Blogging Rerun #7

This blog has all the points in its favor including the fact that it has a steady Guest Author and a couple of information contributors. The other blogs will fluctuate all the time, but this is on its way up very steady. Town Dancer seem to be holding its own in first place again. I expect the total hits will be staying even for this month and then look out.

“In Dancing we all know that much of what has been said has not mattered,

and that much of what mattered could not be said.”

Many of our readers are getting curious to go to a night club in person, meet some of the people and watch the people in action to see if the activity suits them or not. They may meet a lot of good people, become better dancers and have more fun doing it. Then all they have to do is learn to avoid the LAGS and every club has them.

 "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John

So a couple of good Information Contributors that go to night clubs regularly. plus a couple of good Guest Authors that do likewise for Dancing Nights is guaranteed independence. The hits will go through the roof and I can begin planning my resignation as administrator and for all practical purposes it will then be an independent blog. They will make their own rules. I can then phase myself slowly out of it for I have plenty to do elsewhere.

"Kiss Of Fire" by Tony Martin

Platinum Horseshoe will continue to be among the top blogs and I am working on getting the right Guest Author to join the group. With a little more direct feedback for our readers from West Oahu, the blog would be on its way. Of course with the right two guest authors we can be assured of the hits going through the roof and I can plan the independence of  Platinum Horseshoe blog too. I am ninety years old and I cannot live forever.

"Blogger's Law #46D: Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed."

Tango Argentino ReRun #5

Tango Argentino by Art Hemenway

I assume that most tangueros can recall seeing a dance performance that they consider the greatest of their lifetime. For me, I think it was at the Queen Elizabeth theater in Vancouver, British Columbia, where the legendary revue, Tango Argentino played after skipping my home town, Seattle. of course, the show exceeded the expectations of all of us who drove north to see it. What dazzling displays of dancing, singing and music!

"La Comparsita" por Carlos Gardel

I thought the high point of the evening was the low key dance of Milena Plebs and Miguel Angel Zotto dressed in black evening clothes for "The Continental." The couple appeared at stage right and glided slowly across the stage to the music La Comparsita. They just performed a tango walk, nary a turn, ocho or gancho. But when they reached center stage I was amazed to see the entire audience arise and give them a standing ovation, "just for walking."

"Nostalgias" por Placido Domingo

The audience response was almost as thrilling as the spectacle of the dance. Only the dancers in the audience could appreciate the extraordinary physical control that went into that smooth slinky walk. And I wondered how many professionals in the audience noticed that the couple was not dancing in time to the music. During the stage crossing each foot touched the stage about one half second after the beat. The dramatic suspense and relief as each foot of the couple stretched out and touched the stage slightly after the beat was devastating.  *  *  *

This was exhibition dancing.

Tango is Magic:  A feeling that is danced - A secret danced between two people - It is not in the feet, it is in the heart - It is about your connection with your partner and the expression of feelings rather than the choreography.

Latest News Update

Email received from Richard Takahata.
Early August is when Honolulu Parks and Recreation is planning/intending to re-open indoor recreation facilities/gyms, subject to new rules like proof of vaccination or COVID test results requirements. Will MTA also follow too (their latest update to emergency rules is posted today)?
Richard 

Honolulu Parks and Recreation -
Friday, June 11, 2021 - Effective immediately, O‘ahu has progressed into a modified Tier 4 of the City's reopening strategy. Included in these more permissive modifications: Social gatherings outdoors allowed with up to 25 people. Social gatherings indoors allowed with up to 10 people

“We can try to be a rainbow in everybody's cloud.”

Indoor organized sports are allowed; spectators are allowed at up to 33% capacity (subject to Dept. of Parks and Recreation permitting and availability of the facility), Commercial recreational boating allowed without capacity limit (restaurant/bar rules apply if food/beverage consumption is allowed)  Social establishments such as dance/nightlife/karaoke are allowed up to 50% capacity if all attendees are tested or show proof of full vaccination. Outdoor weddings are allowed with up to 200 people. Indoor events such as concerts, meetings and conventions are allowed with a mitigation plan and 50% capacity if all attendees are tested or show proof of full vaccination. Outdoor events at venues with defined capacity limits are allowed with a mitigation plan, 33% capacity or 67% capacity if all attendees are tested or show proof of full vaccination. Outdoor events at venues without defined capacity but have controlled ingress and egress are allowed with a mitigation plan, at 30 individuals per 1,000 square feet or 60 individuals per 1,000 square feet if all attendees are tested or show proof of full vaccination. Arcades are allowed without capacity limit (restaurant/bar rules apply if food/beverage consumption is allowed).

"Fly Me To The Moon" by Jimmy Borges

Road races and triathlons allowed with a permit, starting group size subject to gathering size limit. The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation intends to reopen its indoor facilities to the general public in the beginning of August 2021 following the completion of our popular Summer Fun Program. Providing a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for the nearly 5,300 registrants of this free, seasonal program is one of our top priorities. During that time, we are finalizing a department-specific reopening plan to allow more and more usage of the indoor facilities as more and more of our island population receives COVID-19 vaccines. We intend to release this plan once it is finalized. We appreciate the patience of the public as we work to make more and more of our park facilities available to our loyal park users.

For vaccine information and to find a vaccine provider convenient for you please visit:

 https://www.oneoahu.org/vaccine

Dancing on Oahu ReRun #4

This island doing pretty good all over. Taking it slow but that is all right too. No news from Kokohead, everybody goes to town for that. They should do as they please.

"It is still true that you cannot bring yourself up

by bringing someone else down."

Meanwhile the rest of the island is jumping. We just got some news from Aunty Maili, (Wahaiwa Ballroom Dance Club) and it is all good news. The beautiful poster for those wanting to drive. This is your great opportunity.

Now that is getting the information to the dancers. These people are developing into the most important people in Dance Blogging on this island.

Paniolo Country by Melveen Leed

Also just received from Aunty Maili:
A nice way to spend a Friday evening from Deanie Bates, President of Aiea Ballroom Dance Assoiciation.

Aiea Ballroom Announcement.
Hope you guys can be with us this Friday, 4/10, at the Palladium for our dance. Time is 6-9:30 pm; color theme is PINK w/ any other color you want. Refreshments at half time. Full ballroom. Bert will dj. Deanie

Pub's Side Note: On the Internet, and people do say what they think.
"The property taxes and sales taxes will go sky high, now that the people got fooled into this dumb choo choo train that goes nowhere. Do like any intelligent human being would do, who doesn't want to go broke and end up homeless. Sell your house and move."

I'll be seeing you, ReRun #3

Songs and memories for most of us old timers are regular occurrences and I just came across a dilly. This song has never attained "classic" but nevertheless for a lot of us it will be forever. In the Internet I also found a short love story to go with it, written by somebody from Georgia and I could understand.

"I'll Be Seeing You" by Rosemary Clooney

A young 18 year old paratrooper meets a beautiful young Parachute WAC at the Parachute Patio in Fort Benning, Georgia. The year was 1944 and he was just back from his first furlough home and finishing up his training. She impressed him when she explained that all of the Parachute WACs were extra careful in packing the chutes, "because your life depends on it."

The music was just perfect and they quickly found that they could dance Swing and Fox Trot with each other easily. And their favorite song became "I'll be seeing you," which of course, they would dance cheek to cheek. They were from different backgrounds and they were both homesick. At the appropriate time, they could sing along with the song, softly into each others ears, a short peck on the lips would follow hoping no one saw them.

"I'll Be Seeing You" by Jimmy Durante

Soon enough they both got the same weekend pass, from Friday night after retreat to Monday morning reveille. They went to Atlanta, had a wonderful time dancing every evening. When they got back, he could figure that even if he was killed where he was going, in his short but happy life this had all been worth it.

A few days later she faced him and said this was their last day. She knew before him that he was leaving in 24 hours. She told him she was not going to wait for him. "You are a Paratrooper and you are not likely to come back and I am not going to go through that. But let me tell you, I will remember you to my dying day." She kissed him on the cheek, made a half turn and left him. He was in shock but he never saw her again. She may have been a month older than him but in maturity she was a year older.

A week later he was on a troopship on the Atlantic headed for Naples, Italy to a War that was going on full blast. But he would never forget the words they sang into each others ears, "I'll find you in the morning sun, and when the night is new, I'll be looking at the moon, but I'll be seeing you."

Happy Dancing everyone!

Central Valley Nightlife, Rerun#2

It is definitely perking up since more people are aware that the Rail Disaster will goof up the works for the next 30 years. Stands to reason that second city is needed in Kapolei but the Present Rail Party is goofing up the works there too. In spite of the Rail Catastrophe, Central Valley is developing into third city for evening dining, dancing and entertainment. The Present Rail Party will vote down all business parks in the area. "I coulda been home in 20 minutes."

"We dance because there is no greater feeling in the world than moving to

a piece of our favorite music and letting the rest of the world go by."

Wahiawa Ballroom Dance Club has been established for a half century, leading the way to an enjoyable evening in the Valley. Looking better all the time with weekly dance classes and with social dances every now and then with a terrific group of people there.

"Maui Waltz" by Loyal Garner

For a long time, there has been a very nice place for social dancing at Dot's in Wahiawa. Its specialty has always been food, but they have dancing to live music on weekends. Pricing is well within the local dance crowds in the Valley.

"Fly Me To The Moon" by Jimmy Borges

And lately they have had Salsa nights at Just Tacos in Mililani. Since they have other branches through out Oahu, we can look forward to Salsa and Bachata dancing there too. And maybe there will be some that like the African dance.

"I'll Remember You" by Don Ho

The key move for us in the Central Valley is a steady information contributor from Waikele - Waipio, to Whitmore Village. Just a person that gets around that section for any kind of social recreational dancing. Home parties, community centers, district parks, night clubs, as long is it is our kind of social dancing.

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by Bruddah Iz.

The Antivirus industry has a dirty little secret that they really don’t want anyone to know. Despite the claims of their marketing departments, their products are not all that effective in the real world. Many of them only protecting (at best) 80% or 90% against threats out there in the wild at any time, and their protection against ransomware is very bad. And there are plenty of crooks out there.

"Dancers love everything that's old, - old friends,
old times, old manners, old books, old wine."

Bossa Nova Rerun #1

By Jon Buenaventura, Turtle Bay
Bossa Nova remains to this day, some of the best music in the world with some of the best movements in dance to go with it. And it came into being when there were a lot of fad dances coming in. In the US and Europe, the local ones were backed heavily by the local disciplines and dance studios. The Bossa Nova articulated existing social differences in the United States, those of the elite versus the masses attempting to attain elite status, and the subsequent devaluation of the musical style as a result of its success.

"Dance music doesn't care where you live. It doesn't care who your friends

are. It doesn't care how much money you make. It doesn't care

if you're 74 or if you are 24 because it is for everyone."

In addition, there were fundamental shifts in how musicians arranged Bossa Nova songs in their recordings to cut across those social divisions for mass-market appeal. For this reason, the sounds of the music as recorded or practiced by musicians are as important as the performance  and spectatorship of the Bossa Nova dance for explaining the rapid spread of the Bossa Nova as dance throughout the U.S. The popular culture made it especially true as expressed in print media, recordings, and television programs.

"Corcovado" by Lisa Ono

Bossa Nova’s transformation into a social dance in the U.S. is crucial to its international history, but it had an established social context long before all of that dancing. Bossa Nova as a social movement began in the late 1950s among a group of musicians in the richest areas of Rio de Janeiro’s south zone. The musicians involved, took the basic polyrhythmic elements of urban samba and transformed them to a cosmopolitan perspective that matched the overall mood of the period. At the time, the upper classes in Brazil were experiencing a rush of optimism in country. In the US it went the way of all fads. World wide, it remains as one of the best.

"Social Dancers know there's good deeds and then there's good intentions.

They are as far apart as Heaven and Hell."