweet sounds of Henry and Joanne Rimas music was echoing from the ballroom. There were at least 110 dancers and guests in attendance for this first Dance Magic 808 Christmas Party & Dance. The meat of this event was also to give recognition to all the dance instructors who volunteered to teach for this newly formed dance club. Before I go any further, I gotta thank Chris and Charlene Jay, Prez and First Lady of IBDI who were at the party for sharing the photo of me and my main squeeze. Okay, no laugh out loud. Charlene is a shutterbug and a good one too especially at dance events. The photo is priceless since I'm always behind the camera and I had forgotten wearing the glasses with blinking lights and windshield wipers at the IBDI dance in October.

General dancing continued with the sound of Christmas tunes and other popular dance music. Henry and Joanne have got the right selection of music for this seasonal occasion. EmCee was Audrey Fu who is on the DM808 Board of Directors. Like a true lady with CEO experience, she outlined the program with humor which brought good feeling laughs. The program began with Christmas tunes sung by Kim Anderson who Audrey described as a beautiful singer. Yes, she is beautiful and her singing voice is way above beauty, too.....da kine that is worth paying big bucks to listen to. Kim also treated the audience with two more renditions during the intermission. Invocation was said by Millie Chun who expressed words of wisdom, thankfulness, and blessings for all present regardless of which dance club they belong.

More dancing after the buffet dinner and then it was time to introduce the Officers and Board of Directors of Dance Magic 808.....Lynn Nakamura (President), Richard Nakamura (VP and Dance Director), Candace Yap (Secretary), and Richard Nakamura (Treasurer). Board of Directors are Audrey Fu, and Gail Tamaribuchi.

The Dance Instructors got lei-d (pardon the pun). Among them were Richard and Lynn Nakamura (International Style), Andy and Monica Pascua (American Latin and Filipino Tango), Frank and Lani Sierra (American Style and Night Club Latin), Robert and Vanelle Hirayasu (Argentine Tango), Roxanne Kaino and Elsie McGrew (Line Dance), Joshua Manzano and Stephanie Shimizu (Night Club 2 Step and Hustle), and Lester and Henrietta Muramoto (International Style). Joshua was still on the mainland and did not attend.

It was a luau style dinner.....tasty and onolicious that filled the opu comfortably. The program included a sparkling Filipino Tango exhibition dance by Andy and Monica Pascua, and an exciting International Tango by Gayle Kawahakui and Jun.

To get everyone onto the dance floor, Richard and Lynn led a circle of dancers and guests in a group dance. It was fun changing partners as the dance went full circle during the entire time of the music. Along with Lani,
I can say that I danced with nearly all the ladies that evening. The Dance Magic 808 Christmas Party & Dance turned out to be a funfest and much kudos go to Richard and Lynn, and the support committee for making it so.

Rockin' Down The House with The Wasabi Band

2011-12-09T19:36:00.000-10:00

Wow! WASABI is really Rockin' Down The House!. They played at the ST. Louis Alumni Clubhouse last night and......well here's Doreen the Leader of the band with the hot stuff................

Thank you to all who joined us at St. Louis Alumni last night, and a GIGANTIC mahalo to Garry Moore, who really DID IT again!!! He worked his magic and had everyone mesmerized with his talent & charm! Everyone seemed to get into a frenzy on the dance floor with all the energy that Garry brings to his performance of Little Richard, Elvis, & Jerry Lee Lewis songs. Mahalo to Stuart's friends, Sylvia, Ora, & Marilyn for the onolicious box of Fujiya mochi, and to Onee-chan, Sharon Nakai, for the very suggestive "peaches" manju. They just did not appeal to ME, but they sure had some alluring effects on Milton & Steve, so I let them "eat" 'em! LOL! At our age, that's as much as they can handle anyway...HA!

Dot's In Wahiawa, here we come again! We'll be at Dot's tmrw nite (Saturday, December 10th) from 7:30-10:30 p.m., so if your batteries are still charged up, come on up to Wahiawa. Don't forget to bring your jackets, or sweaters, cuz Wahiawa gets pretty cool at night during the winter months. Hope you all can make it!

Love from me & da boyz,
Doreen

Divino Ritmo "Neon Lights" The Call of Broadway

2011-12-06T20:29:00.000-10:00

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 DeeJay for the evening was Michael Yap who was assisted earlier by Derrick as dancers and guests trickled into the ballroom. Michael's brand of music was great and it brought a multitude of dancers to fill the dance floor.

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.

A Word of Thanks from Doreen

2011-11-29T01:19:00.000-10:00

Wow! Looks like everyone had a smashing time with the WASABI at Dot's in Wahiawa this past weekend. Well, there's more WASABI happenings coming up in December. Yeah! Doreen has got the schedule for you 50's & 60's Oldies lovers. So after you finish reading Doreen's letter of thanks, go check out R's recap of Saturday night blast at Dot's in TOWN DANCER.........

Thank you to all who joined us at Dot's in Wahiawa this past Saturday evening, and a BIG MAHALO to Garry Moore for jumping in for a set. We got lots of kudos from people whfinisho picked up on the HIGH ENERGY of the evening! Special thanks also goes to my big sisters, Sharon Harvey & Sandy Perreira, for helping me with Milton's candy favors & his birthday cupcakes. Of course, we would not have had such a great night without ALL of YOU there, so THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !!!

Here is where we'll be in December:
- Fri. Dec. 02: Ige's Restaurant & 19th Puka (8:30-11:30 p.m.) You guys know the drill: let me know if you need seats by Wednesday, if possible.
- Thu. Dec. 08: St. Louis Alumni (7:00-10:00 p.m.)
- Sat. Dec. 10: Dot's In Wahiawa (7:30-10:30 p.m.)
- Fri. Dec. 23: Dot's In Wahiawa (7:30-10:30 p.m.) Celebrating Christmas with WASABI !

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all !!!
Love from me & da boyz,
Doreen

Kauai Ballroom Dance Club 7th Anniversary Ball

2011-10-25T23:41:00.045-10:00

Lani and I heard that the best restaurant for breakfast was at the TIP TOP Restaurant in Lihue. So our driver and travel agent, Roy Hamasaki, got all of us (Roy & Sandy, Andy & Monica, Wayne & Joyce, and Lani & me) piled into the van for the long ride from Wailua to Lihue. The ride wasn't as long as the ride the day before and it was comfortable. Okay, now we know where to grind whenever we are in Kauai 'cause the food was onolicious. I gotta tell you that this is the place to go fo' order "soft scrambled eggs" for breakfast.

OKAY, LONG STORY SHORT. Gotta get ready for the big dance at the Hyatt Resort & Spa in Poipu. Traffic wasn't as bad as the day before..maybe because it was Saturday. Got to the Hyatt in plenty of time. Lani and I were pretty excited because coming to Kauai for the Kauai Ballroom Dance Club 7th Anniversary was a new experience for us.

The Ballroom was BIG and the dance area was the largest square-shaped dance floor that I've ever seen.....a dance floor that is best for exhibition and competitive dancing and including social dancing. But wait...gotta check in at the Reception Table (RT) for table assignment.

The Hanapepe Chapter was in charge of the Picnic and the Ball this year. So it wasn't a surprise to see Alton and Lynette Miyamoto who we met at the Picnic manning the RT, along with Mike and Lisa Martin, and Cornelia Works.

Okay, back to the ballroom. The sound system and the dance music was top-notch...you know da kine dat you can hear and feel da beat and rhythm deep inside you. I looked for the DeeJay to congratulate him or her for such excellent selection of dance music. But no such luck until Glenda Tamashiro told me that there is no DeeJay and that the music is coming from the I-Pod located on the side of the stage. What a genius idea by choreographer Roy Tamashiro of Hanapepe Chapter to program the dance music on a media equipment.

General dancing continued non-stop throughout the evening with short breaks for the showcase of exhibition dances by the Hanapepe Chapter, Dance Magic 808, the Lihue Chapter, a solo by Richard and Lynn Nakamura, an impromptu West Coast Swing by the Kilauea Dance Club, North Shore Dance Club, and Koloa Dance Club, and a speech from the Kauai Mayor who also sang "The Maui Waltz" as dancers got on the dance floor. There were few seat-warmers at this event but even they couldn't resist the call of 'The Electric Slide'. Even the Mayor got into rhythm of it.

EmCees for the event were Tony Romo and Elisa Delgado. Tony, an elegant speaker kept the program moving along smoothly while Elisa handled the music during the Showcase.

Blessings was said by Napua Romo and it was time to hit the buffet line. The music was non-stop, so those who waited their turn to get to the buffet line were burning the dance floor with full vigor.....the swing, the cha cha, the hustle, the mambo, the Viennese waltz, the quickstep, the merengue and the list goes on and on because the music never stopped.

The Showcase of Exhibition Dances went very well and I could see the long hours of hard work and practices paid-off in the performances. The colorfull costumes worn by the dancers really added flavor to the exhibition dancing. Congratulations with a big mahalo to all of them and also to the Hanapepe Chapter of the Kauai Ballroom Dance Club Anniversary Ball Committee for bringing enjoyment and entertainment to this wonderful event.

The Hanapepe Chapter danced the East Coast Swing choreographed by Roy and Glenda Tamashiro. The dancers in the routine were Collin Dana & Paula Schultz, Tomas & Adela Chavez, Taylor Campbell & Lynn Jackson, Dan & Cornelia Works, Dennis Lo & Violet Bucao, John & Brenda Visitacion, and Roy & Glenda Tamashiro.

Dance Magic 808 danced the Internationall Quickstep choreographed by Richard and Lynn Nakamura. Dancers in the routine were Noli & Wowie Boado, Richard & Lynn Nakamura, Ed & Candy Matsuda, and Larry Arinaga & Candace Yap.

The Lihue Chapter danced the Rumba choreographed by Ken & Ellen Kitabayashi. Dancers in the routine were Medina & Bryson Cabalteja, Marites & Tom Yano, Doug Duvauchelle & Jeanette Bonilla, Eddie & Fely Ibanez, Millie & Juanito Duarosan, and Ken & Ellen Kitabayashi.

Closing the Showcase was a Solo International Foxtrot & Tango Medley by Richard and Lynn Nakamura of Dance Magic 808.

The Kauai Ballroom Dance Club 7th Anniversary Ball, and Picnic was very well planned by the Hanapepe Chapter and I believe everyone was hep to the music and dance. The buffet was onolicious and all the people in attendance were very friendly.

A big mahalo to Grace Takabayashi and Marie Laderta who kindly shared some of their photos of the Picnic and the Ball on this blogsite.

Eleven o'clock came along real soon and it was time to leave the Hyatt for the trip back to Wailua. We did think about stopping for coffee at Big Mac but after a night of good fun and vigorous dancing and socializing with friendly people we gave a second thought to bettah "no need caffeine" this time. Well dat's all fo' now till the Kauai Ballroom Dance Club 8th Anniversary Ball next year! Aloha and keep on dancing!
(Left click on photo to zoom in)

Mahalo from Richard & Lynn Nakamura

2011-10-25T01:10:00.006-10:00

Hi Everyone,
We want to thank you for all your support of Dance Magic 808, especially to those of you who were able to attend the Kauai Ballroom Dance Club's picnic and Anniversary Ball this past weekend. We know not everyone could make it to Kauai but we know that you were all there in spirit and giving us your support.

At the picnic we had such onolicious food and games that were so much fun that everyone had a good time and a lot of laughs.

Saturday night at Kauai Ballroom Dance Club's 7th Anniversary Ball was an evening to remember at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu. This was the first time the Anniversary Ball was held there and it was the first time the Hanapepe Chapter handled this affair. They did a really good job. The Lihue Chapter handled the ball in previous years and they too did a wonderful job.

Dance Magic 808 was well represented at the picnic and at the ball. We had 36 people from Oahu who were instructors, students and friends of Dance Magic 808. At the picnic, the Dance Magic 808 purple shirts looked awesome and everyone who wore them looked great. We had a lot of compliments about our shirts.

Our Dance Magic 808 group dancers (Noli & Wowie Boado, Ed & Candy Matsuda, Larry Arinaga & Candace Yap, and Richard & Lynn Nakamura) did a really good quickstep performance. They all looked really elegant and sophisticated in their beautiful gowns and tuxedos/coats.

We did our solo International Foxtrot and Tango medley. The audience really liked our Dance Magic 808 performances as well as the Hanapepe & Lihue Chapter group routines.

For over 10 years we have been friends with the Kauai people and have supported them by attending and performing every year since they formed their Kauai Ballroom Dance Club. The Kauai people are very gracious, honest, hardworking, and good hearted people and we are so very fortunate to have them as our friends.

We hope next year we'll be able to have an even bigger group attend their anniversary ball.

Thank you all for your support.
Richard & Lynn Nakamura
www.dancemagic808.wordpress.com
phone: 808-372-2256 (Lynn)

Kauai Ballroom Dance Club Picnic

2011-10-24T00:27:00.025-10:00

My apologies to Alton Miyamoto for not recognizing him as the conductor of the "Know Your Partner" contest. Thanks to Gracie Takabayashi for sending me the correction. But no huhu, we goin' hear more about Roy Tamashiro later. So this is an updated blog with names of the couple that won the "Know Your Partner" contest.....

The long awaited day finally arrived and Lani and I were on HAL flight to Kauai for the Kauai Ballroom Dance Club 7th Anniversary Ball. It was a late afternoon flight but the plane was packed to capacity with tourists, people returning back home to Kauai, and a whole bunch of dancers from IBDI and Dance Magic 808 and maybe some non-member dancers who just like to travel to go dancing. I get the feeling that Lani and I could be included in that last category, too. Took just about 30 minutes of flight time to get to the Garden Island and no sooner after we landed, we were off to meet our ride (by our friend and travel agent Roy Hamasaki and wife Sandy) to the Marriott Courtyard in Wailua. I guess Lani and I were too excited about this trip that we almost forgot to claim our one luggage. Good thing we had to pass the Claim Luggage area before departing the airport....would've been a disaster if we left without our luggage and went to the picnic and the dance with the same clothes we arrived with. AUWE! Got to the Marriott with enough time to check in and then scoot off to the picnic at Poipu Beach Park. Took about a 45-minute ride but the scenery along the way was fabulous. It's been nearly 20 years since Lani and I visited Kauai and I gotta say there's been a lot of changes since then.

The picnic was well planned by the KBDC and hosted by the Hanapepe Chapter. Onolicious home-cooked buffet and a few over-the-counter pastries for dessert but mostly home-baked. It was an atmosphere of of home-style and family-style get together. This is where we met for the first time the "Big Whips" of the Lihue Chapter and the Hanapepe Chapter. "Big Whips" sounds too bossy for the Officers of those dance clubs. They were a friendly bunch and "Friendly Hosts" would be a more appropriate description. And then there was Gracie Takabayashi, a fan of my blogs and a shutterbug like me but I gotta confess that she is moreso than me. Her camera worked overtime at the picnic as well as at the "Ball" which is a sign of a good photographer.
After the ono buffet dinner, it was time for small speeches like welcome kine by Dan Works, President of the Hanapepe Chapter.

Then the fun began with the Ballroom Dance Bingo game. Whoever devised the game must've gone through the Dictionary of Dance to get all the names used in ballroom dancing. The game was a brilliant idea and kudos to the person who came up with this akamai game. There were four winners for the Bingo game that received prizes.

More games followed. One in particular was "Find Your Partner". Everyone was given a name tag with names of characters from a movie or fairy tale and we had to find a matching partner. There were about 50 people at the picnic and it took a while finding the corresponding partner.

There were five couple winners in this game and just happened that Rhett (dat's me) and Scarlett (Napua) found each other and won a prize of packaged candies. Lani (Princess Leia) and Tomas (Hans Solo) just missed the count by a few seconds.

Glenda Tamashiro, Secretrary of the Hanapepe Chapter was the "Prize Lady" who gave out all the prizes to the lucky winners of all the games.

Alton Miyamoto conducted the "Know Your Partner" contest where couples would stand back to back and raise their hand if the answer pertaining to the question was mostly about them. The elimination went quickly but a young couple, Lynn Jackson and Taylor Campbell, who remained standing won the prize.
Goes to show that "they knew who buys more dance shoes" and "who remembers most of the dance steps", for example. Congrats to the attractive couple who knew each other very well.

There were so much food left over that it was time to dig up the "doggy bag". I know, I know! es not a nice word to use but you know what I mean. The pastries I managed to take was a welcomed midnight snack after our one-stop to McDonald's along the way back to the Marriott for a hot cup of coffee.

It was a big and tiring day for Lani and me but the excitement of the trip, the friendly people and games at the picnic took time for us to cool down to a slower pace. I didn't get to sleep until past 2AM Saturday morning. Then the phone rang at 7:30AM from Sandy..."you want to go eat breakfast?" Another day of sunshine and another story to tell but later........
(Left click on photo to zoom in).

Halloween Costume Contest @IBDI Monthly Dance

2011-10-18T16:03:00.019-10:00

IBDI held its monthly dance this past Saturday at the Palladium. It was a combination of Business Meeting for the Election of Officers for the 2012 year, a Recognition for October Birthees, and an early Halloween Costume Contest plus Social Dancing. Quiet a large package for one night but enough time to bring some fun dancing for the number of dancers who came to dance and that's including some of my dance students. The election of officers went smoothly, and the recognition for the October birthday gals and guys received a lot of applauses.

This year's Halloween Costume Contest brought in some unusual characters including Superheroes, Fairy Tales personalities, scary ghouls, Hollywood celebrities, and an "Outer Space" pink gal and a pink Gummy. OOOOPS! He did look like a Gummy character but in pink, and again maybe not. So I leave it in the eyes of you readers to guess. Anyway, the "Outer Space" couple won the 1st prize and I'm guessing that I met that cute space gal somewhere. Hmmmm! I didn't get the chance to congratulate the lucky couple 'cause they were gone in a flash of light....like being beamed back to the spaceship??? Auwe! But you gotta applaud all of them who participated in the costume contest for bringing joy and entertainment to the dance.
General Dancing with music by DeeJay Henry Lee continued on with a short break with the Horseshoe Icebreaker Dance. That brought a whole lot of the seatwarmers on the dance floor. More general dancing continued during the snack break and I gotta say that the sandwich was one of the best I've eaten...simply onolicious.

Rocking & Rolling @The Nifty 50's& 60's Oldies Bash

2011-10-15T12:08:00.027-10:00

The crowd and the nostalgia were fully present this past Friday at the 2011 NIFTY 50's & 60's Oldies Bash at the Pacific Beach Hotel Grand Ballroom. There were more than the expected 400 hard core dancers considering the three to four deep rows of tables that surrounded the dance floor. Lani and I were seated at Table #69 and there were more numbers following into the 70's and beyond with 10 guests to a table.
I got an e-mail from Sharon Uesugi that parking at the PB is gonna be at a premium with alternate parking at the Waikiki Banyan. Not taking a chance of not finding a parking spot, Lani and I got to the PB a little after 4PM. Fortunately, we got a space on the 4th floor and I gotta tell you that there were more cars after us.
The outside of the ballroom was fully decorated with 50's & 60's memorabilias including life-like posters of Marilyn Monroe and the King, Elvis Presily. A lot of the guy-helpers were dressed like the Fonz with the tidal wave hair-do.

The gals were pretty nifty, too, with their poodle skirts and pigtail hair-do. The gals that greeted Lani and me didn't look like they were old enough to be products of half a century ago but they sure looked cute and nifty and played their role to a "T".
The ballroom was fully decorated that brought memories of the Rock & Roll era.....very colorful. And much credit for this well organized annual event should go to Chairperson Wendell Kwan, the Officers, and his excellent Committee members.

DeeJay for the event was Douglas T. Oshiro of Tapestry. His wife Lisa was also on hand to assist (sorry I didn't get a shot of her). None-the-less the tempo of the music was inviting for Lani and me. No one got on the dance floor at first but the tempo of the Cha Cha got to my dancing feet....then the Rumba, the Swing, and the NightClub Two Step. More dancers got on the floor and the beat went on and on non-stop.

Being a native son of Maui, Lani and I got to meet five nifty gals from Maui High School, a guy and a gal from Kaimuki HS, and two guys from Waimea HS in Kauai.

Lenny Ho who sat at our table with friend Yvonne entered the costume contest and won first prize for his 50's Fonzie look...black jacket, and tidal wave hair-do and all. They are from Kaimuki High School.

There was more than that meets the eye especially when the gals found a guy in the Ladies Restroom. Nah! it wasn't a guy.....only a gal with bulging muscles that burst out of her T-shirt sleeves and a painted moustache above her lips. Scary for the gals but Lani thought a shot of "her" would be an amusing touch for the blog. So it was time to have a little fun....of course Lani insisted that I be in the photo, too. Auwe! Boy! what sacrifices a husband has to do for his main squeeze.

And the beat went on as more dancers crowded the no-room-to-dance floor before the program started. The tempo was heated up with the Twist, the Monkey, the Mash Potato, the Continental, the Rock & Roll, etc. Tom Moffet's presence and voice sure added color to the hip music.

A well deserved break from the maddening crowd came when the Chairperson, Wendell Kwan opened the program with a "Welcome Speech". "He's da Man who has been spearheading "da Bash" every year.

EmCee was Champ, OC16 TV Personality. He was hilarious with the ground rules and the warnings for those who came with oxygen-breathing equipment or on wheelchairs. He kept the program really alive and moving....he was an all-around guy who sees all and knows all about seniors who goes to McDonalds and warning them not to steal the condiments. Whooo boy! Dis guy got eyes behind his head, too.

Okay, it was time to grind after all the energy spent on dancing. Invocation was said by Sharon Feetham.....short and sweet...I liked that.
More NightClub dancing.....Electric Slide, Boogie, Twist, Hand Jive, Salsa, Cha Cha, Swing, Bunny Hop, NightClub Two Step, etc.
An Elvis impersonator belted a romantic tune that made some of the ladies swoon and go ga-ga. And if breaking a sweat or dancing your A** Off for the night was your desire...THIS was it!

So far no Nifty 50's & 60's Oldies Bash is pau without a costume contest..ja like last year. I was happy to see that friends Deanie Bates of Aiea Dance Club, Lenny Ho, Yvonne Dias, Gayle Handa, and the "muscle gal" Melanie entered.
Contest judges were Carol Kai and Melveen Leed. There were more gals than guys in the contest but there were only three winners in each group that received prizes. But all was not lost...every ticket holder got a Nifty 50's & 60's Oldies Bash music CD. Including the take home fabulous centerpieces, everyone was a winner. We got the towering red polk dot balloon. I gotta say that Lani and I accomplished our desire to burn our A** Off and it now was time to hit the road for home.

Another thing...the event was closed to "walk in's"....only those guest who were registered and wearing name badges were allowed into the ballroom. So if you're eyeing up for next years "Bash" be sure to register early. Bettah yet..as soon as the poster or announcement is made public. Neva can tell when the total numbers goin' reach the closing point. Much kudos to Chairperson Wendell Kwan, the Officers, and the guys and gals of the 2011 Nifty 50's & 60's Oldies Bash Committee for a very well planned and entertaining event and most of all for bringing back the "Happy Days".

USA Dance Rocks @The Palladium

2011-10-03T19:51:00.003-10:00

Wow! Thanks to Glenn Okazaki, Carl and Gayle we're getting some feedback on "wat's goin' on afta da fack". Okay, you guys and gals know what I mean. I bettah get dis on da hotwire pronto before my friend Calvin, so go on and read Glenn's e-mail ..........

Hi Frank and Calvin,
Can you guys insert this into your blogs? It’s an email I got from our members who attended our last dance in September. They have nothing but great things to say about the dance.
Thanks,
GlennO

September 24’s USA Dance social at the palladium started off with a “bang” … and it never stopped! Really … the music was awesome, from the very first dance to the last … and we honestly did not want to go home. I remember Warwick telling us once that the music is your third partner … and boy, did we have a great third partner that night! It was definitely a night to remember. Thank you, DJ Gary Kawasaki … you “ROCK!”

It was also nice to see some of the contenders to the Hawaii Star Ball “strutting their stuff” that night, getting ready for the grueling week ahead. They all looked great!

And by the way, we just heard there’s another fun dance scheduled for this Friday, October 7 at the palladium. Please don’t miss out, okay? It’s guaranteed to please!

Carl and Gayle

The Good Life Expo

2011-09-24T02:08:00.013-10:00

This years theme for the Hawaii Seniors Fair is catchy and very appropriate so. Friday was the opening day at the NBC Exhibition Hall and there were a multitude of seniors in attendance. So much so that if any of our aspiring politician could harness all of them to his camp, he or she could win the Governor's seat in a landslide. Lani and I started off to the NBC early enough but when we got to the entrance of the NBC parking lot the big sign was already up...LOT FULL. I guess I must've miscalculated that Seniors in Hawaii are early risers...very early risers fo' sure. Cruising around the blocks was not a successful option. Every inch of space on the street was kapu. So best thing to do was to go fill up da gas tank at Costco and then head back to the NBC. Still no luck and still LOT FULL. Must be something about parking near the graveyard on King Street across Straub 'cause there were parking spaces galore. It was a 10 minute walk to the NBC Exhibition Hall. Okay, no make fun. Us senior guys are slow walkers!

Performing on the Main Stage was 8 and I's Line Dancers all dresed in red T-shirts and jeans. Wow! those seniors (all ladies) put on a one hour show of continuous country line dancing that took a lot of stamina.

Then came on The Steptaculars, a performing dance team made up of Seniors from ages mid 70's to late 80's. Being an all-girl dance group, we'll never know how young (or old) they are fo'sure. But they performed with dexterity and put on a good show. Long time friend of Lani and me was on stage performing. Dat's Salome...long time member of the Steptaculars, Line Dance Teacher, Red Hat member, and an all-around dance performer.

Another friend and one of two guys to dance with the Steptaculars, Ron...a true hoofer and Tap Dance Teacher. He danced with full of energy and a senior at that.

As with all the performances that I've seen the Steptaculars were in, Bill was always there with his Flamenco and Cape Dance. Not as fast as he use to be during the early years but this costume-maker extraordinaire has always wowed the crowd with the Cape Dance.

It seemed like Lani and I were in the Exhibition Hall a long time checking out each booth for something of interest. We purchased a few things but time was clicking away on our parking meter. We got to our parked car with 9 minutes to spare. Lucky for us because the Meter Maid was already putting those nasty tickets on cars with an expired meter. But before we left the NBC grounds, there is the brown statue of the gal sitting on a bench at the corner of King St. and Ward Ave. that Lani has always admired. So it was a must that she took a snapshot of the girl-statue and me....as my main squeeze directed...."put your arms around her". And dat's a take fo'now.

Dance Magic 808 News Clip

2011-09-21T00:27:00.003-10:00

Just in case you all wanted to get wired on to how the new dance club Dance Magic 808 made out during the 3rd session at Hale Ikena, here's a news clip just taken from the "coconut wireless". Okay, I mean Internet................

Hi All,
We would like to thank our 3rd session instructors for teaching you to dance and we would like to thank all of our students & volunteers for making the 3rd session as successful as all the other sessions.

This 3rd session on Tuesday night, Frank & Lani Sierra did a wonderful job teaching you the jazzy night-club merengue. We know you all enjoyed their class. The dance was very challenging since there were a lot of turns/spins but you all did well and looked great. Thank you Frank & Lani!!!

Andy & Monica Pascua also taught on Tuesday night. They taught the exciting mambo and they too had a lot of spins and turns. Everyone in this class too enjoyed the challenge of the dance steps and at the end of the class everyone was doing the mambo and looked great. Thank you Andy & Monica!!!

Thank you Elsie McGrew and Roxanne "Roxie" Kaino for teaching the line dances. We have one more class (tomorrow night) but wanted to thank you in advance. Thank you also to Lolita Nariyoshi and Cora Nieto for helping Elsie & Roxie with the class. As always, everyone enjoys the line dancing and you all made it a lot of fun.

If you are free tomorrow night, please come to our last class for Wed. night for the 3rd session which starts a 6:45pm. We have line dancing at 6:45pm - 7:30pm and Night Club 2-Step from 7:45pm - 8:30pm.

We have a few reminders, see below:

Tomorrow night, Sept. 21, is the last class for Wed. night for this 3rd session.

Thursday night, Sept. 22 is the 3rd class for this 3rd session.

Tuesday night, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 1 at the palladium - USA Dance is having two awesome workshops, please see email that was sent to you.

Saturday, Oct. 22, Kauai Ballroom Dance Club's 7th Anniversary at Grand Hyatt in Poipu, Kauai. Cost $50 per person

Friday, Oct. 28, Pan Pacific's 37th Anniversary Ball at the Pacific Beach Hotel. Cost $55 per person. We still need do complete the 3rd table.

Dance Magic 808 logo shirts - we are still taking orders and hopefully will have it ready for purchase by the end of September or the beginning of Oct. Cost $35 / $5 will be given to the club to cover expenses

Save the following dates:
Friday, May 18, 2012, IBDI & Dance Magic 808's Las Vegas Showcase in Las Vegas and Friday, July 6, 2012, Dance Magic 808's 1st Anniversary Ball.

Thank you all and see you tomorrow night.
Richard & Lynn
Dance Magic 808

USA Dance NightClub 2 Step with Lucas Jaime

2011-09-09T00:08:00.008-10:00

Aloha Students of Dance. Gotta thank Glenn Okazaki for sharing this wonderful review of USA Dance NightClub 2 Step Workshop with Lucas Jaime and a big, big mahalo to Candy Matsuda who authored the review of the workshop.

..............................................

Hi Frank,

Please post this on your blog. I got this review from one of my board members, Candy Matsuda, who attended the workshop. (Sent by Glenn Okazaki)

USA Dance Honolulu held a Night Club Two-Step Workshop On August 20, 2011. It was a fantastic workshop taught by Lucas Jaime of Divino Ritmo Studio. If you were one of the many who attend this workshop you really got your money's worth. He started with the basic steps and moved easily into an advanced pattern for a full hour and one-half!!! He did not even stop for a break! It was well attended and we were content and at the same time exhausted by the many step patterns taught. Those who attended enjoyed the relaxed and easy manner that Lucas was able to convey his Night Club Two-Step patterns and technique. It was a real treat to have experienced this workshop taught by Lucas, and will be looking forward to his next one for USA Dance Honolulu.

USA Dance membership increased by nearly a dozen members that day, all taking advantage of USA Dances discounted fees for our workshops. It really pays to join USA Dance here in Honolulu, because of our give back to our 'ohana’ members. Our savvy members know the true value of our membership. They all know the upfront $25membership fee for being a member is next to nothing, compared to the great savings thru the year.

Candy Matsuda,
USA Dance Honolulu

Candonians of Hawaii Scholarship Fund Dance

2011-08-27T12:53:00.053-10:00

It was the first time that Lani and I got a glimpse of Candonians of Hawaii last night at the Pacific Beach Hotel
As we entered the foyer of the GrandBallroom, we were greeted by acquaintances Sam and Remy Sonson who were at the Reception Table. (We met Sam and Remy when Lani and I were at the beginning stage of learning how to dance when HBDA was thriving in Hawaii Kai). A long time ago but friendly faces and personality don't change.
Also at the "Table" were Delia Wong and Van Torres. We didn't expect a welcome hug from Delia and we thought she knew us from way back...none-the-less it was a friendly one. We were also greeted by Dr. Ignacio Torres, President of the Candonians of Hawaii and the Chairman of the Scholarship Program. Just a small talk with him, one can tell he has a deep passion to keep the Candonians mission of helping the poor and under priveleged young Filipino boys and girls in attaining education and excellence in their chosen career, on the fast track.

The Ballroom floor had a sprinkle of dancers but as more people trickled in more dancers filled the floor that there were just enough wiggle room to dance. I gotta admit that those dancers were courteous of their surroundings....no bumping and no space invasion. That's gotta be akamai to the max. The Music DeeJays were the team of Eddie and Jon Agas of E & J Sounds who spinned a variety of good danceable tunes that kept the dance floor filled to capacity....a bundle of favorite ballroom, Latin,and swing, and a merengue.

Lani and I were invited guests of Paul and Marie Laderta, who several times have invited us as their guests to several venues including the Pacific Beach Hotel events. Maraming salamat, Paul and Marie. The table we got was perfect...just at the edge of the dance floor...a good view for a photo-blogger and a quick access to the dance floor. Not very often do Lani and I get to seat at the same table with well known celebrities but bumping elbows with Lucas Jaime & Yanna Samkova, Maria Handal & Connie Laderta, Fil & Elvie Padilla, and Wes and Sandy Numazu, has gotta be the coolest.

The Program started with two maganda Filipina EmCees, Mistresses of Ceremony Nadine Lagaso and Roselle Torres who welcomed everyone to this fundraiser event and kept the program running smoothly and timely. The National Anthems of the Philippines and the United States of America were sung by the Candonians Singers and ultimately joined by the audience. Invocation was said by Rev. Emmanuel Cruz and then it was grindz time for the spread of delicious entries that the Pacific Beach is known for.

The Entertainment part of the program featured two Line Dances by the Fabulous Dancers, and the Forever Young Dancers. Don't let the names fool you...they were seniors that danced with dexterity and rhythm.

General Dancing filled in between each exhibition dances throughout the program.

Part 1 featured Dance Exhibitions by Professionals with their student-partner.

Ms. Josie Banasan and Professional Leo Tomas danced a beautiful exhibit of the Waltz. Not showing the jitters of a new-comer to exhibition dancing, Josie danced with confidence and flowed with rhythm and precision. I liked Leo's choreography in this Waltz...it had an abundance of moves that is vacant in most International Style Waltz dance exhibitions. A dance very well performed.

The Cha Cha danced by Jannette Ranion and Professional Carmelo Baysa was another crowd pleaser. Lifts and Drops made this showcase Cha Cha appealing and exciting to watch. Carmelo was Lani's and my first Professional dance teacher when he first came to Hawaii from the Philippines to teach at a studio in Aina Haina. At that time he had a driving flair to cause excitement and put on a good dance show for the audience as well as for the student-performers. It was mighty good to see that he is still on the hot trail and still in sync with his style.

"ALEGRIA" performed by Marie Laderta with Professional Lucas Jaime, and Paul Laderta with Professional Yanna Samkova was sensational and continued to have a colorful bite in exhibition dancing. It was fresh, all fired up, footloose and fancy free.

There was a short intermission for Recognition of Graduates of the Scholarship Program. Candonians Prez Ignacio Torres gave an astounding history of the Candonians' mission, and with the help of the Scholarship Committee congatulated and gave certificates to the Graduates who excelled in High School and in College and there were many as far back in 2007. "The fundraising program started in 2001 for academically deserving high school graduates from poor families in the City of Candon, Ilocos Sur and surrounding towns. Its aim was to support these students through college towards completion of courses they choose".

Part 2 resumed soon after with the Foxtrot performed by Dance Instructors Ed and Matilda Felix. As with their previous exhibition of the Waltz at the Bantay Bata Fundraising Dance, this couple added some pleasing moves to their Foxtrot that also pleased the audience. It was refreshing and magnificently performed.

Ed and Charlotte Bugarin are well known in Dance Exihibition circles. They have thrilled audiences with their explosive moves in the Cha Cha and Samba in previous showcases. But tonight it was an exhibition to slow down the tempo to a romantic Rumba that sizzled with hot, hot moves that drains the imagination.

Billed earlier as an exhibition of the Waltz, it was changed to the Bolero which was a welcomed treat. Not very often is the Bolero performed in Exhibition Dances and because Bolero is one of my favorite dances, I couldn't turn a blind eye to it. I thought Simon and Aida danced superbly in their version of this slowest of the Latin dances.

The Entertainment part of the program concluded with Closing Remarks by Vice Prez Sam Sonson with encouragement to come together again next year and support the Candonians mission. For the rest of the evening, general dancing continued till 12 midnight.
(Left click on photo to zoom in)

IBDI 50th Anniversary Showtime @The Pacific Beach Hotel

2011-08-22T22:24:00.036-10:00

After two straight nights of dancing with my main squeeze at the Pacific Beach and at the Palladium celebrating IBDI 50th Anniversary, Sunday was a blessing for a day of rest. So today the cycle continues and so does the blogging of IBDI Anniversary Showtime featuring professional dancers from Japan. It was a totally marvelous showcase of the International Standards and the International Latin Dances....an event of this magnitude, I felt that I needed to call in the calvary to assist me in the blogging. Remember that "dynamic small package" that kept the program running smoothly like a well greased wheel? That was the EmCee Kay Yahiku and she consented to share her thoughts and creative script of the whole showcase with me and my Weblog. She kept the program going with a lot of encouragement and enthusiasm that kept the spirits at a high voltage level. I'm very glad that she is sharing her copious notes with "The Dance Connection". So please read on and enjoy Kay's bio of the dance performers from Japan.....
(Kay's notes are BOLD and my comments are ITALIC)

Part I - Two Pro-Am numbers:

1) Keiko Kawamata and Marie Miura - Waltz
The Waltz was performed by two lady dancers from Japan and I thought they stole the spotlight with their elegant performance of this popular dance.

2) Shinobu Matsuura with our own Grace Nohara in a Viennese Waltz/Fox Trot Medley, choreographed by Shinobu, to the tune "Sakura, Sakura", featuring the "Koto", a traiditonal Japanese stringed musical instrument, the national instrument of Japan. Players of the Koto use 3 picks, placed on the thumb, index finger and middle finger to pluck songs on the 13 strings.
The V. Waltz/Foxtrot Medley was certainly a big treat for dancers here in Hawaii because it showcased our own IBDI dancer and Vice Prez Grace Nohara performing with a visiting professional dancer. Clad in the traditional Japanese formal kimono, it was performed magnificantly with style and grace.

There was a short break to get everyone off their seats and dancing. Our table was one of few that was preselected to start the "Snowball Dance". It was a good break and it brought nearly everyone unto the dance floor.

Part II - Professional Show:

1) Paso Doble - Keisuke Okamoto & Ami Tsukakosh
All-Japan Amateur Latin-American Finalists, from Nagoya, Japan. Dancing together for 2 years. Tonight they'll be doing 3 latin numbers, however, they do all 10 international style dances. After they return to Japan, they plan to turn pro, probably in October.
This attractive young couple burst on the dance floor with the fury of a fierce bull. Their interpretation of the matador and the cape was amazing and filled with crisp moves and rich with excitement.

2) Slow Fox Trot - Shinobu Matsuura & Yumiko Matsuoka
This couple has been coming to Hawaii since 1995. Until 2008, they competed in the Hawaii Star Ball. The song was "The Longest Day", from the World War II movie of the same name, which featured John Wayne.
I don't remember seeing the movie starring John Wayne but none-the-less the interpretation of an American service man complete with military uniform revealed the passion between a Japanese woman and a soldier in a well orchestrated Slow Foxtrot and very well performed.

3) Rumba - Keisuke and Ami. They're both 24 years old and have been dancing together for 2 years. The rumba is Keisuke's favorite dance.
The Rumba being Keisuke's favorite was evident in this performance and I could count that it is Ami's pet dance, too. Sensational, sultry, and sensuous.

4) Waltz - Shinobu and Yumiko to the theme of the movie, "The Godfather"
This performance of the Waltz was a softer side of this two professional dancers. It was a flowing number executed with beautiful moves.

5) Illumination - Rumba and Samba medley by Keiko Kawamata and Misako Ueno.
The room was pitch dark for this "Illumination" performance of the Rumba/Samba Medley. The only illumination came from the performers who were lighted like a Christmas tree. It was hard to appreciate the dancing because of the nearly darkness. But "Illumination" performance have become a steady addition to dance contests on the tube that we may very well see more in future showcases. Keiko and Masako received a lot of "ooos and ahhhhs" and loud applauses for this performance.

6) Samba - Keisuke and Ami
Considered as one of the most dynamic Latin dances, Keisuke and Ami exploded on the dance floor like thunder and lightning. True to the style and tempo of the dance, this couple brought excitement in choreography and rhythm....and a true meaning to "DYNAMIC LATIN".

7) Standard Medley by Shinobu and Yumiko featuring 3 Japanese instruments: the Shamisen which resembles a banjo, the drum or Taiko and the harp or Koto.
This performance was a strong and excellent choice to end SHOWTIME PART 2. It displayed the excellence of two professionals dancers....their strengths, skills, techniques, and showmanship in the International Standards.

Professional Showcase Performers. (missing: Grace Nohara and Marie Miura)

Matsuura Sensei took the microphone and Kay Yahiku translated. Among other things, he stated that he's been coming to Hawaii for the last 16 years and been here at least 20 times. But Friday night [at the Pacific Beach Hotel] would remain the highlight. He thanked the audience.

General dancing continued till 11:30PM and an exciting and entertaining evening to celebrate IBDI 50th Year came to an end but will be long remembered. Domo arigato to Kay Yahiku, and Sayonara fo' now!

IBDI 50th Anniversary Dance At The Palladium

2011-08-21T13:27:00.008-10:00

Dana Morey of IBDI said it was gonna be a different kine of program at the Palladium to celebrate IBDI 50th anniversary. And true to her words, it was different and yet SPECTACULAR with the same performers from Friday night's Professional Showcase at the Pacific Beach Hotel. But before I go on, I gotta ask you readers to sit tight for awhile on the Pacific Beach Extragananza.........

The dance at the Palladium was a complete sellout and a big success.....Strictly SRO. Faithful Dana and a few new faces manned the Reception Table this time. Got our ono bento but was too excited to chow down. So into the ice cooler went the good stuff for a midnight snack. Official greeters also were new faces from Friday night...Marsha Ninomiya, Christopher & Charlene Jay, and a few other friendly faces who were passing out anniversary gifts.

Seats were at a premium but there was a Reserved Section for celebrities which I thought was classy. As the dynamic EmCee, Kay Yahiku, mentioned.....tonight was the largest (wall to wall) crowd that she had ever seen in any event at the Palladium.

DeeJays Henry and Jane were there once more to spin the best of the best danceable music.

Prez Christopher Jay gave a different kine of Welcome Speech but it still was in the same vein honoring all those volunteers who made IBDI a successful and one of the largest membership dance organization on Oahu, and also to give appreciation to the dancers from Japan who put on a terrific showcase performance at the Pacific Beach.

IBDI 1st Vice Prez Grace Nohara danced the V. Waltz/Foxtrot Medley with Professional Shinobu Matsuura from Japan in the Showcase. Grace is such an accomplished dancer that it was wonderful to see her perform at a very high level exhibition dance. Mr. Shinobu Matsuura was masterful in all the dances but the most thrilling was his speed and control in the Tango. Wow! it was hot and spectacular. With the addition of the Swing by Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the program brought some humor to the showcase. Everyone performed with precision that made this Showcase very enjoyable to watch. I must mention the two young couple Keisuke Okamoto and Ami Tsukakoshi who were magnificent and electrifying in the Cha Cha, Rumba, and the Samba. They were HOT! HOT! HOT!

General dancing continued till closing but alas burning my A** OFF two nights in a row took its toll and this not-so-young-dancer needed to go the way of Sayonara.
(Left click on photo to zoom in)

IBDI 50th Anniversary Ball

2011-08-20T01:35:00.020-10:00

Well the long awaited big day finally came and Lani and I had to cut short baby-sitting our full of energy grandson. Lynn of Dance magic 808 and Marsha of IBDI had put out an APB (All Points Bulletin) that there was gonna be another event besides the IBDI affair at the Pacific Beach so bettah heli-on real pronto cause parking goin' be a problem. So my personal time-keeper who is in reality my main squeeze Lani made sure we got to the Pacific Beach in plenty of time. Got to our destination in plenty of time and nada problem in finding a parking space on the 4th floor. A bit early so we waited as more guests trickled into the foyer outside the Grand Ballroom.
The doors opened at 5:30 but the "happy juice" well wasn't gonna be serving the hard stuff until 6 bells. But es alright cause we got to bump fist with some guys and got some good hugs from the gals who we know from long time back.

Dana Morey was at the Reception Table by herself but she's one akamai chick. No need ID card 'cause she can spark you fo' face recognition and can tell you your assigned table number and no forget to get your parking ticket validated in one breath. Soon after, the two regular lovelies Shirley and Delia came to assist Dana.

At the entrance to the ballroom were guy-greeters all dressed up and real spiffy. Just happen to corner two of them for a photo shot. I couldn't lasso the third guy cause he was busy showing guest to their table. Gonna have to corral Roy Ninomiya next time.

I was glad to see Henry Lee and Jane spinning the music disc. For a big time Golden Anniversary, the dance music gotta be golden, too, and the team of Henry and Jane are just the right DeeJays to mix the right kine of magic to get everyone on the floor to dance. And that they did even before the ice-breaker "SnowBall Dance" and after.

The EmCee for the evening was Kay Yahiku, a gal with so much energy and totally akamai in keeping the program running smoothly like a well greased wheel. So much enthusiasm in a small package that you can't help loving her and her masterful style.

Invocation was said by Renna Villanueva, IBDI's Dance Director and 2nd Vice Prez. Her choice of words in the prayer was very touching and inspiring. She didn't leave any stones unturned as she made known and expressed wholehearted thankfulness to all who made IBDI an enormous success throughout the 50 years...the officers, the volunteer dance instructors, the students, the reception people, the kitchen helpers and the list went on. You gotta love this dynamic gal,. too.

It was grindz time but the dancing continued for those waiting to be called to the buffet line, and during dinner and after dinner.

At about 7:50, IBDI Prez Chistopher Jay took to the mike and gave the President's Welcome Speech. Not a common kine of speech but a historical one....the 50 year history of IBDI with a touch of personal history concerning Christopher and his lovely wife Charlene start into ballroom dancing.

Four past Presidents of IBDI who attended this golden event were honored and recognized...Paul Araki (1985-1986), James Yee (1987-1988), Harold Kaneshiro (1992), and William Kam (1993-1994).

Representatives of the various dance organizations and professional dance studios were introduced by the EmCee and there were many. I was able to get shots of those who were seated near our table......Al Franz, and Debby Borges Barboza.

More spectacular showing tonight as IBDI continues their 50th Anniversary at the Palladium.

Stay tune for SHOWTIME PART 1 with the Professional/Amateur Demonstration and SHOWTIME Part 2 with all Professional Dance Exhibition...........

Nifty 50's & 60's Oldies Bash 2011 Completely Sold-out

2011-08-17T22:11:00.001-10:00

Aloha Dancers & Readers,
I just received the following e-mail from the "Bash" Chairman Wendell Kwan that the Nifty 50's & 60's Oldies Bash 2011 has been completely sold-out. If you had intentions of attending this year's record breaking event at the Pacific Beach Hotel on October 14, please read on................

Aloha Frank!
Thank you for all your help, really appreciate it! BUT, we are completely SOLDOUT as of August 4, 2011! Last year we had 700+ guest join us for Nifty 50s & 60s Oldies Bash 2010. With the ever increasing popularity of our event this year registration was 20X, TWENTY TIMES ahead of last years event and we SOLDOUT completely as of August 4, 2011. This year we broke all records to the point that we soldout 10 weeks prior to our event.

Our Active Core Committee, thru hard work and excellent management focuses on maximizing "marketing, advertising and promoting" our event, EARLY! With past experience and success it has lead to another record breaking Nifty 50s & 60s Oldies Bash 2011!

We do not sell Tickets, but encourage everyone who is interested to "Register". Registration is on a "First Come, First Served" basis. We are also limited by strict Fire Code Laws and have to work within the Safety and Comfort policies afforded by the Pacific Beach Hotel's Grand Ballroom.

Your kindness for announcing in your Blog that Nifty 50s & 60s Oldies Bash 2011 is now completely SOLDOUT would be most appreciated! Frank if you can also add, "We look forward to everyone joining us for Nifty 50s & 60s Oldies Bash 2012!"

Please mail or email your contact info to:

Email: wkwan2@hawaiiantel.net Wendell Kwan - Chairman or diyoshida7@yahoo.com Diane Yoshida - Treasurer
or Mail: Wendell Kwan
Nifty 50s & 60s Oldies Bash
47-559 Hua Place
Kaneohe, HI 96744
PH. 239-5360

Thank you Frank!

Wendell Kwan
Chairman
2239-5360

Dancing To The Music With Lucas Jaime

2011-08-12T01:08:00.004-10:00

"DANCING TO THE MUSIC" with LUCAS JAIME at USA Dance's Night Club 2 Step Workshop on August 20, 2011. (Article written by my good friend Marie Laderta.)...........

You'll be surprised how many places you can do this dance at. Night Club 2-Step or just Two- Step for short, is a beautiful partner dance that involves triple rhythms and is danced to the most emotionally inspiring slow songs making it the perfect dance for
romance, weddings, and socials. Often thought of as a "simple" dance, it is more than that when danced at higher levels. It also provides a good foundation for technique for other dances, even faster songs when the technique is applied properly.

At the most basic level, the Night Club 2-Step is a quick to learn dance. "At the advanced level it is an incredibly stylistic and flowing dance that requires a much higher skill level and partnering connection. At the very top level, it can be anamazingly graceful and technically powerful dance that incorporates techniques from other dance forms such as Tango and other dances leading to presentation moves and syncopated rhythms." (Quoted from Bruce Gombrelli on Night Club 2-Step.)

To conduct this workshop, USA Dance features Divino Ritmo Dance's Lucas Jaime, professional dancer, instructor and choreographer, renowned for his rhythm and show dances, and former salsa/hustle champion. Originally from New York, Lucas has made his home in Hawaii teaching International and American style competitive and social dancing for the past 3 years.

Come join Lucas at USA Dance's workshop for 1 1/2 hours of fun, technique, styling and musicality:

Date: Saturday, August 20th, 2011
Place: The Ala Wai Golf Course Palladium
Time: 12:30p Registration
1:00p Workshop

Cost: $10 for USA Dance Members
$20 for Non-members

For more information, call Glenn Okazaki of USA Dance at: 428-1704

Quick Step Workshop - Success or Bummer?

2011-08-09T21:51:00.006-10:00

It's always a boost when I receive feedback about a past event that was highlighted on my Blogsite. Otherwise, how would the readers know if it was a success or a bummer. Got this e-mail from Glenn Okazaki describing last Saturday's USA Dance Honolulu Quick Step Workshop. Read on.......

Aloha

On the Q-step class last Saturday, what can I say, what can I say…. Everyone was having a fun time. Seems everyone wants more advanced steps/amalgamations than basic techniques. But even though these are advanced steps, we are giving our all on the techniques to help our students execute them. We broke the steps down to the very fundamentals from transferring weight/distribution to actually running/skipping and getting weight to foot. It was truly fun teaching it. Will see everyone on Saturday for part Deuce.

Glenn

(Frank's note: Please click on the link "That's Dancing" for 'Part Deuce')

Bantay Bata 2011 Act Two

2011-08-07T16:46:00.026-10:00

A 15-minute break for more general dancing and the sellout event brought more dancers to the dance floor. The Gonzales Band dance music with vocals was golden and non-stop like each tune was stitched to the next song. I recognized some of the songs that are on the Gonzales Classics of Hawaii music CD. (If you're one of the lucky ones to own this gem, then you are lucky).

The Divino Ritmo Dance Company opened Act Two with a Special Presentation of a Swing Medley with a mixture of Broadway. It was a terrific treat performed very explosively by a foursome from a professional dance studio that wowed the audience.

Professional Lucas Jaime and Noreen Ho put on a dazzling show in their performance of the International Cha Cha. It was radiant...a hot number that was brilliantly performed.

The new dance organization Dance Magic 808 Founders Richard and Lynn Nakamura entertained the audience with a fast and furious Quick Step that delighted the audience. It was dynamic and well executed.

Edwin and Matilda Felix added a new twist to their International Waltz performance. Not often do International dancers dance apart in the Standards, so this small change made their performance appealing and very enjoyable to watch.

The International Tango Show by Professional Lucas Jaime and Jun Nishioka had so much fire, fury, and passion that I gotta add ecstasy to this number. It was a very enjoyable performance.

A Special Guest Presentation of Hip Hop/Jazz by youngster Noah McConnell might be the beginning of including Street Dancing into Exhibition Showcases in the future. Noah who hails from 24/7 DanceForce did well on his debut.

Cole Horibe with Professional Yanna Samkova closed the showcase with their International Rumba Show. Far from the cry of their previous fantastic exhibition of the fast moving Paso Doble, tonight's performance was intriguing, passionate, and filled with a high level of showmanship and beautiful lines.

More general dancing continued till the stroke of midnight and a "funtastik" and successful event came to an end for this year's Bantay Bata.

Much credit go to the Officers, the Program Committee, and all those who were a helping hand in this event. Maraming salamat! Paul Laderta, who helped with the decoration of the Ballroom, the beautiful name cards on each table, and the Centerpieces, your artistry is the greatest. (The announcement came a bit too late that the Centerpieces were not to be taken home). Also kudos to all the Exhibition Dance performers and to Divino Ritmo Dance Studio for showcasing Professionals Yanna Samkova and Lucas Jaime.

Bantay Bata Hawaii 2011

2011-08-06T23:32:00.028-10:00

Maaari ba tayong magsayaw? Just brushing up on my "making out in Tagalog". Yeah, I tried the Filipino translation of "shall we dance"? Friday night at the Bantay Bata shingdig at the Pacific Beach Hotel and got my A** burned off dancing with a circle of ten lovely ladies who were sizzling and getting down ala boogie with the Twist and Disco. I gotta admit that my main squeeze Lani got into action, too. But lest we forget about the grand purpose of this wonderful fundraising event, "Dancing In Paradise (Project for Bantay Bata 163), here goes the spill.......

Buffy Gonzales was sure a bright sight as Lani and I got to 7th floor Grand Ballroom. She was later joined by lovely Delores Juan at the Reception Table as more dancers checked in for table assignments.

There were a few showcase performers polishing up their routine on the floor but as soon as DeeJay Jesse Gonzales cut loose his wide collection of deep down mellow tunes, the floor got flooded with social dancers.

Our friend Marie Laderta who is one of the key players of the Bantay Bata Project greeted us. I didn't recognize her at first because she had painted her face with a butterfly in preparation for her showcase performance. Anyway, I got a clean shot of her with "Aunty Sandy" and Lani.

General dancing continued till it was time to start the program. EmCee for the evening was Eric Barsatan who kept the program rolling along smoothly. His welcome remarks included a short history of the "Project and its Mission" since inception in 1996. He also introduced many of the representatives from the various dance organizations on Oahu, and the professional dance teachers and owners of dance studios.
It was good to see the maestro Geoffrey Fells who was sitting next to our table.

Invocation was said by Pas Ignacio, and the USA National Anthem and the Philippine National Anthem was sung by Deputy Consul General of the Philippines Paul Cortes. The Program Committee had not missed a beat. They had printed handouts of the whole program including the words to both National Anthems. So everyone joined in the group singing. That was so cool!

The Showcase had two Acts with a 15-minute intermission for general dancing fitted in between. Paul Laderta was the EmCee for the showcase part of the program and he handled it like an experienced pro with a nice touch of little quips of humor. Mahusay iyan! (That's good!)

Act One started with a beautifully danced Hula by Iwalani Tseu to the unforgettable tune "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". She was very graceful in her movements and it was an akamai addition to the Exhibition Showcase.

Professional Lucas Jaime has always thrilled audiences with fantastic moves with Yanna but he proved that he can thrill the audience just as well with newcomer Laila Spina. Their Theatrical International Cha Cha was exhilarating and a good hype to start the tone of the showcase.

Another newcomer Josie Banasan teamed with Professional Leo Tomas to showcase the Romantic Rumba. It was sensuous and it was good to see a new face in exhibition dancing.

Fil and Elvie Padilla came to dance and they sure burned the floor with more intricate moves in their performance of the Hustle. It was HOT, a heartbeater, and truly exciting!

Slowing down the pace was an International Slow Foxtrot by Albert Lui and Shu Weng. It was just enough to slow down the heartbeat and it was a good performance which showed artistry in motion by two experienced dancers.

Another newcomer to showcase performance was "active senior" Wesley Numazu who danced a delightful skit with Professional Yanna Samkova. Their performance of the East Coast Swing was by far entertaining, exciting, and stimulating.

Not often do we see a high level of emotions in a dance exhibition but tonight Marie Laderta and Professional Lucas Jaime pulled out a winner in dancing the International Rumba to "Ode To A Butterfly". It was filled with passion picturing a true-to-life experience of the dancer Marie. A very moving and wonderful heatwarming story translated into a dance story prime performance.

INTERMISSION and General Dancing (stay tuned for Act Two)

Dance Magic 808 Social Dance @Hale Ikena

2011-07-29T02:22:00.027-10:00

Wow! Another BLAST this week. If you haven't tasted the magic of Dance Magic 808, no hu hu. The new dance organization is on Dance Fever Oahu website. Read all about the organization's mission....it's not only Ballroom but will be incorporating all style of dances and might include HIP HOP. Line Dancing is already on a roll.
Last night was their second Dinner and Social Dance at Hale Ikena since it's formation early this year. It was a Thursday night and as usual the menu called for Mongolian Beef but there were other entries on the menu that could tickle the palate. When Lani and I got to Mulligan's, the line was a bit long getting to weigh and pay for our dinner but it was worth the wait. It reminded me a little like the Shabu Shabu eatery. You know...get your bowl of goodies and bring it to the chef to cook and wait at your table for the waiter to bring the cooked meal to you. I skipped the beef and went deep for the jumbo shrimps and crab meat and garnished them with fresh fruits and veggies. A dash of olive oil brought out the ono favor, and not to mention the two scoops of fried rice which were a meal in it self. Lani and I had to eat light since we were gonna do a solo demo on the Night Club Merengue. General dancing was in full swing when we entered the Ballroom. But before I go any further, I'll let our EmCee Lynn Nakamura's e-mail give you, our readers, a first hand look of this fun filled evening of social dancing, dance demos and exhibitions, and onolicious dinner..........

Mahalo to all of you who were able to attend tonight's 2nd social dance at Hale Ikena. It was another successful dance thanks to all of you. We want to thank and recognize our hardworking instructors, future instructors, our website creator and our DJ for what they do or will be doing for Dance Magic 808.

At our social, we showcased our students (some are very, very new to dancing) and were very proud of all of them. They all did very well. Thank you to all the students who participated in the group dances (class steps).

We had 2 solo exhibitions. Andy & Monica Pascua did the Filipino Tango (they will be teaching this in the future) and Frank & Lani Sierra did the Night Club Merengue (they will teach this at the next class session). Both couples did a great job getting the audience excited about the dancing. Thank you all for performing.

We also want to thank everyone for making it such an enjoyable evening. It was fun encouraging the dancers by cheering and clapping. We appreciated everyone's enthusiasm.

At the social, we also took the opportunity to introduce the management staff of Dance Magic 808.

We apologize that the dance had to end early due to some unexpected necessary work that needed to be completed that night. We appreciated everyone's understanding. Because we had to leave early, Hale Ikena's management has informed us that the next time we have our social, we can stay until 10 pm instead of 8:30 pm.

Here are the names of the Management Staff:
President: Lynn Nakamura
Vice President, Treasurer & Dance Director: Richard Nakamura
Secretary: Candace Yap
Board of Director: Audrey Fu

Names of our Instructors:
Andy & Monica Pascua
Elsie McGrew
Joshua Manzano & Stephanie Shimizu
Robert & Vanelle Hirayasu
Frank & Lani Sierra
Roxanne "Roxie" Kaino
Lester & Henrietta Muramoto
Cullen & Cheryl Chong - we forgot to mention them

We want to thank our DJ, Andy Pascua, for playing the dance music tonight and we would also like to thank Henry & Joanne Rimas for being the DJ at our 1st social dance.

We also want to thank Noli Boado who did a fantastic job creating the Dance Magic 808 website - www.dancemagic808.wordpress.com - we are still adding and updating the website with instructors' pictures and other information. Thank you Noli - we are very appreciative of your work.

Joshua Manzano had a very pleasant surprise from the students and instructors of Dance Magic 808. Roxie Kaino & Eileen Nakano, representing Dance Magic 808's students & staff, presented Joshua with a card and funds to help him with his expenses when he travels with the UNLV Dance Sport Team to compete at locations outside of Nevada. We at Dance Magic 808 have very wonderful people that are so caring and are willing to help other people if they can.

Derek & Keiko Oh brought the really cute bags that Keiko designed to distribute to the dancers that had ordered them at our 1st social and to sell to other dancers that wanted to purchase the bags. The monies collected for these bags ($10) will be donated to the United Japanese Society of Hawaii to help the Japanese people. Thank you Keiko & Derek for your generousity and to everyone that is helping them by purchasing a bag.

We sang "Happy Birthday" to Derek Oh since it was his birthday. He didn't answer when Joshua Manzano sang, "How old are you today?"

We hope that you'll all be able to join us for Dance Magic 808's 1st Anniversary Ball which will be held on Friday, July 6, 2012, at the Pacific Beach Hotel.
We'll need some volunteers to help us at this ball so if you are available and would like to be a part of this fabulous evening, please send us an email.
If you would like to participate in a group routine, please email us. We plan to have several group routines and will be advising you on the dances so you can decide on the dance you want to participate in.

Thank you all again for making this 2nd social dance so successful and fun. We look forward to seeing you all again at either our classes or our dances.

Richard & Lynn Nakamura
Founders of Dance Magic 808
cell 372-2256 (Lynn)

On hand was Peter Loo of U.S. Army MWR Business Ops Division who presented Appreciation Awards to last session dance instructors.

IBDI 3rd Term Student Party @The Palladium

2011-07-26T13:34:00.008-10:00

We sure had a BLAST, too, at the IBDI Student Party last night. This was the first time for Lani and me since becoming members of IBDI. It was also a Registration Night to enroll in the 4th Term that starts on August 1st. We were greeted by Grace Nohara, and Dana Morey at the Reception Table and Dana reminded Lani and me "no forget to pick up your bento". The "party" was free to students of the 3rd Term and IBDI members, which came with a bento prepaid for a buck. Not bad bento for the price if you were planning to burn the floor and lose some excess you know what. Registration went fast and quickly, thanks to the capable staff of volunteers. Lani and I enjoyed Renna and Sergio's Samba Variation class so much that we signed up for their Night Club 2 Step I & II class. More dancers started to pour into the Ewa side Ballroom and the program began to take shape as lady EmCee Renna Villanueva called students of the six 3rd Term dance classes to perform what they had learned. It was "no shame" time and many of the students from each class hurried to the dance floor as their class name was called. Each class performed very well. Then it was time for the instructors of the 4th Term classes to show a demo of the dances for the 4th Term. Some lead instructors were not available so the Assistant Instructors filled in for the demo.(You can checkout what dances are offered by surfing to my "That's Dancing" weblog.) Lani and I were impressed with all the instructors' performances but moreso with Renna's young grandson who pinch-hit for gran'pa Sergio in the Night Club 2 Step with Renna.
There were monetary door prizes as well as potted flowers for the lucky ticket holders (tickets were given to only to those who performed in the Macarena, Electric Slide, and YMCA Line Dances lead by Renna. The fun had just begun...there was a Twist Contest for the best Twist Dance couple. Lani and I made the cut to the last six couples but could not muster enough audience votes to make the finals. AUWE! but it was good, good fun for the participants and the audience. The Round or Circle Dance was equally as fun dancing with whoever we came face to face when the music stopped....Waltz, Rumba, Cha Cha, and a whole assortment of danceable music. Yeah! the music was great so I'm gonna mention the DeeJay who has been spinning the discs for the Student Party and the dance classes in the Ewa Ballroom....Harold Kaneshiro. So guys and gals, when you see him, giv'um the Shaka Sign. We gotta appreciate all DeeJays who give their time to spin the music so we can burn the floor....and no forget the EmCees and the team of organizers who make it possible to enjoy an evening of fun games, socializing, dining, and dancing. To lady EmCee Renna who kept the program going at an exciting and entertaining high level...SHAKA and Mahalo!

What A BLAST We Had!

2011-07-12T00:47:00.004-10:00

Sure sound like the WASABI 50's & 60's Band had a BLAST at the Cupola and at Ige's. Gotta thank Doreen Nakamoto for the wonderful feedback on the venues. Gary Moore, and impressions of Sammy Davis, Frank Sinatra, Little Richard....those are heavyweights appearing with the WASABI Band. WOW! Anyway, thank you, Doreen for your thunder. Es da kine news dancers like to know after reading whea you guys goin' be playing. So no put the brakes on giving us the big picture on what kine experience you guys had at the party. Who knows? Maybe you'll get mo' bigger crowd at your next show. Fo' now here's your thunder loud and clear.....

Thank you to all who joined us at the "Cellar" event at the Honolulu Design Center's Cupola Theatre this past Thursday, July 7, and we hope more of you can join us when we do this again this coming Thursday, July 14. We were very impressed with the place...nice smooth floor to dance on, good regular pupu menu as well as $5 Happy Hour pupus, free parking (there will be no valet this week!), full bar & drink specials, and AIR-CONDITIONING! Big Mahalo to George Chun & Andrea Dismuke from Tom Moffatt Productions for coming to show their support!!! Too bad George is having trouble with his back, otherwise, he'd be jumping up on that stage with us to do his Frank Sinatra songs! Get better soon, George, so you can grace our stage with your presence & WOW everyone with your sexy voice!!!

We'd also like to thank our Ige's gang for one terrific night on Friday...Ron Ige was so happy that the place was packed! Of course, our friend Garry Moore sure made us look good when he joined us on stage to do a few numbers with us, yeah?! Imagine, we are but lowly musicians compared to the likes of Garry Moore, who is a well-known, top-knotch entertainer here, as well as nationally & internationally! He's recently been on tour in Europe and in Branson, and is soon to return to the mainland, but in the meantime, we are blessed to have him home with us. He had so much fun, he's coming to our gig at the Cupola this Thursday, too! He appeared on national TV on "The Next Best Thing" doing an impression of Little Richard and got to meet the real Little Richard! He's also performed as Sammy Davis Jr. in "The Return of the Rat Pack" shows in Waikiki with Al Waterson, Kimo Kahoano, George Chun & Cameron Krainin. Who knows? Garry might even do his impressions for us that night!!!

Make sure you invite all your friends & family to join in on the fun, OK?!!!

Love XOXOXO,
Doreen

Trekking To Old Sugar Town Waipahu

2011-07-11T02:06:00.006-10:00

It's been ages and I mean a very long time since Lani and I have trekked to Waipahu but it was a must this past Sunday. No, not for a dance class. Of course it would've been nice to visit Renna and Sergio's dance studio while we were there but the Mazda Auto Show took longer than we had expected. So it's gonna have to wait till next time. Okay, let's rewind. Our son, Dean who assists us in our dance class at Ali'iolani CSA had entered his Mazda 3 in the Cutter Mazda Auto Show Contest. So as proud parents, we gotta giv'um support to win at least one of the prizes in his car category. There were 7 categories (Mazda 6, Rotary Engine, Protege, etc.) including the Mazda Speed 3 category that Dean was in. The "show" of all the different models of Mazdas was amazing. More amazing was the passion showed by the participants in how much work they had put in to alter a stock model into a classic model. It was a long and hot afternoon but Cutter made it an enjoyable affair; everybody got free bottled water and bento. The Hip Hop and Lambada music by DeeJay Gage kept the spirits running high. And the airconditioning in the showroom really was a blessing.
There must've been at least 30 cars entered in the contest and the 1st and 2nd place winners were voted by ballots. Long story short....Dean won 1st place and received a trophy. Congratulations, son!

Hooked On The Hustle

2011-07-06T00:47:00.005-10:00

WOW! I never thought I'd get Hooked ON The Hustle. Gotta "stay alive" on this one 'cause it's a fun dance. Joshua and Stephanie continued the Swing Hustle at Hale Ikena last night and as usual everyone since day one showed up but some how the dance floor seemed like there were more people on it. But first! Lani and I took that long drive to Ft. Shafter for lesson numba four in the Hustle. Couldn't miss this lesson; not after Joshua and Stephanie taught the class those fancy syncopated steps last week. Got there just before the class started. Joshua started the class with isolation exercises to the beat of disco music. That's akamai since we needed to get our bodies flexible and relaxed for the steps ahead. A demo of all the steps we learned from day one to the present really helped jogged my mind as well as my feet. Repetition is a great teacher and Joshua made full use of it until he was satisfied that everyone was on the same page. What followed were welcomed moves. Never thought I'd be dancing a cross over break in the Hustle but it worked well with the lady spin out move to a dip. Walla! Most disco music go on for 5 minutes and that's how we spent the last 5 minutes; dancing all the moves that Joshua and Stephanie filled us with. It was fast and it was fun!

CSA Summer Session Ballroom Dancing Begins On The Second Lesson

2011-06-25T00:41:00.007-10:00

Our CSA Ballroom Dance classes are no different from any contact sport club be it the various style of dancing or the martial arts club. Lani and I are not too sure who in the first lesson are really serious about learning how to dance until the second lesson a week later. We had a few drop outs who decided to hang up their dancing shoes and not make a go of it. But those who decided to hang on after the first lesson of pure and simple basic test patterns, are now enjoying the fruits of their drive.
This past Wednesday, students at Kaiser CSA voted to go for 2 hours of Waltz instead of our usual one hour of Waltz and one hour of Tango (and they wanted to do the same next week and have the Tango lessons resume during the last three weeks). Got thumbs up from all of them for this arrangement and they enjoyed dancing the Waltz.
At Ali'iolani CSA on Thursday, we had a full house. Thanks to our volunteer assistants Dean, Richard, and Yvonne, Lani and I didn't have to work too hard in getting the students who are just getting by, up to speed. (Richard and Yvonne assists us at Kaiser CSA, also). We got thumbs up, also, at Ali'iolani CSA when everyone was sure about nailing down the dance steps and were tuned in on the same page.
So what's with the cat and dog, Frank? Well, there's a delicious story back of it....so ask me about it when you see me.

Matsuri Hawaii Goodwill Dance 2011

2011-06-18T22:47:00.054-10:00

The Matsuri Hawaii Goodwill Dance at the Pacific Beach Hotel on Friday night was co-sponsored by IBDI. It was a good fund raising cause to aid the Japan Disaster Relief Fund. Lani and I had gone to last year's Matsuri Dance and had a good feeling that this year would be just as or more spectacular than last years. But first we had to get there early enough to find a parking space. Traffic wasn't too bad leaving Hawaii Kai at a little past 5PM. However, we ended up on the 5th floor parking area with other cars still searching for a parking spot.

When we got to the Grand Ballroom on the 7th floor, we could hear the good dance music. How could you blame this couple for waltzing to the Lovelies: Shirley, Delia, and Dana at the Reception Table .

Inside the Ballroom, there were only a few dancers on the floor. It was a good time to warm up before the big crowd got to fill the dancing area. The DeeJays were Henry Lee and Jane; a terrific duo whose dance music are vibrant and spellbound that makes anyone to get up and dance. General dancing continued till it was time for the host to take the mike for the welcome speech.

Host speaker was IBDI Prez Chris Jay who introduced the Japan delegation, the live band, the superb professional singer Kaori, and the exciting showcase performers. Two representatives from Japan came to the podium to speak up their appreciation of this dance event.

The EmCee was Marsha Nanomiya who was the event interpreter that welcomed the visiting Japan guests in Japanese and later said the invocation before the buffet dinner. Incidently, the delicious entries were a good fit for the guests from Japan, and the entire program was well organized.
It had a touch from that wonderful lady Grace Nohara in them. Appears that everything she touches turns golden and this years Matsuri Goodwill Dance certainly showed it. Kudos also the many hands who made this event successful.

It was time to get everyone on the dance floor to dance and IBDI Prez Chris quickly announce the "SnowBall". I think the best "ice-breaker dance" is the "Snow Ball". It is effective in getting even the most ardent seat-warmer off the chair to dance. No, not the old fashion Waltz but the heart thumping Cha Cha and the sensuous Rumba did the trick.

Time was set aside for the dancers from Japan to showcase their rendition of the Cha Cha, Tango, Rumba, and the Waltz. It was a good gesture and an opportunity for the visitors to show that they have showcase talents, too.

It was a big surprise when professional singer Kaori and the Band from Japan took to the stage. It's been a very long time since dancing to live band music. The five member band and Kaori belted out the best array of dance music that ever played for a dance since the days of Del Courtney at the Sheraton Waikiki.

Showtime started at about 9PM with the exciting Paso Doble by professional teacher Yanna Samkova, and Cole Horibe. There was no calming of the storm of this performance as every move was like precise lightning strikes with high flying elevations by Cole. It was a terrific performance filled with passion and excellence.

Pirates of the Caribbean kept the temperature rising as professional teacher Lucas Jaime, and Emi Matsuoka continued the tempo with a dynamic medley of dances ala a touch of Tango and Paso Doble.

A delightful International Waltz by professional teacher Sharon Liu, and Jun Lim soon followed. It was the only Standard dance in the showcase and it was well performed.

"The young and the restless" as professional teacher Renna Villanueva, and grandson Ikaika were introduced put a new twist to freestyle Jive dancing. It was very entertaining and a marvelous display of showmanship.

Marie and Paul Laderta joined Yanna and Lucas in this colorful performance of "Algeria". It was a fast moving performance and very well performed by the foursome.

A short intermission followed with general dancing.

The Professional Showcase featured Yanna Samkova and Lucas Jaime performing a cabaret style dance to "This Love". It had artistry, balance, passion, and strength in motion at its very best.

After the Professional Showcase, Kaori and the Band provided the music for general dancing. Portions of the ticket sales was donated to the Japan Disaster Relief Fund.

The music was still hot to trot when Lani and I left for the drive back home. It was a terrific evening of social dancing, a wonderful showcase, fine food, and most of all socializing with good friends. We certainly enjoyed this year's Matsuri Goodwill Dance and I gotta admit: We Danced Our A** Off.
(Left click on photo to zoom in)

Line Dance With Salome

2011-06-18T22:29:00.006-10:00

Well, Friday morning finally came and I gotta say that its been a tough week for Lani and me; dancing filled our agenda for the past four nights. Our long time friend Salome opened a Line Dance class at the New Hope Diamond Head Auditorium and Lani and I had made plans to go for the Grand Opening. Our legs were pretty worn out from all the dancing the past few nights and climbing the stairway to the second floor was like climbing those numerous steps in China's Forbidden City.

Anyway, we got to the auditorium while Salome was conducting the Line Dance class. Just a few students compared to her other classes but a very enthusiastic and friendly bunch....okay, I mean ladies since there were no men. The time of day may be a factor but since it was just the first day, there is hope the morning class will catch on. Another factor was that parking at the Kahala Mall was at a premium due to an Antique Car Show. AUWE!

Summer Session CSA Dance Class

2011-06-17T01:54:00.006-10:00

Our six weeks session got underway this past Wednesday at Kaiser CSA, and last night at Ali'iolani CSA. There were some students who enrolled later and some just before the class started. So we had no idea how many students to expect for our Waltz and Tango classes. Despite having three ladies without partners at Ali'iolani CSA, I think all went well for the two CSA's first classes.

Once Again A Student of Dance

2011-06-14T22:32:00.019-10:00

We're all Students of Dance until such time we've reached a level where we can learn no more. But for the time being, Lani and I haven't thrown in the towel; we're still learning.

The Monday night Samba class with Renna and Sergio at the Palladium was invigorating and fun. Renna calls it Samba Variations and we're learning dance techniques as well as floorcraft with the variations.

Tonight (Tuesday), Lani and I got to learn the Swing Hustle at Hale Ikena. It was a big class taught by Joshua and Stephanie. This was our first time taking a class by Joshua and Stephanie and I gotta tell you those two are fun-to-learn teachers.
We got through the basic steps and then learned four more new steps during the remainder of the 45-minutes session.
During the break between dance classes, Joshua and Stephanie gave a demo of the NightClub 2 Step which starts on Wednesday (6/15) at Hale Ikena. Then Richard and Lynn demonstrated the International Tango and Quickstep that are ongoing on Thursday nights. The second class followed with the American Social Waltz by Robert and Vanelle.

Social Dance & Dinner @Hale Ikena

2011-06-03T13:09:00.011-10:00

It was the very first social dance and dinner organized by Richard and Lynn Nakamura at the Hale Ikena on the grounds of Fort Shafter but certainly not the last. In attendance were many dancers from various dance organizations that made this initial event a successful one.
When Lani and I arrived at the Hale Ikena, there was a long line of dancers ordering their dinner of the night's special Mongolian Steak in any way you wanted it prepared. Everyone in line paid for their dinner and waited to be served at their table; almost like a combination of Buffet and Fine Dining and it worked well for all concerned. As for Lani and me and maybe for a few other light eaters, an onolicious Rueben sandwich with fries is adequate for our appetite being that the sandwich was large enough for two. We were seated at a table with a friendly bunch; some were friends and others were faces we had never met before but everyone got into the social conversation.

A few dancers got on the nice dance floor while others were putting a finishing touch to their entree and dessert. The music DeeJays were Henry and JoAnn Rimas who we met at the Las Vegas Extravaganza last month. They played good danceable music that put more dancers on the dance floor and soon it became a crowded affair. Even the DeeJays got to dancing, too.

During the intermission, our host Richard and Lynn introduced the dance instructors who taught during the previous session Tuesday and Thursday night dance classes, Unfortunately, Andy and Monica Pascua who taught the American style Cha Cha were not present to be recognized because of the death of a family member. New instructors for the next session were introduced for the Waltz and Swing Hustle; respectively Robert & Vanelle Hirayasu, and Joshua Manzano & Stephanie Shimizu. Also high lighted were Elsie McGrew and Joshua who will teach on Wednesday night Line Dancing followed by NightClub 2 Step by Joshua and Stephanie. Lani and I were introduced as assisting in the Tuesday night class. Social dancing continued until the break for Showtime.

To gear up for the next session, Joshua and Stephanie danced an impromptu demo of the Swing Hustle, Lani and I think they did pretty good considering it wasn't choreographed and was put on at the spur of the moment.
The Argentine Tango danced by Robert and Vanelle was also a spur of the moment thing but they demonstrated the dance very well too.
The finale was the International QuickStep by the IBDI Formation Dance Team choreographed by Richard and Lynn. It was like dejavu. The QuickStep was danced at the Las Vegas Extravaganza and again it was perfectly done last night. Team performers were Larry Arinaga & Candace Yap, Edward & Candy Matsuda, Richard & Lynn Nakamura, and Roy & Marsha Ninomiya.
More social dancing continued and the dance floor got crowded to the max. It was an enjoyable evening of socializing and dancing, with a colorful and welcomed showcase.

Aiea Ballroom Dance Association 56th Anniversary Dance

2011-05-29T10:08:00.018-10:00

Once known as Aiea Ballroom Dance Club the organization has grown in leaps and bounce and now is renamed Aiea Ballroom Dance Association-Hawaii. A great accomplishment for the first and oldest dance organization in the Hawaiian Islands. You might think the "grandfather" of all the dance clubs in Hawaii at 56 years old.
The organization is now headed by Prez Deanie Bates who with her capable staff hosted the Anniversary Dance at the Palladium last night. Although the entire Ballroom was in use, the dividing walls couldn't be open all the way leaving a small but accessible opening between #1 and #2 ballrooms. No big problem. It was fun for Lani and me trans-dancing from one ballroom to the other.

But first, big kudos to Prez Deanie for a successful anniversary event that drew dancers from nearly all the dance organizations on Oahu.

Next, the KP Beauties who dished out the dinner bentos for the presale ticket holders. For 8 bucks we got a generous serving of boneless chicken, a piece of luncheon meat, takuan, tempura, and an Okinawa doughnut hole on a bed of white rice. Not bad considering it comes with four and a half hour of social dancing to some great dance music.

Speaking of great dance music, you gotta give DeeJay Mike Chinen a pat on the back for spinning those fabulous tunes non-stop all evening. My personal thanks to Mike for playing a Merengue tune for Lani and me. It was a good touch among the other usual dance music.

The guy and gals were busy at the reception table admitting the line of guests feeding unto the Ballroom. However, I was able to get some smiles from them.

Long time friend and dance instructor John Calleon was at the VIP Table with friend Sawaye and Prez Deanie greeting others who wanted to see the awards and door prizes.
There was no dance exhibition on the program but there was a break to introduce the Presidents and representatives of the various dance organizations, and professional dance teachers in attendance.

Lady EmCe was Kay Yahiku who handled the mike with expertise. Prez Deanie Bates extended a welcome speech to everyone.

An award went to Herbert Omizo for selling the most tickets for this event. Then it was time for the lucky ticket holders for door prizes. General dancing continued till closing.

There were other VIPs than those in this photo that keeps the Aiea Ballroom Dance Association-Hawaii afloat for a long time. Too many to get them still long enough for a camera shot but I was able to corner Naone, Amadeo, and Stephanie.
Lani and I had danced nearly three hours with very few breaks. It was an enjoyable evening for us but it was time to hit the road back home.

But before departing, we had to show our appreciation and thank David Carvalho for keeping the Palladium clean, and in order and even help stacking the chairs away at the close of the event. He tried desperately to engage the mechanism to fully open the divided walls to both ballrooms but was not successful. He is present at nearly all weekend dance events at the Palladium. If you see him, it would be a good gesture to make his day by giving him the SHAKA, BRO sign.

Aiea Ballroom Dance Association-Hawaii has another social dance coming up this coming Tuesday at the Palladium. You can check it out at my other blog by clicking on That's Dancing for more info.

The Week That Was May 22nd

2011-05-24T13:47:00.017-10:00

Two of my youngest Princesses are performing members of the Iolani School Dance Team and this past Sunday was a prelude to the High School Dance Team Competition coming up this Saturday at the Kaimuki High School. As I watched my 17 year old granddaughter perform Hip Hop, Lyrics, and Modern dances with her Team on the floor of the Iolani School lower gym, I couldn't help but flashback when she was a little bundle of energy.

Anyway, the Dance Team treated the audience of mom and dads, and friends, to a non-stop 17 fantastic performances that wowed the crowd. The dancers were grouped by grade levels but I'm pretty sure there were some eight to ten year olds from other schools participating in the showcase.

My youngest Princess just graduated from elementary school this Tuesday. And she performed the hula and a little hip hop in a group at the graduation ceremony. The girls are growing a lot faster now in this cyber space age and I'm glad that they are immersed in a variety of dance forms.
IBDI opened their 2011 3rd Term Dance Classes at the Palladium on Monday. After returning from an exciting 5 day experience in Las Vegas a week before, our dancing feet were still itchy. So Lani and I cruised over to the Palladium to visit our IBDI friends Sergio and Renna. There were many faces at the first dance class who we knew from many moons before. It was IBDC then before IBDI. Got to bump fist with the guys and hugs from the gals. Prez Chris and wife Charlene also welcomed Lani and me into the club. Renna and Sergio taught the Samba Variation l & ll class. We've always enjoyed their dancing in showcases since the first time we saw them perform in a Mock Competition Dance. There was vigor and expertise in their teaching abilities and it was a pleasure being in their Samba Variations dance class.

Congrats To Rita O'Connor

2011-05-21T01:36:00.006-10:00

West Coast Swing Gold Medal Awarded to Maui Dance Professional Rita!

Saturday, May 14th - At a West Coast Swing Continuing Ed Teacher's Training Intensive, Maui Dance Professional, Rita O'Connor, NDCA* placed first in a dance competition with dancers from the mainland, as well as Singapore, Sweden and Australia!

Rita was awarded a gold medal in this non-sanctioned competition by the GSDTA with National Judges including West Coast Swing Champions Jordan Frisbee & Tatiana Mollman and Sharlot Bott & Mark Scheuffele among others!

Rita is very proud to bring the gold home to Maui!

Pictured: World's Top West Coast Swing Champions, Jordan Frisbee & Tatiana Mollman congratulate Maui Dance Professional Rita O'Connor* on placing first during the dance competition portion of the event!

*NDCA - National Dance Council of America (Latin & Ballroom Professional Dance Organization

Las Vegas Extravaganza II

2011-05-17T14:47:00.040-10:00

Las Vegas, sometimes called the Sin City. It was the Mecca for big time as well as for the initiates like Lani and me. Got there by way of Vacations Hawaii Travel Package. Good Deal! Lani and I were there this past Thursday for the IBDI Las Vegas Extravaganza....a dinner and dance event with a showcase of talented dancers at the Red Rock Room located in the Sam's Town Hotel & Casino. It was a nice scenic ride that late afternoon from downtown as our driver and travel agent, Roy Hamasaki gave us a history tour of old Las Vegas.

The Red Rock Room was spacious enough for the approximately 100 guests. No Host Cocktails and General Dancing started at 6PM. Like all dance events, there's always the Lovelies that greet the guests at the Reception Table with their friendly smile and these lovely ladies were no exception.

The Event Coordinators and Ticket Sales were IBDI Prez Christopher Jay, Marsha Ninomiya, and Lynn Nakamura and they did a fantastic job organizing this event. Big kudos to Richard and Lynn Nakamura for putting up an exciting showcase program, too. But it was time for Prez Chris Jay to take the mike and welcome both IBDI and Dance Hawaii members, and guests. It was a welcome speech full of friendliness and comarade. Bob Nishimura, Treasurer for Dance Hawaii also gave a welcome speech which was equally heart warming.

We really lucked on the Music Players. We had not only one but three DeeJays that spun the web of the most appealing danceable music. And during dinner, they played all soft Latin music...Bolero and Rumba which were very soothing when dining and having a conversation with friends and new acquaintences sitting at the same table.

Talent was not reserved only for the dancers. Chudy Amazaki treated the guests with a beautiful solo sung partly in Japanese. And just like the reality show, Dancing With The Stars, Henry and Joann Rimas demonstrated their talent as accomplished dancers in a solo dance while Chudy sang. Certainly a very nice touch for this event.

General Dancing continued till 7PM and then it was time to replenish our energy with the Buffet Dinner. Renna Villanueva gave a wonderful invocation with words straight from the heart...very touching. The buffet was ono and the desserts were plentiful...I couldn't stop at one piece of Dobash cake with coconut frosting, but at two I did, much to the encouragement of my main squeeze!

To add to the goodies, Helen Inase donated Favors from Las Vegas Jerky, Etc. Not quite the ordinary Favors since they came in useable green purse-like pouches. Very classy!

Then it was SHOWTIME at 8:45. Lani and I felt that this Showcase was going to be special and a spectacular one with the addition of the "Dance Now Team" from Los Angeles, and the "Rebel Dance Sport Team" (with Hawaii dancer Joshua Manzano) from the University of Nevada.

Sergio and Renna Villanueva opened the Dance Exhibition with a Sizzling Cha Cha. This couple has always given their best surprise and innovative performances that thrilled the audience in Honolulu whether it be smooth or rhythm dancing. Their rendition of the Cha Cha in Vegas was a hot number indeed! There was a slight accident in their performance that could happen to any exhibition dancers (you've seen it happen even in Dancing With The Stars), but true to their professionalism and Dancersport experience Sergio and Renna continued on without a break in rhythm. It was a terrific performance that I hope they will do again in Honolulu.

Dancing is ageless as the "Dance Now Team" from LA performed a Medley of Quickstep, Jitterbug, and Swing. The "Team" of active seniors wowed the audience with their fast and nimble footwork, and flexible body movements. A little magical change in costumes to harmonize with the tempo of the music added more wows and applauses to the team's performance. Dancing at non-stop speed on all three dances, the "Team" included Bill Steaber & Barbara Greenlaw, Bill Morey & Gee Gee Barde, Jim & Andrea Gutman,and Frank Trapp & Keiko Isshiki. It was an enjoyable performance and very well done.

The temperature rose sometime during the evening and like at the Palladium in Honolulu, slowly those hand-held fans started to appear. I thought the appearance of the Rebel Dance Sport Team was the cause of it, since they were hidden from view until they stepped into the ballroom. The costumes worn by the guys and gals were colorful ala Las Vegas show performers. The young college students were from the University of Nevada that competes in dance contests throughout the USA. The Medley of International Cha Cha, Rumba, Quickstep, Samba, and Swing performed by Alex Andres & Kristine Glori, Steven Knapp & Arlene Losloso, Innie Kim & Maria Amezcua, and Joshua Manzano & Kimberly Reid was electrifying and very entertaining. A touch of cabaret dancing with lifts brought excitement to the performance. It was a great non-stop performance and no mere task with high speed movements filled with unbounded energy. Kudos to choreographers Amanda Haboush and Gail Michel-Parsons for a job well done!

The IBDI Formation Team comprised of Roy & Marsha Ninomiya, Edward & Candy Matsuda, Richard & Lynn Nakamura, and Larry Arinaga & Candace Yap concluded the Showcase of Exhibition Dancing with the International Quickstep. Precision and disciple of the dancers certainly showed in this dance performance choreographed by Richard and Lynn Nakamura.
It was another eye-opener of speed dancing well done by the Formation Team from IBDI....circling the dance floor, pulling apart, and then ending in a cluster was an distintive art by itself. Clever moves for team formation exhibition dancing.

The whole Showcase was entertaining, colorful, and filled with excitement and energy to the very end. With the loud applauses that all the performers received at the finale, it was a perfect indication that the Showcase was a successful and an enjoyable one for all who were there.

General dancing continued till closing. Gotta recognize a guy and a gal who worked in the background for this event: Ray Nariyoshi (Treasurer of Las Vegas Event), and Nancy Shen (Tickets and Printing).
Left click on photos to zoom in.

A Good Point

2011-05-03T13:22:00.001-10:00

If you have been following Pepe's Club Dancer blog, he makes a good point about advertisement on the blog. It can turn off readers.....why? the pure and simple reason is that they rather read about what went on at the event.
Now,Pepe has covered a lot of ground on his several blogs. And that's commendable for a guy who travels by bus and bicycle to bring you news about our dancing community almost daily. But Pepe cannot cover every event that's been advertised on his blog. Neither can I. I've lost (ahem) my super powers (ahem) due to age and the high cost of living. So shouting "SHAZAM" will not get me to attend every event that's advertised on my blog and write about how successful they were. Okay! Nuff said!

USADance 18th Anniversary Ball

2011-04-24T00:26:00.026-10:00

Billed as an Anniversary Dance and a fund raiser for the Japan Disaster, the event drew at least 400 plus dancers to this Saturday night event. The donations were piling up as Lani and I entered the Ballroom. The money-caretakers were James, Mae, and Isabel and they did a wonderful job at the donation table. The music was very good,
the DeeJays kept the social dancers on the floor with a combination of International and American flavor music.
The EmCee (Roger Izumigawa) kept the show on a lively beat. The showcase was lined with explosive dancers. The ladies in the exhibition dances were beautiful and beautifully dressed in an array of spectecular colors. The refreshments were light but ono ono, and the people were on a friendly mood. So what could go wrong at this successful event? Well...my worse nightmare that befalls any photo blogger at least once and when least expected. My trusty workhorse camera finally threw in the towel and gave up. Yeah, in boxing terms, it was a knockout. AUWE! So all the shots went down the drain. Luckily for me, the gal who inspired me to dance the Merengue in a showcase, Marsha Ninomiya, was snapping away with her trusty camera and is willing to share the photo of Ed and Candy Matsuda for my blog. Mucho gracias, Marsha. (Except for the Matsudas, Ravi and Synthia, and EmCee Roger, other photos have been substituted for recognition of the showcase performers).

Presidents and members of the various dance clubs in Honolulu were in numbers to support this event. That also included the professionals from the local dance studios. The dance floor was heated up with social dancers before the exhibition part of the program. There were seat warmers, also, but the call for a Horseshoe icebreaker dance got nearly all of them to the dance floor with the encouragement of the EmCee and Isabel. Honors went to the most tickets sold sellers Herbert Omizo and Annie Furgerson. These two are genuine supporters and go-getters for all dance clubs' events. Recognitions and congrats were also given for the four award winning couples that performed at the Baltimore Dancesport Championship...Glenn Okazaki & Ann Ho, Calvin & Debra Ota, Jackson Cho & June Choong, and Candido & Yvonne Jorge-Cuan. (See previous blog) .

The Showcase of Exhibition Dancers started soon after the Horseshoe dance. First at the gate were Ed and Candy Matsuda. They performed an exquisite International Waltz as though they were dancing on clouds. Very smooth and very well performed.

My two former students, Ravi and Synthia Narayan, who honor Lani and me as their first dance teachers and as their guests came on next with the International Quickstep. This was their first appearance in showcase dancing at the Palladium after performing at the Pacific Beach for Sugino Dance Studio. They started with a bang and ended with a bang. Fast feet with good control, Ravi and Synthia danced the entire ballroom floor. It was refreshing to see this new young couple performing and whizzing like a flash on their first try.

Jackson Cho and June Choong thrilled the audience with their explosive International Cha Cha. Fresh back from the Baltimore Dancesport Championship, Jackson and June were magnificent in this exciting dance.

The International Rumba performed by Calvin and Debra Ota was captivating and sensuous to the bone. It was silky smooth and every movement was well orchestrated. It was beauty in motion and a love dance that will be long remembered..

Concluding the program were crowd pleaser Glenn Okazaki and Ann Ho dancing the International Slow Foxtrot. This was another refreshing performance because it's rarely that a slow foxtrot is ever performed. It was wonderfully done with precision and grace. It's no wonder Glenn and Ann are considered tops in the exhibition and competitive level. It was an exhilarating and an enjoyable perfomance to watch.

It was close to 9:15 and yours truly had just about expanded all his energy with my main squeeze, and some lady friends. It was an enjoyable night of dancing and socializing with good friends but it was time to call it a good night and head for the ride home.

Hawaii Dancers Excel at USA Dance National Dancesport Championships

2011-04-10T23:22:00.009-10:00

Just got this e-mail from Ravi Narayan on the Dancesport Championship held at Baltimore (news article and photos submitted by Ravi)........
(Left click on photo to zoom in)

USA Dance held its flagship Dancesport championship this weekend, April 8, 9, 10, 2011 at Baltimore and our local dancers from the Honolulu Chapter 4007 not only did our Chapter proud, but did a great job representing the state of Hawaii at the National champioships. Four couples from Hawaii participated in the event with three couples competing in both the Standard and Latin events. The results show the increasing interest and quality of competitive Dancesport in Hawaii.

Jackson Cho and Mei-June Choong reached the finals in both Standard and Latin divisions placing 7 out of 21 couples in the Amateur Adult Bronze Standard Division and 2nd out of 18 couples in the Amateur Adult Bronze Latin.

Candido and Yvonne Jorge-Cuan participated in both Standard and Latin divisions placing 5 out of 10 couples in the Amateur Senior III Bronze Standard Division, 3rd out of 5 couples in the Amateur Senior II Bronze Latin and 2nd out of 4 couples in the Amateur Senior III Bronze Latin.

Calvin and Debra Ota also participated in both Standard and Latin divisions placing 5th out of 9 couples in the Amateur Senior II Novice Standard Division, 2nd out of 5 couples in the Amateur Senior II Novice Latin and 6th out of 7 couples in the Amateur Senior II Pre-champ Latin division.

Glenn Okazaki and Anne Ho placed 4th out of 27 couples in the Amateur Senior II Championship Standard division allowing Hawaii to once again boast of having a 2011 United States Nationals Championship finalist!

Fantastic job and welcome back home !!

1st Dance Classes @Hale Ikena

2011-03-30T01:44:00.011-10:00

Last night Lani and I headed towards Fort Shafter Hale Ikena to assist Richard and Lynn Nakamura in the International Rumba class, and Andy and Monica Pascua in the American Social Cha Cha class. Going through security at the gate wasn't as strict as before but it did take some time. Then trying to find Hale Ikena was another task. Talk about getting lost in a military base but we eventually found our way. Hale Ikena was buzzing with registration of dance students as we entered the building. Lynn handled the registration while Elsie McGrew was teaching the Cha Cha Line Dance with the assistance of Roxanne Kaino. Not all ladies were dancing the Line Dance...there were a few men, too. There were some experienced ballroom dancers but a lot of new faces.
Richard and Lynn taught the first 45 minute class. Being that it was the very first dance class, everyone started at the basics. It wasn't hard to learn the International Rumba for Lani and me this first night since the syllabi are similar to the American Bolero/Rumba. The only differences were the names of the steps and the posture. Richard and Lynn are excellent teachers so it was easy for us to assist and convey their teachings to the students. The amalgamation consisting of five steps was fluid and I think most of the students caught on to the tempo.
Andy and Monica Pascua taught the American Cha Cha during the last 45 minutes. Starting off with the basics. Some of the steps were similar to those taught in the International Rumba, so it was easier for the students to understand Andy and Monica's instructions. The students were able to dance the patterns in tempo with the music before closing the class. Andy and Monica showed their expertise in teaching this Latin dance and their cha cha demo for the students was a superb incentive.
Lani and I really enjoyed assisting Richard & Lynn, and Andy & Monica Pascua last night.

Lynn send me the photo of the students and instructors of Last night's dance classes, and an e-mail with expectation of another successful dance class at the Hale Ikena on Thursday.

Hi Frank,
Can you also mention that Hale Ikena & Mulligan's Grill & Bar have very inexpensive delicious sandwiches and meals that the dancers can order to eat before and during the classes?

We are very fortunate and thankful to have Elsie McGrew teach the line dance (Roxie Kaino helped her), and to have you and Lani help our students in our classes. Thank you. We had a lot of new students so we are very appreciative that you both were able to help us.

We are looking forward to Thursday night which will be a bigger class than tonight so we'll be asking Hale Ikena to add on more dance floor to accommodate the dancers.

Thank you again.
Richard & Lynn

Ilima Ballroom Dance Club 28th Anniversary Dance

2011-03-28T02:20:00.020-10:00

The Ilima Ballroom Dance Club pulled out a big success last Saturday as the organization hosted their 28th Anniversary Dance at the Palladium. Talk about a crowded dance floor and the Team that made it a successful event. You gotta include the friendly persuation of club President Diane Wong for getting the showcase dancers from other dance clubs to perform in the Exhibition Dancing. None of them were members of the Ilima Dance Club but they came and put on a terrific show. It was a big treat for my eleven students, too. For some of them it was the first time to dance at the Palladium.

(Left click on photo to zoom in)

The TEAM included Betty and JoAnn at the Reception Table; Prez Diane Wong who was everywhere and that including helping prepare the bentos in the kitchen. There were other helpers too but were too busy to face my camera. Luckily I got a shot of Kay Yahiku, and also Warrick Sargent who collected the tickets for the bento. Roger Izumigawa was the EmCee for the evening who gave the Welcoming message and introduced all the Presidents of the various dance clubs who were in attendance. He also introduced the professional dance teachers/owners of dance studios. Then there was Walter Wong, the DeeJay who spun the music during the entire event.

GENERAL DANCING continued from 5PM till closing at 9:45PM.

The SHOWCASE OF EXHIBITION DANCING started at 8PM.

First on the showcase were Calvin and Debra Ota, my brother and sister bloggers, and the only couple that I know to have performed and competed in both the International Standard and Latin Dancing. Prior to the showcase, I had asked Calvin "where would be a good spot to view their performance". He said "anywhere because they were going to dance the length of the dance floor". And they sure covered a lot of floor space. We enjoyed every bit of the Quick Step...the front, the back, and all sides. Tonight they hit a higher level in performing the Quick Step. Very beautifully done.

Tom Sutton and Hami Draper followed with their rendition of the Rumba. Lani loved the beautiful forms and hand gestures that Hami displayed in the dance. And I think Tom and Hami did really good in their performance of the Rumba.

Again, another superb performance of the Waltz/Tango Medley by Sydney Chiu and Patricia Paliracio. (My apology to Sydney and Pat. The photo taken did not look flattering. So I replaced it with one taken from their previous performance.)

I guess I've used all the adjectives in Webster's abridged and unabridged dictionary to describe the performances of Ed and Charlotte Bugarin in previous showcases. Tonight was a another dynamite performance of the International Rumba...sensuous indeed.

The most beautifully danced performance in the combination of American and International Foxtrot that Lani and I have ever seen for a very long time. This time by Ivan John and Nancy Luckie who were marvelous in this performance to the music and vocal of Barbara Streisand. A great performance and one that will be remembered for a long time.

General dancing continued till closing.

The Honolulu Festival @ Ala Moana Centerstage

2011-03-14T11:58:00.018-10:00

Normally, Lani and I avoid large shopping centers like Ala Moana Center on Sundays. But this past Sunday it was a must go to pick up an item that was held on hold at Macy's. Of course, when going to Macy's, browsing becomes a sporting event for Lani. For me, it's Barnes and Noble Booksellers. Reading has become a passion for me when Lani goes shopping. So after an hour, she calls me on the cellphone, "there's gonna be a show at Centerstage". Like a paparazo, I quickly got my camera and headed to the Centerstage. Big crowd but the event hasn't started yet.

After a short wait of 10 minutes, the lady EmCee comes out and gives a blow by blow description of what's in store in English and then in Japanese.

It was part of the HONOLULU FESTIVAL!

A lot of action going on by young dancers from Japan. They called themselves the TGP Crew. Mostly street dancing ...Hip Hop...Crumping...Popping...Break Dancing...and a lot of jumping up & down. A good performance on the various styles of Street Dancing.

Yuka & Studio Pilialoha performers came on next that brought the tone down several notches. No doubt the Hawaiian Hula has taken a hold in Japan. And the ladies performed the hula pretty good and the accompanying music players were superb.
Lani and I left during the Hula performance but I was able to get some shots of the performers in action. You might want to check the Ala Moana Centerstage schedule for more performances during the Honolulu Festival.
(Left click on photo to zoom in).

IBDI 2011 Inaugural Ball

2011-03-06T11:23:00.032-10:00

It was a good feeling getting to dance at the Pacific Beach Hotel Grand Ballroom once again. With the weather forcast of an impending storm with accompanying heavy rain for Friday, Lani and I did a heli-on to Waikiki. Parking was at a premium at the Pacific Beach Hotel when we got there a little after 5:30PM but we were lucky to find a space on the 5th floor.

We were greeted by the familiar friendly faces of the lovelies at the reception table...Shirley, Delia, and Dana. Got our table assignment and waited a few minutes for the doors to open to the ballroom.

Met some nice people while Lani and I waited. Among them IBDI Prez Chris & Charlene Jay. You can always get a good handshake and a hug from these friendly twosome.

The mellow sound track of easy dancing music filled the air as we entered the ballroom. DeeJays Henry Lee and Jane were spinning the tunes for the evening as more dancers got on the dance floor. It was good to see Henry and Jane taking time out to do some dancing, too.

One of the organizers of this event is Grace Nohara and she did an excellent job putting together the program. Kudos also to her committee of helpers.

Good to meet people in high positions, too, that will be shaping the future use of the dance palladium. Charlene Jay was nice to introduce me to the new City Parks & Recreation Director Gary Cabato and his wife Lynn.

The man with the golden voice that kept the program well oiled and running smoothly was EmCee Michael Goya. He has the charisma and humor and his voice carried throughout the ballroom. He introduced all the Presidents of the various dance organizations who were in attendance including the owners and teachers of the professional dance studios. Yeah! All of them got leid....oops! I mean they all received leis. Michael also said the invocation before the grindz time. As usual the entries selected were ono especially the roast beef sauteed in gravy, and the miso butterfish. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Guest speaker for the evening was City Parks & Recreation Diector Gary Cabato. But prior to him taking the mike, Prez Chris Jay announced that the Inaugural installation of officers will take place at another time hence that will give more time for dancing. That won approval with a loud applause. No date was set for the installation of officers.
Mr.Cabato gave an inspiring speech about the future use of the dance palladium for dance organizations. He mention a nice figure of $15 an hour fee for the use of the dance palladium which brought more applauses. Whether it's a proposal he's working on or the real thing, it sure sounded nice.

Then it was grindz time.

Prior to the Dance Exhibition part of the program, the icebreaker "Snowball" dance brought nearly everyone to the dance floor. Lani and I got pulled onto the dance floor by different dancers at the first sound of the music. Somehow I've always liked the "Snowball" rather than the tradition "Horseshoe" because it got everybody to dance. Everybody got to dance is right 'cause I only got two dances (with Vicky Kerfoot, and Debra Ota). Other than my Super ex-girlfriend, these gals were fun to dance with that night.

THE DANCE EXHIBITION

The Dance Exhibition part of the program started soon after with the International Waltz by Ed and Matilda. I never get tired watching this young couple perform in showcases. They have so much strength and techniques in the International Waltz.

Ed and Charlotte has always pleased the audience with their dynamite showcase performances of the International Samba, and the International Cha Cha. And tonight's showcase of the International Rumba showed their versatility in the slow tempo sensuous Rumba.

Another excellent performance in the Tango-Foxtrot Medley by Dr. Michael and Trudy. It appears that "medley" is the new approach to dance exhibition showcases and Michael and Trudy has been wowing the audience with their rendition. Good technique and always a pleasure to watch.

I've always enjoyed the Villanuevas solo and team performances in previous showcases and tonight they had added a new dimension of entertainment in their "Latin Showcase". It had a touch of cultural or tribal mixture that I found pleasing and entertaining. Renna's grandson Ikaika and Kona's daughter danced some nice Latin moves to open their showcase before Renna and Kona appeared on the dance floor. A performance well done.

Closing the program was an American Style Waltz performed by Debby and Rueben. I've watched this performance once before and I gotta say..Rueben has mastered this routine tremendously. He was more relaxed and in control of the dance. Debby of course, is always at her best which contibuted to a wonderful performance by both teacher and student.

Well, all good shows must come to an end..and I emphasize it was a good and well planned, and an enjoyable showcase. Five dance exhibitions is a good number allowing more time for dancing. Lani and I stayed till almost 11PM and lucky for us 'cause I got to take home the Centerpiece being that my birthday was the closest to February 23. They didn't ask for the year I was born, so that's double lucky for me.
(Left click on photo to zoom in)

Seniors Valentine Dance 2011

2011-02-13T02:40:00.026-10:00

This was Lani's and my first time going to a Seniors Valentine Dance at the Palladium this past Saturday (2/12). We figured why not give it a try since we're not at the "makule" age yet....only still seniors like all the young-at-heart dancers who were there. And for 8 bucks, where can you find such a good deal....a nice floor to dance on from 5 to 10PM, watching a showcase of exhibition dancers, ono bento, and a chance to win a door prize? Sponsored by Tad Fukumoto's Makua Alii and the Bank of Hawaii, it was a big big treat for a weekend dance after a Furlough Friday. Although, it wasn't mentioned, I'm pretty sure the City and County of Honolulu had a hand in sponsoring this event, too. Wack me 30 time with a wet noodle if I'm mistaken!
When Lani and I got to the Palladium about a quarter to 6, there was no problem finding a parking spot. Although the presale ticket said starts at 5, there were a lot of available parking. Lucky for us in Hawaii, most everybody go according to their bioclock....Filipino time, Hawaiian time, etc. Some dancers were already enjoying the grindz on the lanai as Lani and I climbed the stairway. There were more people in the Ballroom but only a handful of couples were dancing. Could it be because of the music? Tad Fukumoto was the DeeJay for the evening and I know from attending some events where he was the DeeJay, he's got a good number of dance music that always draw dancers to the hard floor. The sweet sounds were missing and that is what happens when the sound system is not up to par or does not have enough oomphs. It started as a slow burner in the beginning but as the time ticked away the ballroom floor got ablazed with more dancers.

The EmCee for the event was Roger Izumigawa. It was good to see Roger back on the saddle as Master of Ceremony. He has a voice that has the touch of clear diction and humor. That is always a plus in being an EmCee. In his "welcome everybody" message, he introduced many of the Presidents of the various dance clubs who were in attendance. Roger also served as the caller of lucky ticket numbers for the door prizes.

A good-to-know Recreation Specialist Steven Santiago from the City was introduced by Roger. He gave a nice message on the use of the Palladium and more. Steven stayed after the Dance Exhibition to help distribute the door prizes. I say get to know Steven Santiago...he might be the key to the future use of the Palladium.

Rose Char was the Coordinator of the Mixer aka Horseshoe Dance and the Electric Slide Line Dance, and she did an excellent job at it. Got a lot of dancers and seat warmers on the floor and in line for the Mixer. The Electric Slide Line Dance followed soon after and the hype was in full swing that brought more dancers on the floor. As EmCee Roger announced.... this is the largest amount of Electric Slide dancers he's even seen on the dance floor. Kathy Uyehara was there in front of the crowd doing a nice job in leading.

Eight o'clock rolled by and it was time for the Exhibition Dancing part of the program.

Tad Fukumoto and Sara Oyama were a delightful couple performing the romantic International Rumba. It was an entertaining dance by a well known instructor in the dancing community and this senior couple received a lot of applauses and respect for their performance.

Picking up the tempo for the next exhibition were Albert Lui and Shu Weng. Their rendition of the Quickstep was electrifying and added zest to the showcase.

The tempo slowed down just a little with the International Waltz performed by Sydney Chiu and Patricia Paliracio. Their Waltz technique was beautifuly executed as they glided throughout the entire ballroom floor.

Dance Hawaii's Richard and Lynn Nakamura went into hyper-speed next with their Quick Step. A malfunction with the sound system put a delay on their performance but that didn't dampen the spirit of these two experienced showcase dancers. The show must go on and Richard and Lynn danced another dynamite performance with speed and professionalism.

Michael and Trudy Uechi concluded the Exhibition Dancing program with the International Medley of the Foxtrot. Bravo to these two wonderful dancers for bringing the Foxtrot back to this showcase. This was a rare treat and very well performed.

And now a comment from my main squeeze who had a better eyeview of the showcase than I did through my tiny camera view finder. Lani says, "all the performers were terrific and top notch in their performance. The ladies wore colorful costumes that were appropriate to their dance and they looked beautiful. Aside from the glitch in the sound system before Richard and Lynn's Quick Step, I enjoyed the whole showcase and I think everybody did, too."

Top Ticket Seller Honors went to Herbert Omizo, a long time friend of any and all dance clubs who has helped in ticket sales. During a short interview with Herbert, he disclosed to me that he had sold 300 tickets. WOW! Congrats to Herbert.

Members of Dance Hawaii were there in big numbers and so were the club's VP Jim Brierly. When his lucky ticket number was called for a door prize, he received a whooping loud applause. Lucky guy!

Lani and I danced our A** OFF at this Senior Valentine Dance but alas it was time to go bye bye to an evening well spent on social dancing and the enjoyment of a thrilling showcase of exhibition dancing.
(left click on photo to zoom in)

Are We Ready Yet? @Kaiser CSA

2011-02-05T16:29:00.005-10:00

Get Ready To Swing! at Kaiser CSA this coming Wednesday. We were gone for a spell from teaching at that site but Lani and I are back for the Spring Session. Nearly all dance clubs spin Jive music or fast tempo music for Swing Dancing. Eh, No Huhu! Swing Jitterbug will get you well on the way to keep in time with those fast tempo tunes.

ARE WE THERE YET?

2011-02-02T12:08:00.004-10:00

East Honolulu has experienced a surge in Ballroom, Latin, and Swing dance classes and no doubt such reality TV shows like "Dancing With The Stars", and "Live To Dance" must've spurred more seniors and young ones to get off the couch and accept the challenge....the challenge of "Staying Alive".

Dance Hawaii Kai at Koko Head School has just completed 5 weeks of dance lessons in the Argentine Tango by instructors Robert and Vanelle Hirayasu. The students went through an amalgamation and the steps are beginning to fall in place. Good job by the instructors and bravo to the students for giving a listening ear to the instructors.

Night Club Merengue is taking a good hold, too, as the students are progressing faster with this happy and the-most-easy-to-learn Latin dance. Kudos to the students who demonstrated each of the patterns that they had learned during the past four Tuesdays. Argentine Tango and Night Club Merengue continues for three more weeks.

Are We There Yet?
Ballroom Dancing classes at Ali'iolani CSA for the Spring 2011 Session is a GO and will start next week Thursday (2/10) at 7PM.

Ballroom Dancing classes at Kaiser CSA is still accepting applications for the class.
So far as Lani and I know, the class is still on schedule to start next week Wednesday (2/9) at 7PM.

In any case, please contact Kaimuki CSA at 733-8460 or Kaiser CSA at 394-1236 for enrollment info.

FURLOUGH FRIDAY SOCIAL DANCE

2011-01-24T02:37:00.005-10:00

Date: Friday, January 28, 2011
Location: Radford High School Cafeteria
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Music DJ: Michael Chinen

*** Monetary donations welcomed to benefit Radford High School Athletic Program
*** Bring a main dish/side dish to share with everyone
*** Dance Hawaii to provide all paper goods; serving utensils; and drinks (coffee/ice tea/hot tea)

For more info please contact Maurice Morita at Cell: 808-225-0326 or Email: Mauricetmorita@gmail.com
Website: www.dance-aliamanu.org / dancehawaii.us

Divino Ritmo Dance @The Cupola

2011-01-23T14:28:00.011-10:00

Looking to get an early jump in fun dancing? Well, my friend Marie Laderta has got just the venue for all you HOT "I like to dance on Tuesday night" Dancers that will get you hopping and dancing. This is the first Divino Ritmo social dance at the Cupola for 2011, so I'm not about to take the carrot away from Marie. Just go on and take a bite of her "What's Up, Doc?" e-mail..........

Hello Frank!
It's that time for our studio party again! Appreciate very much if you can get the word out for us by posting the following announcement on your blog! Thank you as always!
-------------------

So, "What's Up Doc?" It's CUPOLA time again!

Come do the "Bunny Hop," the "Roger Rabbit," the "Rabbit Dance," come shake your booties at the CUPOLA this coming Tuesday, January 25, 2011, from 7-10pm on the 2nd floor of the Honolulu Design Center at 1250 Kapiolani Blvd (corner of Kapiolani & Piikoi).

Come help Lucas and Yanna kick-off the "Year of the Rabbit" at the CUPOLA with their
Divino Ritmo ohana and other dance friends!
There will be lots of boogying to the special hand-picked ballroom and "harey" tunes by Maestro Lucas Jaime and DJ Jesse Gonzales.
Ono pupus and wine are available for purchase all evening. Carrot sticks will be complimentary!

As usual, admission is FREE and Divino Ritmo's monthly social dance party is open to the public! You never know, you may even get to meet Mr. Roger Rabbit or Bugs Bunny in the flesh...how can you beat a night of fun and dance with your friends!!!!

Hop, hop, hop.... to the CUPOLA this Tuesday!!!!!! See ya!

For more info, contact:Lucas at: divinoritmo@aol.com ph:(917) 568-3173
or Yanna at: Yannajs@gmail.com ph: (732) 499-0407

Dance Hawaii 2nd Anniversary & Charity Ball-2011

2011-01-16T11:08:00.056-10:00

The Dancers were real! The Performances were real! The Event was real! That was Dance Hawaii Anniversary & Charity Ball at the Pacific Beach Hotel this past Saturday. Not wanting to sound like a "Judge Judy" prelude but I gotta tell you, it was a bigger shindig with eye-catching dance performances than last year's. Gotta thank the "Ball" Committee headed by Chairperson Margaret Yee and Vice Chairperson Jim Brierly. Millie Chun did good also with Decorations, and Chris Ano made sure there were Awards and Leis. Kudos also go to the invisible volunteers who handled the Silent Auction (Gilda Morita and Leilani Alcover). Special Recognition and Appreciation go to the Showcase Choreographers and Showcase Dancers who worked hard during practice to make the Program a successful and entertaining affair.
It was a big event for Lani and me also 'cause some of our dance students from Dance Hawaii Kai and Ali'iolani CSA were gonna be there. Our son Dean who assists us at Ali'iolani CSA was gonna come to the dance, too.

But first, gotta pass by the lovelies at the Reception Table to get our table number. Diane Nishimura, Ann Manuel, Sandra Hamasaki, and Beverly Goo were just as cheerful reading those small prints on the table list and dishing out the numbers.

In photo (l-r) The Greeters and Ushers Benedict Doung, Ray Nariyoshi, Wally Nakagawa, Myrna Saniatan, Eddie Olegario, and Tony Alcover at the entrance to the Ballroom were just as accommodating. Lani and got real flower leis and were escorted to our table. Gotta thank Usher Committee Chair Roy Hamasaki for overseeing this treat.

Music DeeJay for this event was Michael Chinen who is one of Dance Hawaii's DeeJays and owns one of the largest selection of the best Ballroom and Latin music. Anytime the Rumba tune is played it casts a hypnotic spell on my Super-Exgirlfriend and she chasse to the dance floor with me in tow. Maybe it does the same for other dancers, too, 'cause the floor got awfully crowded.

EmCees for the evening were beautiful Kim Anderson and a good-looking Jake William. Both were good at the mike in keeping the program on a steady course. But first on the program was the Installation of Officers and Board Members.

Prez Maurice Morita called on Deputy Director of Parks & Recreation Richard Haru to preside over the installation. He gave an impromptu speech to inspire the new Officers and Board members to remember and play out their responsibilities to Dance Hawaii and its membership.

After the "Installation", Prez Maurice gave a "Welcome Everybody" speech and introduced the Special Guests and Presidents of the various Dance Clubs on Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island.

Professional singer Kim Anderson entertained the audience with a few songs. She also sang the prayer before the buffet dinner. Gilda Morita said the invocation and it was time to gind. General Dancing continued after dinner with some time spent on calling out winners of the Silent Auction.

Part 1 of the Program started with Dance Hawaii Line Dance Formation Team choreographed by Kevin and Margaret Yee. It's a rare commodity to see Line Dancing included in a Ballroom Showcase but there is always a "first" time. The "Mama Mia" and "Merengue" Line Dance was a brain-child conceived by Dance Hawaii Line Dance instructors Kevin and Margaret Yee and I gotta say they pulled this one out of the surprise bag with much success.

Robert and Vanelle Hirayasu who teaches for Dance Hawaii Kai this quarter danced the Argentine Tango. Lani describes the performance as a story of passionate love and hate. A little enticing to get his lady by Robert with Argentine flavor and the final blow of rejection as Vanelle walks away. Talk about love that goes astray in a movie like performance. Great acting performed in a dance!

Risking another 30 lashes with a cat-of-nine wet noodles for not getting a good shot of the dancers in this routine, I've posted this candid photo. OUCH!
The JIVE choreographed by Richard and Lynn Nakamura was performed by members of Dance Hawaii and IBDI. This is the second year that these two dance organizations had gotten together to put on a wonderful performance of the JIVE. Kudos to IBDI dancers Ed & Candy Matsuda, Ernie & Karen Choy, and Roy & Marsha Ninomiya, and to Dance Hawaii dancers Maurice & Gilda Morita, Richard & Lynn Nakamura, and Larry Arinaga & Candace Yap. I've seen this formation dance a few times throughout 2010 and it gets better and better. Another superb performance!

The Kauai Ballroom Dance Club-Hanapepe Chapter soon followed with the NIGHT CLUB 2 Step choreographed by Roy and Glenda Tamashiro. In photo the Dancers were: (l-r) Ladies: Elisa Delgado, Adela Chavez, Cornelia Works, Brenda Visitacion, and Glenda Tamashiro; (l-r) Men: Abraham Nihipali, Tomas Chavez, Dan Works, John Visitacion, and Roy Tamashiro. It was like "com'on my house" and dance feeling. Kauai Ballroom Dance Club performed in last years Dance Hawaii Anniversary Ball and dancers from Dance Hawaii went to Kauai to perform in their Anniversary Ball. Terrific relationship and a terrific performance in the Night Club 2 Step. It's no wonder it's become popular in social ballroom dancing, also.

The International CHA CHA & QUICKSTEP MEDLEY by Joshua Manzano and Jill Tengen was a poetry in speed and execution....a dynamite performance well done in the spirit of Latin and Ballroom showcase dancing.
(Photo of Joshua and Jill courtesy of Chris Ano)

More General Dancing followed during the intermission.

Part 2 opened with the International FOXTROT and TANGO MEDLEY by Richard and Lynn Nakamura. Once upon a time, Lani and I dubbed Richard and Lynn as Mr. and Mrs. Quickstep. After watching them glide so smoothly with their rendition of the Foxtrot/Tango Medley, it won't be long before we'll be calling them Mr. and Mrs Foxtrot/Tango, too. A performance very well executed.

Then the Kauai Ballroom Dance Club-Lihue Chapter performed the MAMBO choreographed by Ken and Ellen Kitabayashi. In photo the Dancers were: (l-r): Ken & Ellen Kitabayashi, Bryson & Medina Calbalteja, Russel & Jocelyn Cubangbang, and William Balbin & Deza rae Fernandez. A good relationship with the Lihue Chapter brought this Mambo Formation Team to perform in the Dance Hawaii Anniversary Ball, again. It was a good performance by the dancers and a rare look into a different style of Mambo.

An International SAMBA Formation choreographed by Richard and Lynn Nakamura was performed by Dance Hawaii dancers Jim Brierly & Lucille Nakamoto, Ed Olegario & Roxanne Kaino, Lung & Catherine Kwok, Wayne Fuchigami & Elsie McGrew, Robert & Vanelle Hirayasu, Larry Arinaga & Candace Yap, and Cory Ogawa & Valeria Luab. It was a "block buster" performance that was exciting and entertaining to watch.

Concluding the showcase program was an International WALTZ by Reggie Gascon and Gayle Kawahakui. It was a good choice to end this part of the program. The hype was still high and Reggie and Gayle danced so beautifully that the applauses were loud and clear that their styling and technique were greatly appreciated.

General Dancing continued till 11:30PM.

(Left click on photo to zoom in)

New Chief In Town

2011-01-12T01:25:00.001-10:00

A Healthier New Year & Mahalo

2011-01-05T14:06:00.001-10:00

IBDI New Years Dance

2011-01-01T20:44:00.036-10:00

If any dance club celebrated the end of year 2010 in style, it's gotta be IBDI. Fo' sure IBDI bid farewell to 2010 and rang in the new year in a Blaze of Glory at the Pacific Beach Hotel on New Years eve. Social Dancing, Ono Buffet, Door Prizes, and Games...it's gotta be the cumulative brainwork of the officers and the capable hands of New Years Dance Committee to come up with such innovative ideas to keep the program running smoothly from start to finish. Much Kudos to all of you!

Lani and I figured that parking at the Pacific Beach was gonna be at a premuim, so we headed towards Waikiki hoping to get there at least by 5:30. Wouldn't you believe it? We hit a snag of heavy traffic on Kalanianaole Hwy. But it was smooth sailing once we got past Niu Valley. We were keeping our fingers crossed that we could find parking when we got to the Pacific Beach about 20 to six. Found a space on the 4th floor and very lucky for us 'cause soon as I put the brakes on, there were a parade of cars all lined up looking for parking spaces after us.

The Grand Ballroom on the 7th floor looked desserted except for the lovelies at the Reception Table. Gotta give those gals a lot of appreciation 'cause no matter whose dance club is hosting, Candy Matsuda, Delia Tom, Dana Morey, and Grace Nohara are always there volunteering at the Reception Table. Got our table number and a blue ticket (for the guys) and a red ticket (for the gals) for door prizes.

As Lani and I entered the Ballroom, the sweet sound of the Waltz filled the air. It didn't take too much coaxing to get dancers on the floor. DeeJays Henry Lee and Jane made sure of that during the whole six plus hours with their excellent selection of Ballroom, Latin, and Swing music. There were some rare moments of the West Coast Swing, the Night Club 2 Step, and even the Merengue (Lani and my favorite dance). Mucho gracias, Henry and Jane!

Gradually, more dancers trickled into the Grand Ballroom...some former dance students, some dance instructors, and some friends and acquaintances who Lani and I had occasion to meet some years back.

Social Dancing continued until it was time for the ono buffet that Pacific Beach is known for. EmCee for the evening was Marsha Ninomiya and she handled the podium like a professional EmCee would. She said a very inspiring prayer of thanks before the dinner.

More social dancing continued after the dinner then IBDI Prez Chris Jay took over the mike with a short speech about the events coming in 2011 and the recognition of Grace Nohara for her support in making this New Years Dance a successful one.

Grace was presented with a lei by Roy Ninomiya.

Lucky numbers for door prizes were called and I gotta say IBDI did not hold back on the money gift cards. The games started with the SNOWBALL dance which got nearly everyone on the dance floor. When the music stopped, money gift cards were given to the guy or gal who were dancing with a dancer whose name was preselected and announced. The King and Queen of the IBDI New Years Ball was selected by lucky numbers, too. James Masuoka won the King's crown, and Pat Watanabe got the Queen's.

The traditional HORSESHOE Dance also awarded couples with money gift cards when the music stopped. After more social dancing, the Balloon game started with much fun. There were a lot of winners in this game even with the Jen Ken Po elimination. So all of those standing received some kind of award. The Games part of the program was conducted by both Marsha and Grace...and what a wonderful job they did to make it fun and enjoyable.

More Social Dancing continued until the countdown to midnight. Noise makers and those string pops dominated the Grand Ballroom as 2010 faded away and the dawning of a new year approached. Those on my Table #15 got to click glass tumblers and paper cups filled with non-alcoholic drink to toast a better and healthier 2011. (My main squeeze handled the camera during the closing moments so as she nicely put it..."so you can be in the picture, too"). Dat's my girl!
(Left click on photos to zoom in).

Dance Hawaii Instructors Appreciation Dinner

2010-12-23T10:15:00.024-10:00

Yeah! I got scooped again for taking my time in getting this blog on the way. This time by my friend and fella blogger Jimbo. So if you want to get more news on the Dance Hawaii Instructors Appreciation Dinner just scoot over to Jimbo Blogging at Moanalua Corridor blogsite. Here's just a short recap with some added photos......

Since it was an appreciation dinner to honor the dance instructors, I've posted only the instructors photos (who were at the dinner) and photos of the DeeJays who spin the good selections of dance music. Also please note that Reggie is also a DeeJay for Dance Hawaii.

Dance Hawaii Prez Maurice was the EmCee throughout the evening and who introduced all the dance instructors who were actively teaching in 2010.

IBDI 2010 Christmas Dance

2010-12-19T11:54:00.034-10:00

What an entertaining rare treat to celebrate IBDI's Christmas Dance at the Palladium last night. Amid the ono bentos served, the friendly greeters, social dancing to the excellent selections of dance music by DeeJay Henry Lee with Assistant Jane, door prizes of gift cards topped with assistance from Santa and helper Marsha, and wall to wall happy dancers, the traditional Horseshoe dance, and the Snowball dance, came the entertainment part of the program...the Dance Exhibitions which received huge amount of applauses for its entertaining and thrilling performances. But before cruising any further.......

It was a big shindig for the second to the end of year celebration for IBDI (next bigger than big shindig is the New Year's Dance on the 31st at the Pacific Beach Hotel). My main girl Lani and I picked up our tickets (prepaid) at the reception table, thanks to the coordination between Marsha and Dance Hawaii Prez Maurice and of course the workings of cyberspace.
While we were waiting to get into the Ballroom it was a good time to pick up our bentos. Again I say you gotta give those bento servers a pat on the back. They stayed on their post while others are dancing in the Ballroom.

Extend those kudos to the greeters at the door and the Reception Table, the hard-working gals in the Kitchen, and the DeeJays.

Special recognition went to Herbert Omizo and Annie Fergeson for selling the most tickets to this event. Most recognizable at any dance venue is Grace Nohara...first she's at the door with greeter Steven Sambrano and quick as a flash she's in the kitchen with the other helpers.

Also being recognized were behind-the-scene supporters of IBDI Edith Kanetake, Ki Wun of Dance Fever Oahu, and IBDI NewsLetter Editor Nancy Shen.

General Social Dancing continued till about 8 bells when Prez Christopher Jay who also was the EmCee of the evening opened the program with a welcome message and introduced the presidents of the various dance organizations who were in attendance. Somewhere along the timeline, lucky numbers for door prizes were called...red tickets for the ladies and blue tickets for the guys till it merged for the grand prize of big bucks which went to a lucky lady.

The Dance Exhibition Program started with a sizzling Samba by Ed and Charlotte Bugarin from Friends of the Ala Wai. If you can merge sexy and sensuous with the speed of action, I gotta say this dynamic duo had thrilled the audience last night.

Dance Hawaii's Richard and Lynn Nakamura kept the pulse going with a Medley of the International Waltz and Tango. Better known in Lani's and my book as Mr.& Mrs. Quickstep, Richard and Lynn danced with finnese and excellent control in this medley as they floated around the entire ballroom floor....very enjoyable performance.

Introduced as (visiting) Professional Dancers, Jun Lim and Sharon Liu showcased a beautiful International Waltz. Their lines, posture,and footwork in the Waltz as they too covered the entire dance floor was the makings of Professional Dancers...one that was enjoyable to watch also.

Sergio and Renna Villanueva of Dance Appeal have always thrilled audiences with their showcases of group formation and solo exhibitions. You can count last night's performance of the Night Club 2 Step Group Formation in that realm. Very well performed by Robert & Rosy Schiff, Ted & Lyn Sodaria, Kona Mann & Faith Villanueva, and Sergio & Renna Villanueva.

Dance Appeal continued with solo dance exhibitions with the Jive by Ikaika Villanueva & Kailana Reese, the Swing by Sergio Villanueva & Rosy Thomas, and the Merengue by Ikaika Villanueva & Kyla Mann. The dances were well choreographed by Sergio and Renna and it was good to see young dancers appearing in the Dance Appeal showcase.

Social Dancing resumed while refreshments were served on the lanai. Looking at the large number of dancers at this IBDI Christmas Dance, I predict that Prez Christopher Jay and his capable staff will be zooming for higher heights in membership and promoting and teaching Ballroom Dancing in 2011. As a reminder, IBDI has one more dance to conclude this year at their New Year's Dance on December 31st.

IBDI has been a big monetary supporter to maintain and improve the Palladium. Thanks to IBDI Editor Nancy Shen for sending a copy of the IBDI NewsLetter for this month. It sheds light on some important issues...please read on......

(Left click on photos and graphics to zoom in)

Pan Pacific BDS Christmas Dance @The Palladium

2010-12-16T13:45:00.015-10:00

Meanwhile across the Ala Wai Canal, the Pan Pacific Ballroom Dance Society hosted their Christmas Dance at the Palladium a day after on Saturday. Complete with General Dancing, 3 Dance Exhibition Performances, Door Prizes for Lucky Number Winners, and Bento. Oh yes, Santa was there with a couple of his little helpers passing out candies.

Lani and I got to the Palladium a little before six...just in time to pick up our bento from the bento servers Marie, Amadeo & Stephanie. Gotta give them a pat on the back for working while others are dancing in the Ballroom. The guys and gals who man the Reception Table, Greeters at the door, and the DeeJays also should be appreciated.

Not too many dancers on the Ballroom floor. In fact there were a lot of parking spaces in the parking lot and lots of vacant chairs in the Ballroom. Most of them had a funny looking picture of a big bare foot taped on the chair....don't really know what it meant but someone said that those seats are reserved. Hmmm! must be a new Pan Pacific Ballroom Dance Society Policy.

(Left click on photos to zoom in)
Fortunately, there were seats available near the dressing room without the funny picture of the Big Foot. Thanks to Reggie Gascon, we were seated near our friends from Dance Hawaii (aka Dance Aliamanu). There were other dancers that we knew and many others that we continue to see at the Ballroom but can't recall their names. But the main thing is that they were there to support the dance club and enjoy an evening of good music and fine dancing.

The Dance Exhibitions were nice to watch but somehow I gotta agree with Geoffrey that the Palladium dance floor is too large for exhibition dancing. Most of the time the performers were in the middle of the floor and facing the kitchen so those on the stageside only saw the performers' backs. We saw the Pan Pacific Formation Dance Team perform the night before at the Divino Ritmo 2nd Annual Grand Ball and Showcase at the Sheraton Waikiki and they again performed like clockwork...smooth like butter.

A new addition to the dance scene was a couple from the mainland who performed the Salsa with more moves that you can shake a stick at....well done. Ed and Charlotte Bugarin performed an exciting Latin dance and once again I gotta say they are always a crowd pleaser....always performing with that WOW factor.

Door prizes of potted ponciettas and wrapped gifts went like hotcakes. No calling of lucky numbers...only those tickets that had a red or yellow dot were the winning ones. What an innovative idea.

This Saturday (12/18) IBDI hosting their Christmas dance at the Palladium. For those on the Westside, Dance Hawaii hosting their Christmas Dance at Aliamanu Middle School this Saturday, also. For more info, please surf over to Jimbo Blogging at Moanalua Corridor.

Divino Ritmo 2nd Annual Grand Ball & Showcase Act II

2010-12-14T23:12:00.021-10:00

I guess I waited too long in getting Act II back on the road. Just like when I wanted to dance with Marie Laderta and waited too long, someone comes around and beat me to it. So if you're aching to learn more about Divino Ritmo Dance 2nd Annual Grand Ball and Showcase, I encourage you to surf over to Town Dancer and get a gander at David Easa's excellent blog on the event. David has got a memory like a steele trap and writes so descriptively it'll make you feel as though you were actually at the Sheraton Waikiki enjoying the show. Kudos to David Easa!

Well, the wheels didn't fall off the Showcase Bandwagon. Act II became increasingly intense. But before I go on, there was a gentle person who was dressed as a custodian or janitor who preluded all the numbers in the Showcase with a bit of a history of each Night Club in the Big Apple. I didn't get his name but he sure was a good storyteller and introduced each of the plays. David Easa's blog has his name as Bailey. Now days a person with only one name is a super star...maybe he is. And another gentleman that I didn't mention in the previous blog who was the EmCee. He, too, I didn't get his name but thanks to David's blog, he won't go nameless. And now here's the parade of photos taken of the dancers receiving awards for their performances in Act II. (My humble apology if I missed anyone on the show).

DRD Formation Team performers are Paul & Marie Laderta, Rolando & Gloria Padasdao, David Easa & Shervelle Flynn, and Cole Horibe & Emi Matsuoka.

The Award Ceremony soon followed after Cole and Yanna's explosive Paso Doble performance. Then it was time for Social Dancing till the final Act.

The Professional Show "West Side Story" featured professional dancers and teachers Billy Fajardo & Katie Marlow and Lucas Jaime & Yanna Samkova accompanied by DRD Junior Ensemble dancers Yumi Hirasami, Jarryd Julian, Francis Londono, Shervelle Flynn, Robert Holsen, Rachal-Jean Firchan, Monegan Dejesa, Marilyn Cariaga, William Liu, Cole Horibe, Keala Fung, and Jessica Klein.

It was a perfect ending to an enjoyable, exciting, entertaining, and fo' sure explosive evening of showcase and exhibition dancing that will be long remembered till the next DRD Annual Grand Ball and Showcase on December 3, 2011.
(Left click on photo to zoom in).

Divino Ritmo Dance Scores High On West Side Story

2010-12-12T14:00:00.028-10:00

WOW! What a tremendous production of an exciting showcase of multi-talented dancers produce and directed by Divino Ritmo's Yana Samkova and Lucas Jaime at the Sheraton Waikiki this past Friday. Lani and I were guests of Dr. Paul and Marie Laderta, who are students of Yanna and Lucas, and also participated in not one but several of the showcase numbers. Mahalo to Dr. Paul and Marie for the tickets.

Lani and I got to the Sheraton Waikiki a little after 6PM. We haven't been to the Sheraton since our days with HBDA when most of the dances were held at the Hawaii Ballroom. And we didn't anticipate the traffic leading to the Sheraton Parking but as luck held on, we weren't the only ones getting there after the doors were opened. Parking wasn't too bad considering we found a space on the 6th floor and took the long joy ride to the ground floor.

We checked in at the Reception Table and got our table assignment and had our parking ticket rubber stamped with validation.

Showing our tickets to the door checkers got us the pass to enter the Ballroom.

Not too much going on...just a few couples social dancing to the music of Dee Jay Michael Yap. Then more dancers got into the swing as they filtered into the ballroom.

(Uncle) Wesley greeted us at our table and proudly pointed out the wonderful props of a New York Night Club and the West Side Story created by Dr. Paul Laderta.

Of course, my main squeeze had to be coaxed for a shot with the West Side prop. Got one with exhibition dancers and friends Ed and Matilda Felix, also. But didn't stop there 'cause I needed to get one with my host Marie (in green dress) and her friends.

A lot of time for social dancing before the serving of dinner at the table. It was good to be served for a change. Made us feel like we were dining at a high class restaurant. The food was ono and there were friendly people seated at out table. We had small talks but then that's part of socializing and meeting new faces.

SHOWTIME started about 8 o'clock after the dinner and somemore social dancing. There were three acts. The 1st Act, New York-The Concrete Jungle featured the following performers:

The Pan Pacific Formation Team dancers were: Eric & Luby Brienzo, Robert & Amy Lau, Ed & Matilda Felix, and Jim & April McDonald.

Intermission and Social Dancing followed before Act II. I'm gonna take an Intermission Break too at this point before this blog gets too long and boring. So keep tuned in for Act II.
(Left click on photo to zoom in)

Night Club Salsa Session #3

2010-12-07T01:09:00.010-10:00

This past Sunday, Samir held the third session in Night Club Salsa. This time I brought my Super Ex-Girlfriend since she too have dancing feet that never quit. The drive from Hawaii Kai to the Radford took less than 30 minutes to get there. No, I didn't rev all the way on the freeway. There was no need to put a heavy foot on the gas pedal...there were less traffic this time.

Samir, the dance instructor was revved up to start the class but like the past two sessions, he was not in a hurry to share his knowledge of the Salsa. We learned two new patterns during the first hour and they were easy to assimilate because of the time Samir took to break down each step (guys and gals) and demonstrate the full pattern dancing with some of the gals with music.

Samir taught another new pattern during the second hour and then combined all this third session patterns with those that he taught during the first and second sessions. After a few more demos dancing with some of the gals, it was the students turn to show what they had learned from the three sessions with music.

As with all three sessions, Samir encouraged to change partners. This time all the gals didn't want to move except for about three who came without partners.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend hung on to me except for the time when she was called by Samir to dance with him. She looked good in the demo and so did the other gals as they being lead by a professional dancer and instructor.

Session #4 is on Sunday (12/12) 7-9PM at the Radford. It's FREE! Monetary donation will be accepted at the door to help pay for the use of the Radford HS cafeteria.

Night Club Salsa Session #2

2010-11-29T19:15:00.012-10:00

Although it's a long drive from East Honolulu to the Radford in Central Oahu, there were a number of Easterners for the Salsa lesson this past Sunday. Good to see some of the other dance organizations are taking advantage of the free lessons sponsored by Dance Hawaii. However monetary donation will be accepted at the door to help pay for the cost of using Radford High School Cafeteria. This week there were about 70 or more guys and gals..a lot of new faces this week. I brought my main squeeze Lani to this session since we plan to teach Night Club Salsa at Ali'iolani CSA during the Spring 2011 Session.

I got to make small chat with the dance instructor Samir Hana before the class started. He's soft spoken and got a humble personality.

The first hour went pretty fast and I don't mean that Samir rushed things. You gotta admire Samir's method of teaching. He demonstrates the movements...footwork, body position, arm and hand position, and how to lead.
Then he demonstrates the lady's part complete with the shimmy from shoulder down to the body. When all of that is done, he asked for a lady volunteer to dance with him and shows the whole package what the Salsa pattern will look like plus more. The ladies looked good following the lead and that always brought a lot of whistles and applauses.
The routine went the same way like the first session...practice without music...then with music..then increasing the pace of the tempo.

The patterns were a little more intricate compared to the first session, so there were more repetitions and more time for practice and changing of partners (although not many guys wanted to change partners). The gals who came without a partner weren't left out. Dance Hawaii Prez Maurice Morita accommodated all of them by partner-dancing with them.

There was a 10-minute break after the first hour. We had learned two different patterns during the first hour. During the second hour, Samir taught another Salsa pattern. By this time, it looked like most everyone was getting into the rhythm of combining all three patterns and dancing the whole package with music.

Hawaii Gardenia Circle Christmas Dance

2010-11-28T09:29:00.025-10:00

Last night was probably the first time that Lani and I have been to a Hawaii Gardenia Circle Dance at the Palladium in many a moons. We got there a little before 7PM.

The admission was $6 per person but here's the surprise that I mentioned in an earlier blog...the $6 admission can be applied to a year membership with the club if you choose to do so and as a member it was a free pass for the night. Good deal! Just like the godfather's "An offer you can't refuse". So now Lani and I are Hawaii Gardenia Circle members and entitled to all the benefits the club offers.

General social dancing was in full swing when we entered the Ballroom. Of course, being a Christmas Dance there's gotta be a Santa. And sure enough...that familiar "HO! HO! HO!" echoed throughout the Ballroom. We didn't know that our very own Dance Hawaii Prez Maurice was in the red suit until Gayle Kawahakui clued us in.

The program started with a Welcome speech by EmCee David Mayman. It was admirable how he acknowlege all the helpers for this event.

The entertainment began with an Argentine Tango by professional dancers Bruce and Yoko Wee.

Followed by a Mock Competition in the Cha Cha. Participants were (guys) Mike Chun, David Matsumoto, Walter Takeda, Gordon, Doug Smith, Howard Gillary, Victor Ho, Richard Nakamura, Ed Matsuda, Eugene Shen, and David Iki; and (gals) Lori Chun, Aimi Oswalt, Anne Ferguson, Olivia Chow, Dion, Kayo, Monique, Lynn Nakamura, Anna Mae Schwartz, Candy Matsuda, and Nancy Shen. All 11 couples competed in the 1st heat which led to the semi finals of 7 couples, then to the finals of 4 couples. All 11 couples danced magnificantly but there was to be only one winning couple.

After the final heat, David Matsumoto and Anna Mae Schwartz ermerged as winners of the Cha Cha Mock Competition by audience applauses. Among the judges were Geoffrey Fells, Nancy Luckie, Ivan John, Tom Nakamura, Bruce Wee, and a few others. All in fun and it was good entertainment with a mini Mock Comp.

After the Mock Competition, the partition between the Ewa side Ballroom and the Diamond Head side Ballroom was opened to allow the Ilima Dance Club and the Hawaii Gardenia Circle to enjoy dancing the full Ballroom. What an excellent idea! Refreshments of a variety of pies with ice cream were served on the Lanai.

Mustn't forget about the door prizes by lucky ticket numbers. There were no absentees. This was this years last Palladium dance for Hawaii Gardenia Circle and they celebrated it in a big way by way of social dancing, entertainment with an Argentine Tango exhibition, a mini Mock Competition, light refreshments (heard the delicious pies were from Arthur Oda's Aala Bakery), an "offer you can't refuse" yearly membership, and the coodination of opening the full Ballroom with Ilima Dance Club.

One more thing, Santa and Gayle helped in distributing the door prizes. We all know how pretty Gayle looks. So in all fairness, here's a photo of Santa unmasked.

It was a enjoyable night of fun dancing with my main squeeze (with dancing feet that never quit).

Coming up in December is Divino Ritmo's 2nd Annual Grand Ball & Showcase featuring "West Side Story" at the Sheraton Waikiki. I had the pleasure of dancing with one of the cast members of that upcoming showcase, Marie Laderta, last night. Yes, she's got the moves and yes, she's smooth as silk. It was nice to see Paul and Marie with their good friends, again.
(left click on photo to zoom in)

Dance Hawaii Furlough Friday Social Dance

2010-11-27T01:25:00.021-10:00

Appears Lani and I are getting into the marathon stride. As if the Rock & Roll nightclub dancing at the Dole on Wednesday wasn't enough, we were back at the Radford last night for the Dance Hawaii Furlough Friday Social Dance. As I mentioned in my previous blog, my main squeeze has got dancing feet that won't quit. Trying to keep up with her is like tempting cardiac arrest. But then she allows me to take a 20 second breather between dances. And now on with dance scene.........

DeeJay for the evening was Mike Chinen who's got a KAPU on the best music for social dancing this side of West Oahu. He's like the old commercial "When _______speak, everyone listens." In this case "When Mike Chinen spins his music, everyone dances". (Okay, the same goes for Andy Pascua and Paul Lee). I don't think Mike did any dancing but wife Diane was there by his side.

Most of the dancers who were at the social were from West Oahu with a sprinkle of East Honolulu folks. Quite a bit of mileage to travel from East Honolullu to the Radford but a couple of my students (Ben and Sandra Hung) from Dance Hawaii Kai came. My main squeeze got to introduce them to nearly all the Dance Hawaii members who were scattered around the dance area. Ben and Sandra came to practice their dance steps and they did fo' sure.

One of the main features of Dance Hawaii Socials is the variety of Line Dancing and last night was no exception. Kevin and Margarite Yee lead the whole spectrum of the Line Dances.....Waltz. Foxtrot, Mambo, Cha Cha, Swing, Merengue, and more.

There were 60 or more dancers who attended this social dance. Gilda said the prayer of thanks and then it was time to dig into the ono potluck. DeeJay Mike had the music playing continuously, so the Line Dancing and Partner Dancing was still going on strong during the grindz break.

Jo Cassidy setup a mini store of shoes but had time for a little dancing. Pan Pacific Ballroom Dance Society Prez Rudy Luat, who is a staunch supporter of Dance Hawaii, was on the scene and so were members of other dance clubs. As fate had it, my little Sony camera ran out of energy (like me) and it was time to packup our belongings and head back to the East with swirling in my mind...the Bolero, Waltz, Tango, Cha Cha, Rumba, Swing, Mambo, Foxtrot, Merengue, Nightclub 2 Step, Salsa which I danced with my main squeeze (with dancing feet that never quits) and the lovely ladies who gave me pleasure to dance with them.

Just a few photos of dancers who came to the Social to support Dance Hawaii and the Radford High School Athletic Program.......

There's more photos and blogs of this event at Jimbo Blogging on Moanalua Corridor.

Next Dance Hawaii Social Dance is at the Aliamanu Middle School on Saturday December 4th at 6:30 PM.

Dancing At The Dole Cannery Ballroom

2010-11-25T19:47:00.010-10:00

It was just a spur of the moment thing...you know da kine...go get all duked up for a night of nightclub dancing at midweek.

The WASABI Oldies 50's & 60's Band was headlining at the Dole Cannery Ballroom this past Wednesday. Dance Hawaii Prez Maurice and wife Gilda were gonna be there and we also got an e-mail from Doreen (da leeda of da band) that it waS GONNA BE A SURPRISE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION for a band member (Milton). Heading for the Dole was another evening of bumper to bumper traffic on the H1 at 7PM and equally just as heavy going to East Honolulu. So dat's double AUWE.

The dance floor at the Dole was filled with midweek dancers and the WASABI Band was playing their special brand of 50's & 60's tunes at high volume. Maurice met us as my main squeeze Lani and I entered the night club atmosphere ballroom. But first gotta pay the flat cover charge of $5 per person which gets your parking stub rubber stamped with "pay $3.00 for parking". Chocolate birthday cake was served and the drinks are priced about the same as the no host bar at the Pacific Beach Hotel.

Got to brush cheeks with Doreen as she said "thank you for coming" and then it was time to Dance our A** Off. No doubt, the hot music renditions played by the WASABI can do that. And having a main squeeze like Lani whose dancing feet never gives up when the music is hot, we stayed on the dance floor and danced the next 5 songs and then more before calling it a night of fun dancing. Now if you got the heartbeat at midweek for the Waltz, East Coast Swing, Rumba, Cha Cha, Salsa, West Coast Swing, Rock & Roll, and a bit of Nightclub 2 Step, then this is the place to be on Wednesday nights.

There are other bands that provide entertainment and danceable music each Wednesday at the Dole. You can check the schedule of events at KI's "Dance Fever Oahu" website for more info.

Got dancing feet and will travel? Dance Hawaii hosting a Furlough Friday Social Dance at the Radford tonight (11/26) from 7 to 10 PM. Surf over to Jimbo Blogging at "Moanalua Corridor" for added info.

Still got dancing feet and will travel? Then swing over to the Palladium for Hawaii Gardenia Circle Christmas Dance this Saturday (11/27). For more info go to "That's Dancing" and scroll down till you see an earlier blog on it or go to KI's "Dance Fever Oahu"

Getting A Taste Of Nightclub Salsa

2010-11-25T13:13:00.008-10:00

The SALSA lessons sponsored by Dance Hawaii and taught by visiting Certified Dance Instructor in Latin Rhythm Dance Samir Hana finally became a reality. The FREE Lessons was opened to all Dance Hawaii members and friends and held at the Radford last Sunday evening. This is one of the many advantages of being connected to the new dance organization spearheaded by Prez Maurice Morita. And one that is sure to make any Latin dancer appreciate the Salsa dance. So my SUPER EX-Girlfriend and I decided to ventured into this Nightclub Style Salsa for a change and headed to the Radford. We got there a little before the starting time of 7PM...traffic on the H1 was bumper to bumper that one wonders what's up in the West on a weekend?

I got to meet Mr. Samir Hana by introduction from Maurice. Being an ex-marine based at Kaneohe Marine Corp Base, Samir is a husky looking person but agile in his footwork. After a short introductory speech to the anxious to learn students, we all got to the spacious dance floor for our first lesson. Unusual scene...there were more guys (32) than gals (28). So some of the guys sat out for awhile. I got to partner with my SUPER EX-Girlfriend for a little while but lost her during the entire evening because of changing partners. I must've danced with at least ten different gals and each one was excited about this new Nightclub style Salsa. Yeah! me included. Anyway, Samir taught five patterns during the two hour session...first without music..then with music..slow then gradually increasing the tempo to the fast Salsa beat. It was easy to transition because Samir did not rush into each step. I mentioned two hours...it was continuous without any breaks in between. I think that was the only negative thought brought up. Other than that, every comment was positive. I think everyone had fun learning the Nightclub Salsa. I know I did and so did my SUPER EX-Girlfriend. We're looking forward to the next 5 more lessons of this package deal.