IBDI 52nd Anniversary Ball

The doors were already opened when Lani and I got to the Palladium. The lanai was fully occupied with dancers and guests savoring the onlicious bento that came with the presale tickets. The ballroom was in full swing as dancers trotted, skipped, and locked steps in tune with the Quickstep. The floor got more crowded as more dancers filed into the ballroom.  We found seats available at our favorite spot..the mauka side near the DeeJay....one of the
coolest spots in the Palladium. It's become our
favorite seating area because with a dance partner like my main squeeze whose made it a commitment  to dance my A** off, the cool air is most welcome. DeeJays for the evening were Henry Lee and Jane. Their selection of good dance music kept the floor filled at capacity.

Greeters: Beverly Mau, Eugene Shen,
Robert Diana, Diana Vo, & Dawn Le



I'm gonna rewind a bit here 'cause I mustn't forget the cordial greeters at the door and the smiling faces at the Reception Table when Lani and I entered the ballroom.



Charlene & Chris Jay

My boss Chris Jay (on Monday nights when Lani and I teach American Cha Cha) and his charming wife Charlene were greeting everyone as they entered the ballroom, too and thanking them for coming to the Ball.  (More on Chris Jay later).

Curt Young

Romeo Garcia

General Dancing continued to about 7:40 when EmCee Curt Young took to the podium to open the program. The program was well organized and Curt kept it moving very smoothly. After his "welcome all", he introduced Romeo Aguinaldo Garcia the Deputy Executive Secretary for the Neighborhood Commission Office who represented the Parks and Recreation, and the Mayor. After a short presentation by Mr. Garcia, Curt introduced the Presidents and representatives of the other dance organizations, and the professional dance teachers of private dance studios. And there werre many in attendance tonight. Curt thanked Emi Matsuoka for the flower arrangements, Aala Bakery (Arthur and Joan Oda) for the desserts and their generosity always, and to all who worked hard for this Anniversary event.



IBDI President Chris Jay

Curt then called Chris Jay to the podium and introduced Chris as the Emperor and President of IBDI. That brought some chuckles from the audience but seriously, Chris Jay has held the position of IBDI President for more than eight years. And during his tenure and leadership, IBDI has prosper and continue to be one of the top non-profit dance organizations in Hawaii. The history of IBDI goes back 53 years ago and Chris Jay took the audience on a historical journey from the time IBDC (former name of IBDI) was created and revealed the names of each of the presidents from the first year to the year Chris Jay became President. What a journey into history it has been. Attendance was high for this event with the audience lining the four walls of the ballroom three rows deep each at the mauka and makai sides, and four rows deep each at the Ewa and Diamond Head sides.



Mambo

After a few moments of General Dancing. the showcase of exhibition dancing opened with a Mambo performed by (Professional) Joe Shorba with Ellen Ostler of Koko Head Dance Studio. I've seen Joe and Ellen perform before at the hotel functions and they are superb exhibition dancers. Their performance tonight was exciting and dynamic

Salsa

The next performance was a Salsa by a group of dancers from International Salsa Organization and choreographed by (Professional) Yuki Komiyama. This was an entertaining and well choreographed dance. It was playful, colorful, and had a touch of a broadway stage show. Dancers were Alanna James, Emi Matsuoka, Maki Mikami, Veronica Munez, Yuki Komiyama, Edwin Ho, Kevin Laoron, and Alvin Aurelio.


Flamenco

The Flamenco dance that soon followed was performed by (Professional) Vanessa Chong-Kuna. Another dancer, Chiara Logli was to perform in this two part dance back to back but couldn't because of injury. Ms. Chong-Kuna danced both parts covering the entire ballroom floor as she twirled and swirled effortlessness. What a wonderful and skillful performance that portrayed the essense and fire of Flamenco.

Acrobatics

The next act was an acrobatic performance that could qualify in America's Got Talent reality TV show. Hong Wang brought a rare talent to this showcase.  It was a big time treat watching her balancing several opened umbrellas with her feet while laying upside down on a chair. It was not only balancing the umbrella on her toes but she had them spinning just as well. It was a good addition to the showcase and truly a remarkable performance and very well done.....da kine that's unforgettable and will be remembered for a long time.



Salsa

(Professional) Greg "the salsa man" Henry teamed with (Professional) Yuki Komiyama for the Salsa. This performance was on fire from the start. It was blazing fast and furious with a lot of spinning and cross lead that Salsa is famous for. No doubt that Greg is a master at this dance and Yuki was just as good. The performance was electrifying and displayed a lot of tricks of the Salsa.

International Foxtrot

The closing act was the International Foxtrot performed by Ed and Matilda Felix. They danced the entire ballroom floor which gave the audience an eyeful of two disciplined dancers moving gracefully with flawless technique. It was a magnificent and impressive performance that connected well with the audience. 

(International Salsa Organization) Greg Henry, Yuki Komiyama, Alanna James, Emi Matsuoka, Maki Mikami, Veronica Munez, Edwin Ho, Kevin Laoron, and Alvin Aurelio  

Teaching Wild, Wild West

Bottom line, IBDI pulled out of the magic hat an excellent group of performers for the showcase that added to the success of this 52nd Anniversary Ball. During the break before dessert was served, Richard and Lynn Nakamura of Dance Magic 808 called everyone on the floor to learn and dance the Wild, Wild West Line Dance.  That brought a big crowd onto the dance floor and they looked like they were having fun doing the dance. General dancing continued while others filed out of the ballroom for dessert.


Dessert servers Joanne and Candy

Dancing continued till the last dance at 9:30.  A big mahalo to Charlene Jay who provided me with the names of the dancers in the showcase.


(Left click on photo to zoom in)

Dance Magic 808 2nd Anniversary Ball

Heeding the warning that over 400 tickets were sold for the Dance Magic 808 2nd Anniversary Ball and that parking might be limited, my main squeeze Lani and I made every effort to get to the Pacific Beach Hotel before the "Parking Lot Full" sign got posted. Lucky for us, there were parking spaces available on the 4th floor but not many. The foyer on the 7th floor was filled with dancers and ticket holders wall to wall. It was just a little past five o'clock and the short wait gave us a chance to touch bases with old friends from Dance Hawaii and new friends from IBDI, Kauai Ballroom Dance Club, and Dance Magic 808.

(Left click on photos to zoom in)



Greeters at the Reception Table

We were greeted at the Reception Table by Ray and Lolita Nariyoshi, and Diane Nishimura and Sandy Hamasaki. Got our table assigment (#25) which was a front row table at the edge of the dance floor. As it turned out, I was the only guy with an all girl-seatmates at table #25 and they all said that they work with Richard Nakamura.

Table #25



General dancing was in high gear till EmCees Audrey Fu and Dr, Paul Laderta took to the Podium and Welcomed everyone. Each gave a bio of the other before bringing Dance Magic 808 Prez Lynn and VP Richard Nakamura on stage for their Welcome Message.

EmCees for the Evening Event

Highlight of this part of the program was the introduction of the Royal Couple Contestants, Dance Magic 808 Officers, Instructors, Volunteers, Anniversary Ball Committee Members, Presidents of Various Dance Organizations, Professional Dance Teachers, and Special Guests. Music DeeJays Henry and Joann Rimas were also recognized. Their selection of dance music were tops that kept the dancer burning the dance floor .

The Music DeeJays

A Special Award was given to Connie Laderta in recognition of her continuing service to Dance Magic 808.

Invocation was said by IBDI VP Marsha Ninomiya and it was time to hit the buffet line. General dancing continued while our table waited to be called to the buffet line. Gave Lani and me a chance to burn the floor, too.  The ladies at our table were nice but unfortunately they were not dancers.

Marsha Ninomiya

After dinner, there was a short message given by the representative from the Mayor's office, Romeo Garcia of the Neighborhood Commissions Office. Then it was time to announce the winner of the Royal Couples Contest 2013. Although there were a lot of women who were dressed in royal gowns, only three couples entered the contest. And the Winners are the Royal Couple of Susan Hiwa and Sergio Villanueva.



Royal Couples Contest Winners

Part I- Performances opened with Special Guest Melveen Leed belting out Malaguena Salerosa as the dance floor became a hornet's nest of Bolero dancers. Melveen is such a powerful singer and this Latin tune was unresitable for the multitude of dancers who squeezed onto the dance floor.  Her second song "I Am A Singer" brought the house down so to speak. It was so powerful and spellbound. She asked for a volunteer to assist her and IBDI dance instructor Jim Prado came to the rescue.

Guest Singer Melvin Leed
with Jim Prado 

Dance Magic 808 Epic Mash Up choreographed by Roxanne Kaino brought "Da Girls From Magic 808" to the floor for a line dance. Da Girls were Audrey Fu, Elena Hamm, Tandy Alconcel, Adelle Alcaide, Doreen Morimoto, Connie Laderta, Bernice Takushi, Renee Reed, Roxanne Kaino, and Eileen Nakano. Good job, Roxanne.

Epic Mash Dancers

 Then we got a real treat of a Latin Medley performed by youngsters Ikaika Villanueva and Brandee Nakamura. The young dancers from Dance Appeal Dance Studio thrilled the audience with their expertise in  the Rumba, Cha Cha, and Samba.

Latin Medley Dancers

The HBDA Aiea Chapter (Tom Wiederrecht & Roxann Oyler), Mililani Chapter (Andrew & Donna Ng, and Craig & Nadine Abing), Pearl City Chapter (Herbert & ShirleyOta, and Joe & Angie Vendiola), and Pearlridge Chapter (Arnold & Millie Chun, and Pete Madrigal & Mimi Whittle) wowed the audience with the American Cha Cha choreographed by Esmenio & Rose Andres. It was a pleasure to see the American Cha Cha in this showcase and I think Esmenio and Rose did a wonderful job in turning the most basic steps into a high level performance through innovation.

American Cha Cha

 Joshua Manzano from the UNLV and Gayle Kawahakui from Hawaii Gardenia Circle performed a spectecular American Tango. It was a rare treat since not very often the American Style Tango is showcased in local dance exhibitions. It was sleek, snappy, and filled with dramatic moves.

American Tango

 The Gangnam Style Line Dance concluded Part I Performances. Choreographed by Roxanne Kaino, it was billed as Gentlemen's but the dance was dominated by women (and dat's okay). Dancers were Manuel Carreon, Tandy Alconcel, Roxanne Kaino, Annie Nakamura, Cora Nieto, and Eileen Nakano. The audience was invited to join in so the young man in white showed his version of the Gangnam Style. It was fun to watch.

 

Gangnam/Gentlemen's

It was Intermission time and General Dancing.

 

 

Part II-Performances opened with the International Tango choreographed by Richard and Lynn Nakamura and performed by Dance Magic 808 Members  (Larry Arinaga & Candace Yap, Carlos & Chiye Higashide, Manuel Carreon & Cora Nieto, John & Ann Manuel, Richard & Lynn Nakamura, and James & Anna Arrowood) This performance was the most colorful and displayed the strict discipline and control of the dance...very well done and very well choreographed.

 

International Tango

   Edwin and Charlotte Bugarin has always thrilled the audience with their dynamic styling in showcase dancing. Their International Cha Cha that followed next was every bit a blockbuster performance.

 

International Cha Cha

 The International Waltz that was performed by Dr. Michael and Trudy Uechi was artistry in motion. This dancing couple have appeared in many exhibition showcases and have pleased audiences with their smooth rendition of the Waltz.

International Waltz

Hot! Sexy! Exotic! and Seductive! describes the International Rumba that was performed by Sergio and Renna Villanueva from Dance Appeal Dance Studio. It was playful and danced with flavor and passion.

International Rumba

Concluding Part II-Performances was the International Quickstep by Richard and Lynn Nakamura. This was a high octane dance and Richard and Lynn took off with a burst of speed that never let down until the end of the music.  It was a racy and exciting performance with a lot of zip that drew oohs and aahs and heavy applause for Richard and Lynn...an excellent way to end the showcase.

International Quickstep

General Dancing continued till 11:30PM

 

 It was a successful 2nd Anniversary Ball celebration for Dance Magic 808 with an excellent program featuring Special Guest Singer Melvin Leed, and an impressive array of exhibition dancers from other dance organizations and Dance Magic 808 very own members.



 

 



Hot To Trot With The Cha Cha Cha

To our students,

Yeah! TS Flossie did a number on IBDI dance classes last Monday that caused the mayor to close down the Palladium. But all was not lost. It gave my main squeeze Lani and myself time to do other things that needed catching up and also dig into some juicey info about the Hot Cha-Cha-Cha and hanging out with "just musing". So here's what I dugged up from my library as written by the author of "Touch Dancing".

"The Cha-Cha is really a spinoff of the Mambo, which is itself a derivative of the Rumba. When the Mambo evolved from the Rumba in the 1940s, many Americans and Europeans vacationing in Havana (Cuba) had a hard time trying to dance to the racy tempo and off-beat rhythm. To accomodate the dancers, Latin-American bands slowed down the Mambo tempo from 50 to 30 bars per minute, but kept the triple Mambo staccato rhythm. In this slower version, dancers took two slow steps on the beat, followed by three steps in quick succession. Musicians would call out "cha-cha-cha" on the quickies. The heavy hip wiggles were modified to a subtle sway, and the whole affair became much more manageable for ballroom dancers. The Cha-Cha-Cha has enjoyed popularity from the 1950s right up to the present, and you occassionally see variations of it on a disco floor".

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Lani and I were doing the showcase circuit for HBDA and IBDC (now IBDI), we danced the Cha-Cha that was choreographed and tagged "Disco Cha-Cha" by our professional instructor Carmelo Baysa. It was a mighty fun dance with variations of disco steps fusioned with Cha-Cha patterns. (There's that word again). That was then and maybe now it's called Night Club Cha-Cha. But whatever the call is, the Cha-Cha-Cha is a fun dance with a lot of freedom to "innovate and create a few of your own Cha-Cha patterns in closed, break, and free-style positions". As the catchy tune go, ""the rhythm will get you!"

Hang Loose and Lani and I will see you this coming Monday at the Palladium for IBDI first 4th Term dance class on the Cha-Cha-Cha.

Just Musing

WOW! It's been many moons since I last submitted an article to be published in Joe Martel's mini-dance magazine called "Dancing In The Dark". Yeah! that was a spell back in the late 90's and early 2000's. But at a recent dance at the Palladium, a DeeJay asked me "What's the difference between the American Style and International Style of dancing?" He said that he had read my article on that subject in the mini-magazine. Nice to know that the treasured mini-mag is still hanging around and still have some useful info for those who want to know the  difference between the International Style and American Style of dancing. For those who are interested in the difference, here's Dance Vision's answer as written in their FAQ 2005:

The American style is most popular in the United States, whereas the International style, which is also known as the English style, is danced throughout the rest of the world. The American Style Smooth dances, Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and Viennese Waltz, experience more freedom and expression. They may be danced in closed or open position, allowing for additional innovative tricks and creative arm and hand styling. The International Style Standard Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Quickstep, and Viennese Waltz are danced only in closed position. The technique for both styles is similar. The American Style Rhythm dances, which are Cha Cha, Rumba, Swing, Samba, Mambo, Bolero,and Merengue, have a greater variety of patterns, and are more suited for social dancing. The International Style Latin Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble, and Jive are more disciplined and technical. The technique is different between the styles and changes throughout the years. American Style dancing has always been more popular for social dancing in the United States.

So there you have it from an authority who's Teaching The World To Dance. And technique have changed throughout the years. I think Pepe (Joe Martel) hit da nail on da head when he coined the phrase "fusion dancing" some years back in his Weblog. I noticed that "Dancing With The Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance" no longer uses the term American Style and International Style in their TV shows. It's just Foxtrot or Waltz or Tango, or  Rumba or Cha Cha, etc. (except when a country's name is hooked on like Argentine Tango and Viennese Waltz).  I think the fusion of the two styles  have brought more excitement with dynamic moves, and entertainment with sparkles and power in the showcases. But then, I'm just musing.

2013 IBDI 3rd Term Student Party and Dance

The IBDI 3rd Term dance classes are all pau for now and it was time to party and dance this past Monday at the Palladium. It was also a time for the students to shine by dancing the course they had accomplished during the past seven weeks, and for the dance instructors to demonstrate what they will be teaching during the 4th Term. Lani and I got off with a late start to the Palladium but in plenty of time to pick up our prepaid bento. As a pleasant usual Our Gal Dana Morey was at the Reception Table with her captivating smile.  The guys and gals serving out the bento were all smiles, too and presented a welcome sight.

Not too many dancers on the dance floor but the swinging tune "Rock Aound The Clock" soon got many of them rocking. Got me rocking too with the evening's DeeJay Joella. Nonstop dancing continued till IBDI Prez Chris Jay took to the mike and made a brief announcement of the IBDI 52nd Anniversary Ball on August 17, and Dance Magic 808 2nd Anniversary Ball on August 9.  Then it was time for the students to shine.

First were the students from the Mambo class.
  Instructors: Frank and Lani Sierra.

Second were the students from the International Samba II class.
Instructors: Jimmy and Mae Matsumoto.

Third were students from the International Tango I class.
Instructors: Ernie and Karen Choy.

Fourth were students from the West Coast Swing class.
Instructor: Carolyn Noah.

Fifth were students from the International Quickstep class.
Instructors: Richard and Lynn Nakamura.

And sixth were students from the American Tango II class.
Instructor: Jim Prado.

It was a good showing by all the students.

The 4th Term Dance Classes registration starts on Monday August 22 at the Palladium. During that same evening IBDI is hosting a West Coast Swing Workshop with Debbie Borges (please surf to my other Weblog "That's Dancing" for more info).  The 4th Term dance classes will start on Monday August 29 at the Palladium. Here's the lineup:

International Rumba I with George Suetsugu.

International Tango II with Ernie and Karen Choy.

International Foxtrot I-II with Ed and Matilda Felix.

American Cha Cha I with Frank and Lani Sierra.

Argentine Tango I-II with Robert and Vanelle Hirayasu.


American Waltz I with Jim Prado. 





Door Prizes were given to lucky ticket holders. Then Prez Chris Jay called everyone to the dance floor to participate in the Wild, Wild West Line Dance. Leading the pack were IBDI Prez Chris and Charlene Jay. Social dancing continued till closing.