Flashback: Dance Magic 808 2nd Anniversary Ball

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.



Flashback: Dancing In Paradise The Dragon Ball 2012 Part Two

Dancing In Paradise: The Dragon Ball 2012 Part Two

ACT TWO

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTO FLASHBACK The Dragon Ball 2012 Part One

Dancing In Paradise: The Dragon Ball 2012 Part One

This blog on Bantay Bata's Dragon Ball at the Pacific Beach Grand Ballroom on August 24 is not gonna be an easy task. There were many volunteers involved in this annual event in making it a successful one. So please stay cool while I unrevel the threads of Dancing In Paradise as I can remember. After all, my main squeeze had squeezed nearly all of my energy by her merciless drive to dance my A**Off that night.

Lani and I got to the Pacific Grand Ballroom mighty early. No one was at the reception table but there were guests milling around the ballroom. Cammy of Dancewares Hawaii was at the entrance of the ballroom with her dance boutique with 10% discount for Bantay Bata ticket holders. Soon, Buffy came to the reception table and checked us in. Inside the ballroom, Sergio Villanueva greeted Lani and me while Calvin Ota was surveying the dance floor to measure the available space for the exhibition Waltz dance that he and Debra were gonna perform in the showcase. The ballroom was half as large as last year's. Another Filipino group occupied the other half and both ballrooms were filled to the brim.

It wasn't quiet 6PM but there was no holding back the sweet music coming from the stage by the Dee Jay Jesse Gonzales. Jesse has a rare talent of mixing canned music with his vocal chords and that made the dance music more extraordinary and appealing to dancing. Of course that got my main squeeze all hyped to start dancing before the floor got too crowded.

Before I move on any further, I gotta thank Paul and Marie Laderta for inviting Lani and me as their guests to this event. Paul and Marie have been prominent mainstays at Bantay Bata events as far as I can remember. They are good and inspiring people for this charity event and have brought their friends from Divino Ritmo Dance Studio to give an exciting showcase performance this year again. Paul and Marie are part of the Directors/Counselors for the Project for Bantay Bata. Paul also holds the distinction of  the Ballroom Creative Designer. The table centerpieces and the colorful Chinese ornaments that decked the inside and outside the ballroom were his creations. In keeping in tune with The Dragon Ball, both were dressed in Chinese costumes.

Okay, I gotta cut to the chase otherwise this blog is gonna take me to Christmas to get it all done. The preshow program opened with welcome remarks by EmCee Eric Barsatan. Representatives from various dance organizations, and Professional dance teachers were introduced.

Bantay Bata is a social welfare program that was first established in 1996 in the Philippines. Since 1996, it has become one of Asia's best child protection and welfare organizations, providing a multitude of integrated programs and services. Its initial intention was to help Filipino children who were victims of abuse. In its continued growth, it became a charitable organization for victimized children in the Philippines on many levels. Its mission is simple: to create and provide a safe, nurturing and loving environment where underprivileged, abused, medically ill, and undeserved children of the Philippines can develop and realize their full potential.

Followed by the welcome remarks was a Hula dance by Marcie Wong. Invocation was said by Iwalani Walsh-Tseu. It was filled with passion for the "project" and appreciation for those who support it. Then the Star Spangled Banner was sung by Anna Davide. Such a lovely and strong voice that echoed throughout the ballroom. The Philippine National Anthem was sung by Deputy Consul General of the Philippines Paul Cortes. A great and strong voice, too. There was a Chinese Lion Dance complete with heavy drumming, a Chinese Lion, and a following of Chinese Kung Fu club members to guide the "Lion" as it moved among the crowd of guests.

The dinner buffet soon followed while general dancing continued. The buffet included some Filipino delicacies. It sure complimented the atmosphere and the other entries.

The Showcase Program was EmCeed by Paul Laderta who did a terrific job introducing each performance with a brief bio of the performers.

ACT ONE.
   

Our friends Calvin and Debra Ota opened the show with the International Waltz...but was billed as Slow Waltz. Lani and I felt that it was gonna be a treat for us as well as for the audience 'cause we watched Calvin and Debra more times dancing the Viennese Waltz or the Quickstep at full throttle. I gotta say that the slowdown really showed that they have finesse and absolute control with impeccable technique.

It was a breath of fresh air just watching Ikaika Villanueva, the grandson of Sergio and Renna, and Brandee Nakamura come on the scene lighting up the fire with the Jive. Almost like watching their teachers Sergio and Renna dancing the Jive. It was fast and furious and combined with some hot flashes of spins, dips, and lifts. Ikaika and Brandee are a hot item to watch in future events. 

This 10 year old Hip Hop dancer came from the Philippines and my guess is that he performed in last year's Bantay Bata, also. Pretty cool moves coming from one so young. Noah along with his dad (Jim) and mom (April) sat at the same dinner table with Lani and me. Got to learn that Noah was raised in an orphanage in the Philippines and was later adopted by Jim and April when they visited the orphanage.

Who said that Swing dancing was only for the kids? Ed and Remy came on all fired up with the East Coast Swing and kept the heat on all through the dance. It was good to see these two senior teenagers burn the floor without any hint of fizzling out.

Tango Cha Cha Medley was performed by Mercedes Johnson and Professional Lucas Jaime. And it was entertaining, vigorous, and in the illustrious manner that Lucas reveals a story in this performance There was passion of love and hate in the Tango, and much fun in the Cha Cha.

With the end of Act One, General Dancing continued for 15 minutes with Jesse and son Jesse Jr. playing and singing hot swing and romantic Latin music. The dance floor got plenty crowded and everyone were having fun dancing to the music.

FLASHBACK: So You Think You Can Dance The Filipino Tango

So You Think You Can Dance The Filipino Tango

Curiosity got the most of me this week. Got the word that Andy and Monica were gonna teach the Filipino Tango at their main hangout...Aliamanu Elementary School. Heard so much about this dance in Pepe's blogs that I had to see first hand what this dance was all about. And like a bad cat, I got Lani to join me in this venture for a new experience. The drive from Hawaii Kai was long but traffic was moving very good for a Tuesday week night. Some how it seemed a lot longer now than when we use to travel the same route many years back when we were teaching dancing at neighboring Aliamanu Middle School for HBDA. Anyway, when we arrived at the school, Richard Nieto and Elsie McGrew were teaching the Rumba to a nice crowd of beginning level dancers. They covered three patterns on this first lesson night. Richard's wife Cora was handling the music. (Photo; Elsie, Richard, and Cora)


During the short recess, Lani and I got to meet Andy and Monica Pascua who were going to teach the Filipino Tango. Of course, Andy and Monica are no strangers to us since we both were former dance instructors for HBDA.

Okay, getting to the meat of it. Filipino Tango is not anything like your International style or American style Tango patterns. Tonight, Andy and Monica taught several patterns which were at first difficult but with continuous practice we were dancing the first block of patterns to the moderate tempo Tango music. I gotta say that Andy and Monica were very patient and kept on demonstrating this first block till we got it. As he put it to the students..we're there to learn. Okay, my description of the dance for this first lesson. The dance hold is the same as the American style Tango. It has many hand changes like the Salsa, there are some movements like in the Rumba and other Latin dances, and the ladies spot turns and underarm turns adds a great deal of spice to the dance. Just from tonight's lesson, I can see some elements of a showcase type dancing in the Filipino Tango. Very showy and may become a big hit in social dancing. (Photo: Monica and Andy)

Flicker Flashback To The Year 1996

Aloha Students of Dance. 

I hope you didn't hop on the space shuttle back to 2009 yet. Okay by now you gotta know that I'm a Trekkie, with all this space travel talk. Yeah! it use to be "All I really need to know I learned from watching Star Trek." 

But now it's Star Gate SG-1. But "Star Gater" doesn't sound as appealing as Trekkie. Just like the Palladium is a very good place to go ballroom dancing but for Exhibition or Competition Dancing, the old gal doesn't have that strong appeal quality. Just like the way Geoffrey Fells mentioned many a times in his blogs. So stick around for a while and imagine the times and thrills when HBDA hosted all the "Balls" at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. Feel the excitement and the difference?

Anyway, I was scanning through my archive of videos and sparked the 37th Anniversary Ball that HBDA hosted at the Sheraton. I had forgotten that Lani and I were on the program showcasing the Bolero that Albert Franz choreographed for us. (Talk about Senior Moments. Auwe!).




There were a lot of group routines performed by various chapters and they were good ones for the level of dancers. There were big name performers who danced solo exhibitions. Ed and Matilda Felix were flawless dancing the International Waltz. Lester and Henrietta Muramoto dancing a beautiful upscaled smooth International Foxtrot.


And for the finale, Dance Director Ben and Faith Agbayani had the audience in a frenzy as they burned the floor with an entertaining Eastern Swing. Lani and I felt honored performing among polished dancers that brought entertainment and showmanship for the audience to enjoy that night.

"Teach Me Tonight" Da Hot Cha Cha

The Foxtrot, the Tango, the Swing Jitterbug. All good to know dances whether you're doing some nightclub hopping, or cruising on the big big swimming pools we call oceans, or at the Palladium, or even at family get-togethers. I mean all kinds of get-togethers...birthdays, weddings, or backyard B-B-Q (the older Filipino generations in the plantation camps had dances at funerals, too). Talk about a happy sendoff.....but then that's another story for later.

Dancing the Cha Cha is one of Lani and my favorite Latin dances. The dance has a flavor so hot that you can actually inject your personality into it. You've seen the dancers do it on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars, and now Dance Your Ass Off. HOW ABOUT YOU?


Here's a short spill on the Cha Cha from partner 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 1940's, many Americans and Europeans vacationing in Havana had a hard time trying to dance to the racy tempo and off-beat rhythm. To accommodate 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, the dances 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 has enjoyed popularity from the 1950's right up to the present. This dance shares patterns and styling with its cousins the Rumba and Mambo. The footwork is small, flat, and close to the floor, and the knees are relaxed and a little bent, allowing the hips to move freely, but without exaggeration. You may find this dance easier than the Mambo because you're dancing on the beat. (As I said earlier, the Cha Cha is a hotsy....so hot that you can feel free to innovate and create a few of your own Cha Cha patterns. As Mikey on TV said, "Try it..you might like it!)

AUWE! Bitten By The Cold Bug

Pro Dancers on Gordon Wong's Facebook

See more Professional Dance Performances on Gordon Wong Facebook.

Happy Chinese New Year

SQ & RD Trail Out Dance

Message from Snow Jade.

Aloha SQ & RD dancers & friends: Grand march is on Friday evening! I will be there at 6 pm..

What a fun Trail In dance we had! I want to thank most of you for showing up to show your support for the SQ dancing in Hawaii... I really appreciated for your effort! Big mahalo for all of you and give yourself a pat on your back for the wonderful night of dancing!

Since our club only has one dance in Feb 2018.. it's the Trail Out dance this coming Sunday 02/04.. Let's make it a Pre Valentine Dance and let's wear red color for the fun of it! Just come dance with us and it's FREE for the local dancers. This Sunday, I will be at the Palladium 5:30 pm

https://queensj.smugmug.com/Aloha-State-SQ-RD-Dancec-Festi/2018-53rd-Aloha-State-SQ-RD-Dance-Festival-/i-TsNL8kH Link to see many pictures from the Festival album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIDxWbC9ZQQ I uploaded 8 videos tonight. I hope you can see all!

Photo and Video links courtesy Snow Jade

Sharing The Sweetness of "Thinking Young"

February 2018 is now here and you can expect two major things to happen this month... Valentine Day Dance Parties, and Chinese New Year events. So if you're wondering about those venues and other happening for this month, kindly surf over to my "That's Dancing" blog. Happy Valentine Day dancing!

Just So You Know