Aiea Ballroom Dance Association 64th Anniversary Dance

Bert and Deanie Burgess

Aloha Dancers and Readers. First, Lani and I want to thank Deanie and Bert Burgess for inviting us as their guests to the Aiea Ballroom Dance Association 64th Anniversary Dance, last night at the Ala Wai Palladium. Deanie had two front row seats reserved for us in the Diamond Head Ballroom, also. That's the ballroom where all the action took place and was filled with dancers. The Ewa Ballroom was practically empty except for a few dancers dancing to the music that was piped in from the Diamond Head Ballroom.



My main squeeze and I got to the Palladium a little after 7 PM. The parking lot was filled to capacity. "Big crowd tonight," we thought. Fortunately a golfer just pulled out of a space fronting the Palladium. "Lucky for us!"

The entrance to the anniversary dance was the Ewa Ballroom where we checked in at the reception table and received tickets for refreshments, and chance to win door prizes. I didn't get the names of the ladies at the reception table but I was able to get a photo shot of them.

Joe Martel and me

Bert Burgess music was resonating throughout the Diamond Head Ballroom and dancers were moving to the rhythm of the music as Lani and I searched for empty seats. Found a couple of seats near the dressing room. Then a familiar face wheeled near us to say "hello". It was an old friend who I met in 2001 and who published the mini dance magazine 'Dancing In The Dark' until he went into publishing blogs about dancing on the Internet. A few minutes later, Deanie greeted us and led us to the seats she had reserved for us. (Thank you, Deanie).

Bert's music was going on non-stop...smooth ballroom and hot Latin. Everyone appeared to be having fun dancing. To add to the fun dancing there was a 'Snow Ball Ice Breaker' where the men from ABDA gathered in the middle of the floor and then break out to pick ladies to dance with. After a short spell, the men went to pick other ladies in the audience to dance with while the ladies who were already on the floor picked other men to dance with. I got into the mix when a young lady selected me to dance with her. It was short and nice.

Kay Yahiku

Annie Ferguson and Deanie Burgess

EmCee for the event was Kay Yahiku.  ABDA President Deanie Burgess gave a short welcome speech, and everyone were back to dancing until it was the call for lucky number door prizes. There were many prizes and every number called was present and awarded. Annie Ferguson (a go-getter who helps nearly every dance clubs on Oahu in ticket sales) was awarded, too.

The line of people to pick up refreshments was long. Gotta give credit to those ABDA kitchen helpers for preparing and distributing the boxes of ono meals.

Back to dancing in the ballroom and someone subbed for Bert as music player.  Bert was dancing with his main squeeze Deanie.

Roxie and Lani

Lani was having a chat with Roxie Kaino out on the lanai. So that gave me the time to go paparazzi.

Kay and Deanie 

Kathy

Linda, Diana, and Snow Jade

Bert and Kay

Ed and Candy

Gordon

Mae and James

Joan

Marsha and Roy

Ravi and Synthia

Annie and Stanley

Linda and Snow Jade

We thanked our host Deanie for inviting us as her guests before leaving for home. It was an enjoyable night of dancing for us. It was good to see people having fun dancing the Hustle, West Coast Swing, the smooth and Latin dances. There may have been another style of dancing. It  resembled the Polka because dancers were hopping to the music. In any case, Bert's variety of music were on spot at the Aiea Ballroom Dance Association 64th Anniversary Dance. AWESOME!

Deanie and Lani

Deanie and me

Aloha and Happy Dancing, everyone.

"Rock da Joint" at the Hawaii Kai Retirement Community

Hawaii Kai Retirement Community (2nd Bldg.)

The long awaited First Sunday Dance Social in May at the Hawaii Kai Retirement Community finally came last evening and was over in a matter of one hour and 40 minutes. Short but sweet. With all the preparation put into making it a fun, fun dance, we hit a glitch just before the starting time of 6:00. But the show must go on and we were back on showtime track a little after 6:00. People were still coming into the dance room and those who were already there were ready to go dancing. 

Sandy Zook

It was suppose to be like the palladium type dancing..you know da kine "canned music" and dancers get on the floor to dance. Well last night's venue turned out to be like a night club scene. Just a change from the norm. Nick (my son) brought his own music and audio equipment and I brought my blue tooth player and a boombox disc player. The arrangement work fine as I deejayed and Nick did the vocals like kareoke style. The dance started with a smooth dance music. A few guests got on the floor but most were just sitting. It was a good time to pause the social dance and start with the Line Dance. Thanks to our friend Sandy Zook, who is an excellent Line Dance teacher. She got most everyone on the dance floor and taught a Line Dance with a cha cha beat. That was a big boost that got a lot more dancers on the floor when the social dance music was played. 

Nick Sierra

After playing a few smooth and rhythm dance music, Nick and I felt it was time to give the dancers a break from dancing and start the vocal part of the program. Nick first crooned a rumba song, then a Waltz, followed by a Cha Cha, a Viennese Waltz,  and a Foxtrot. The dancers did not leave the dance floor, ...they remained on the floor and danced as Nick sang

 . Someone in the audience shouted out, "we want a Swing!" So Nick sang a Swing song. And Swing, they danced.

It was time to take a real break from partner dancing. And it was time for me to take the lead. This time it was the Macarena Line Dance. After a short tutoring on the steps and hand movements, we were on the way to doing the Macarena. 
Then back to general dancing with my boombox music.  After a short while, we got into the Electric Slide Line Dance lead by Kathy Uehara. Seems like this was everyone's favorite dance. Got some of the residents participating in it. 
Then back to social dancing. Nick belted out some good dance tunes which kept the dancers on the floor.  It was past closing 7:30 time but some dancers were still on the floor. The First Sunday Dance Social in May came to a close with the Swing and Cha Cha dance.
I think everyone enjoyed the "night club" touch with social dancing, the Line Dancing, and dancing to songs sang by Nick. 
Special thanks to Sandy Zook for leading the first Line Dance, to Kathy Uehara for leading the Electric Slide, to Nick who sang those wonderful tunes that kept the dancers on the floor, and mostly to those dancers who came to "rock da joint".
Aloha for now and Happy Dancing!

IBDI "First Sunday Dance" in Hawaii Kai

"One Night Only" Workshop with The Champions

Coming to Aloha Dancesport Center for One Night Only!
Dance workshops & social dance evening with not one but two U.S. dance champions.

Ron Montez 7x U.S. International Latin Champion
Robert Cordoba 7x U.S. Open Swing Dance Champion
Read their impressive bios below.

Dance Workshops & Social Dance schedule
6:30: Doors Open
6:45 West Coast Swing Workshop w/Robert Cordoba
7:30 Social Dancing
8:00 Cha Cha Workshop w/ Ron Montez
8:45-10 Social Dancing
Admission:$15 includes dance & classes
Dance mixer
Light snacks

Aloha Dancesport Center
350 Ward Avenue Ste. 200
Honolulu, Hawaii

Ron Montez is one of the most respected personalities in the DanceSport industry. A 7-time undefeated United States Professional Latin Champion with partner Elizabeth Curtis, he also achieved 4th place in the World Professional Latin Championships held at the Royal Albert Hall in London and was a finalist in the prestigious British Open Championships in Blackpool, England.

Ron is recognized as a World Class Adjudicator, dance coach and choreographer in both the American and International Styles.
He was the co-host and expert commentator for the PBS television show “Championship Ballroom Dancing” in 1997, which has also been hosted by Rita Moreno, Juliet Prowse, Barbara Eden, Sandy Duncan, and Jasmine Guy. Ron was then on “America’s Ballroom Challenge” in 2006, co-hosting with Jean Louisa Kelly. In addition, Montez was a choreographer for the FOX television show “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2005. This hit TV series is the first of its kind to blend and compare Ballroom Dancing with jazz, hip-hop, lyrical and many other styles of dance using national finalists.
Ron is a national examiner for DVIDA (Dance Vision International Dance Association). In this capacity, he examines both Amateur and Professional dancers to obtain certification. He is featured in many instructional tapes and DVD’s that include Bronze, Silver and Gold levels of dance for learning.

Ron is also the recipient of the 2009 United States Dance Championships Hall of Fame Award. Currently, he is one of the organizers of the Aloha Ball DanceSport competition hosted in Honolulu, Hawaii, along with Yanna Samkova and Tony Meredith.

Robert Cordoba, besides teaching West Coast Swing full-time for 30 years, Robert has had an illustrious competitive career, garnishing US Open Swing Dance Championship & World Swing Dance Championship titles in both the Classic & Showcase divisions. Some of his many accomplishments include 7 U.S. Open Swing Dance Championship titles• U.S. Open – Social Dancer Award winner• 4 consecutive USA Grand National Swing Dance Championship titles• 4 consecutive N.A.S.D.E. (North American Swing Dance Events similar to the NASCAR circuit) titles• First person to win 3 consecutive US Open Swing titles• Member of the “Super 8” the only ones whom have won BOTH the Showcase and the Classic Division at the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships• Dallas D.A.N.C.E. Hall of Fame Inductee• California Swing Dance Hall of Fame Inductee• World Swing Dance Council Hall of Fame Inductee• Multiple J&J and Strictly Swing titles• Voted best Classic Swing Dancer by Dance Action magazine• He has experience as a Head Judge, Emcee and DJ• He has taught extensively throughout Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Asia, South Pacific and So. America•

Prior to dedicating himself full time to the Swing dance world, Robert was ranked in the top 3 as a U.S. Amateur International Latin competitor for several years• His first coach was US International Latin Champion Ron Montez• He also lived, trained and competed in London, U.K. for two years with some of the best coaches and dancers in the world• He was a member of the bronze medal winning U.S. International Latin Formation Team at the 1984 Formation Team World Championships• He was a member of Sizzlin’ Country & Midnight Cowboys Championship Country Western Teams.

Robert also does Teacher Training and Certification through the G.P.D.I.A (Global Professional Dance Instructors Association)