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.

Learning To Dance The Mambo

Lani and I think that we connected well with our students in the Mambo dance class last night at the Palladium. Putting aside the Basic Steps that Dean and Jennifer reviewed last Monday during our absence, we got into the Crossover Breaks with Quick UAT ending, and Open Break with Slow UAT ending. It was great that the students picked up the patterns quickly and were able to execute them first without music and then with music. But the learning had just begun when it came to dancing with passion. As with all our previous dance classes, Lani and I always emphasize that the dancer is a live person and all dance movements has to show with life of the whole body in order to taste the flavor and feel the passion of the dance. There's a saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words".  Compare the two couples in the pictures dancing the same figure and you'll know what I mean.  

Broken Watermain, Horrendous Traffic Gridlock, and A Big Mahalo

It was Monday night and Lani and I were looking forward to continue sharing our knowledge of the Mambo with our students at the IBDI dance class. It was a long stretch since we last met because of the Memorial Day holiday last Monday. On the way, we hit smack into a wall of cars heading west on K Highway. It was almost like deja vu back in the '80s  when the K Highway was in construction from a two lane to four lanes and the H-One was being built. So it wasn't likely that Lani and I were going to make it in time for our dance class at the Palladium. Fortunately, our son Dean is in our dance class and our assistants Kathy Uehara and Beverly Mau, and our music player Harold Kaneshiro have been very reliable. So this is not about the broken watermain on the K Highway at Aina Haina and the horrendous traffic gridlock. It's about appreciating our corp of dance assistants and music player that helped keeping the dance class going during our absence. Our special thank you to all of you and especially to our son Dean and his dance partner Jennifer Ryan who took hold of the class and led the class in the review of the Mambo steps.

IBDI Opens 3rd Term Dance Classes

IBDI opened their 3rd Term dance classes this past Monday at the Palladium. Lani and I got to the Palladium a little before 7 PM...a bit early for our Mambo class but gave us time to checkout Jimmy and Mae Matsumoto's International Samba II, and Ernie and Karen Choy's International Tango I. Both classes were in full swing with a good number of students. Our Mambo class started at 7:20 at the Ewa Ballroom and we were assisted by Kathy Uehara and Beverly Mau with music player Harold Kaneshiro. Lani and I weren't sure how the Mambo will appeal to the students since its close cousin the Salsa has been riding the waves for a long time. Much to our surprise, the Mambo drew a good number of students. In the Diamond Head Ballroom were Richard and Lynn Nakamura's Quickstep I and II. They had a good number of students also. After our Mambo class, Carolyn Noah's West Coast Swing took over the Ewa Ballroom, and Jim Prado's American Tango II occupied the Diamond Head Ballroom. Their classes drew a lot of students also. Next Monday is a holiday....so no dance classes till June 3rd. Prez Chris Jay sez... registration for dance classes is still open.

Friday, May 24, 2013 is Dance Magic 808′s palladium dance. We have the full ballroom and it’s free for members. Non-members would be charged $5.00. Our dances are a lot of fun. You’ll be able to practice the dances that you are learning and be able to just social dance. Dance is from 6pm – 9:30pm.

IBDI Student Party & Dance

(Left click to zoom in)

It wasn't a "Hot to Trot" scene when Lani and I got to the Palladium for the end of term IBDI Student Party and Dance. I guess we were a bit early. Picked up our bento but decided not to tackle it there. Small crowd became a larger crowd. It was heartwarming to see our Night Club 2 Step students in attendance and all set to demonstrate what they had learned during this term. Students from the other dance classes: American Tango, International Rumba, International Samba, International Cha Cha, and International Foxtrot were there to demo their dances, too.  I thought all the sudents of each class showed confidence and dance very well. After the students demo, lucky ticket numbers were called for door prizes. EmCee for the evening was Prez Chris Jay who was assisted by wife Charlene in passing out the door prizes.  Music players were JoElla and Harold. Many thanks to both of them who played the music throughout our Night Club 2 Step class.

 



Then it was time for the dance instructors to demonstrate the dances for the 3rd Term. Good demonstration by the instructors and a good balance of American style and International style that is offerred. Lani and I are looking forward to sharing our knowledge of the Mambo during the second period. Welcome to newcomers who have joined the instructors staff for this 3rd Term: Richard and Lynn Nakamura from Dance Magic 808, and Carolyn Noah Line Dance ETC. Please surf to my other Weblog: www.localstyle.blogspot.com for the line up of dance classes. Next week Monday is Registration night  for the 3rd Term. There will be general dancing at the Ewa Ballroom, and a Dance Movement Workshop at the Diamond Head Ballroom.



                                      Before closing, Richard and Lynn Nakamura led the

 students and guests in the Wild, Wild West Line Dance.

Aiea Ballroom Dance Association 58th Anniversary Ball



"Got presale ticket, you got a bento". These are the first line of volunteers with a smile when Lani and I got the top of the stairs.

DeeJay for the evening was Bert Burgess who played his best selection of dance music.

Kay Yahiku was the EmCee who kept the program running smoothly...organizing the "snowball" dance, calling out the ticket numbers for door prizes, and introducing the dance exhibition performers with a touch of bio. 

Annie Ferguson is no stranger to the numerous dance organizations on Oahu. She is recognized and honored by Prez Deanie Bates for bringing more dancers to the "Ball" by ticket sales.

Aiea Ballroom Dance Association Prez Deanie Bates welcomed everyone to the Anniversery Ball.

Entertaining the audience were Brett and Jenny Griswold with their exciting Argentine Tango.

The Aiea Ballroom Dance Association 58th Anniversary Ball was probably the first time in many moons that my main squeeze Lani and I have attended this club's event. Thanks to our friend Roxanne who held pre-sale tickets for us so we could savor  the onolicious bento that came with the admission.

I try not to do too much yard work on a dance night but this time I think I over did it 'cause that walk up to the 2nd floor of the Palladium was like climbing up the hundred steps da kine they have in China. And I knew it wasn't gonna be a night of dancing my you know what OFF. Thanks to DeeJay Bert for playing those International slow tempo music 'cause in my case that night...the spirit was willing but the body was not ready to burn the floor. Only thing missing was not having more than one Night Club 2 Step music but "The Lady In Red" was a good start.

That small package dynamo Kay Yahiku (and I say it with true respect) had got a good handle on the EmCee job. She didn't stick to the podium throughout the program. Instead she went from one end of the ballroom to the other recruiting couples to start the "snowball" dance. And she was very successful in getting more than a dozen couples (including Lani and me) to participate. As I wrote in previous blogs..."when Kay Yahiku speaks, everyone listens". So when she said, "please put away your chair before you leave", everyone did so. Me, too after savoring the delicious pastry at refreshment time..

Multiple door prizes were issued out to the lucky ticket holders and there was time for refreshments,

For the dance exhibition part of the program, professionals Brett and Jennifer Griswold danced two numbers of the Argentine Tango with different variations. The performance was enjoyable to watch 'cause they danced from one end of the ballroom to the other.  That sure gave everyone a chance to see the dynamic technique of the Argentine Tango.  EmCee Kay Yahiku wrote me that Brett and Jennifer specializes in teaching Argentine Tango to the absolute beginners, and you can catch them teaching an open level class on Sundays from 1 to 2PM at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio on Kapiolani Blvd.

Aiea Ballroom Dance Association had a huge attendance that night at the "Ball". No big showcase but the ballroom was filled with dancers three rows deep. Was it because of Annie's hustle of presale tickets? Or was it Bert's selection of dance music? Or was it the friendliness of Prez Deanie Bates and members of the Aiea Ballroom Dance Association? Or was it the showcase that featured new faces? Whatever the magic, there were a lot of  happy dancers at the Aiea Ballroom Dance Association 58th Anniversay Ball.

Dat's it fo' now.





 



 

 

 

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Shake, Rattle & Roll @The Nifty Oldies Bash Sock Hop

Aloha Dancers,

(Left click to zoom in)

Another Oldies Bash Sock Hop is gearing up for this year. If you're a "senior teenager" or a product of the 50s/60s and 70s and long to go back in time to the good oldies years, then surf to my Weblog: www.localstyle.blogspot.com (That's Dancing).

Lani and I have attended the Bash the past three years and have enjoyed the music, the dancing, the show, the deco of the 50s/60s and 70s, the buffet, and meeting new and familiar faces. It's a Fun-fest and a Blast into the past.

Keep on dancing,

Frank