The Crossover

Many night clubbers are still using the American Rumba basic in Hawaii that was introduced by the Arthur Murray studios in a box of slow, quick, quick. Fred Astaire used it when he started the Fred Astaire Studios. When Arthur Murray complained in the courts he won. Fred Astaire then changed his box to quick, quick, slow and he got away with it. Since his studios took over the American competitions his square box has prevailed in most of the American style competitions.

"And it has occurred to many that there is no such thing as blogging. There is

no such thing as a blogger. Blogging is just writing — not even good writing

at that, just using a particularly efficient type of publishing technology."

In Hawaii there an increasing acceptance of the Salsa-Mambo basic for the Rumba, with the break in the rock step beginning wherever the beat is accented. The rest of the movements just fall into place. This is melding into the Social dance and the Night Club dance that is occurring now - and there is more to come. The good thing is that the social - recreational dancer will be the one making the decisions not someone in an ivory tower.

"Frenesi" by Artie Shaw

The Right Way to dance is becoming evident. Portuguese dancing is just beautiful and how about Hawaiian dancing? The berries. Japanese Bon Dance? Terrific and many appreciate it around the world. And everyone looks upon these people as "Dancers" and we don't have to judge whether or not they are dancing it "Correctly."  For sure we are getting more regular social partner dancers in Night Clubs and the appeal is still the beautiful music to move to - the constant movement, and learning the lead and follow.

"I Can Dream, Can't I" by the Andrew Sisters

We are not standing still, we learn to do turns - we have to put our brain into it. Many men don't like to dance because they have to know the lady's step and of course, they have to know their own step. We have to know the lead. Then we get fussed at when we mess up. Still, it can be done at any level — from new students walking through patterns and learning new muscle memory thought processes to more evolving social dancers.

"If you are feeling good, don't worry about it, you'll get over it."

Our Evolving Dance Scene

I can see that our dance blogs will be the most powerful dance discovery platform on Oahu  – a place where the music players find their fans and dancers find music they love. It will happen not long after I am gone. We are driven by a single purpose: unleashing the infinite power of music by connecting artists and dancing to the fans, whether through earbuds, car speakers, DJs, or live on stage or anywhere dancers want to experience it.

“We can watch a dance and see an array of beautifully presented movements

or we can look deeper and understand that there is a particular message

and meaning to the movements that are being expressed.”

People who love both reading about social dancing and music might waffle Hamlet-like about whether to enjoy a blog or some tunes in their free time. But there’s a way to combine both! I don’t mean reading and listening to music at the same time, though you can do that if you don’t pay full attention to either. I mean reading dance blogs containing some musical  and dance elements.

"Fly Me To The Moon" by Jimmy Borges

Music is so much a part of our lives that its presence in literature can help readers relate to fictional situations and characters. Also, characters who love music are often creative people (as is the case with real-life music lovers), and creative people tend to be quite interesting. In addition, music can give us insights into what makes the protagonists tick: What do they listen to? Do they also sing, write tunes and/or play an instrument? Does music set off memories in the minds of others besides dancers?

Music’s jogging of memory is quite profound and on Oahu we are accepting the "Oldies But Goodies" as a separate parcel of enjoyment to music and how we dance to it. Dancers have found that they may hear a song that sparks a melancholy recollection of a major event in their youth.

"Moloka'i Waltz" by Amy Hanaialii

We are gradually developing a good team on Oahu, of highly informed musicologists that will be analyzing the hundreds of attributes for each musical selection which powers our "Oldies But Goodies" playlist. They will be delivering many hours of personalized music tailored to the tastes of each class of dancers on this Island, making musician and fan connections at unprecedented scale.

Don’t quit when the tide is lowest, For it’s just about to turn;

Don’t quit over doubts and questions, For there’s something you might learn.

Don’t quit when the night is darkest, For it’s just awhile till dawn;

Don’t quit when you’ve run the farthest, For the race is almost won.

Don’t quit when the hill is steepest, For your goal is almost nigh;

Don’t quit for you’re not a failure, Until you fail to try.”

Where?

The news on Live Music is not coming in. However, Platinum Horseshoe is doing good because of Dance information from Kapolei Chapter, HBDA and from Wahiawa Ballroom Dance Club. Now a little information from Dot's in Wahiawa and Just Tacos in Mililani, and we got it going for Live Music in the West. But if they wish to keep it a secret from us, we promise to respect.

 “A dancing lie from downtown Honolulu can travel all the way to Kapolei while the truth is just putting on its dancing shoes.”

And WBDC has a beautiful occasion coming up for Independence Day, which will be appreciated by all the reader/dancers. They will be coming down from the North Shore. You can check into any other of our blogs very easy by just clicking the blog graphic in the side bar. Social media, can be a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too. It is easy to confuse social media with social news because we often refer to members of the news as "the media."

"Contigo Aprendi" by Luis Miguel

You can read our Guest Authors and you know you are getting good information because they get around. It may be all about the place you missed or even attended. But your view point is very likely different than the writer's viewpoint, and bringing out those differences is social media to da max.

Because social media is such a broad term, it covers a large range of web and blog sites. But the one common link between our blog sites is if you are able to interact with other sites and interact with other visitors. That interaction is what is going to be "our" blogs and it will take some time for everyone to understand and make use of them. Everyone will be connected but there will be the very minimum of commitments. 

So where is all the Live Music on this Island of Oahu?

News from Augie and DRD

Aloha Friends, Listening & Dancing Fans.

Please see the attached flyer. Two dates you may want to know about. Saturday July 2^nd  and Thursday July 7^th.

 

 

Saturday July 2^nd another evening of dance and fun at the beautiful dance studio of Divino Ritmo Dance. In the Aloha Dancesport Center on Ward Ave across from Sports Authority. An Independence Day Celebration, RED, WHITE & BLUE Party time! If you have never been to this studio you are in for a real treat. Admission is only $25. It is a Family Style Celebration. “POTLUCK, and BYOB”. Dress Patriotic if you dare! But don’t forget your Happy Feet and Dancing Shoes. Music Live by Augie Rey and DJ by Lucas.

(BYOB = Bring your own booze) J

 

And don’t forget we’re back at Cupola’s on Thursday July 7^th.

 

Aloha,

Augie Rey

More choices, more fun!

R

Slowly

This blog just staying the course pretty much like it should. However like all the rest it needs more input of dance information to share. Naturally, if we can get some photos, it is icing on the cake. Photos of the gang are real gravy, every one of our reader/dancers sees it and is happy. The sender is happy. The participants in the photo are happy. I am happy. It is a win-win situation.

"The undertaking of a new action brings new strength."

My counters are still imperfect but they do tell me something. They work the same on a Web site as on a Blog. There are search engines which are a necessary evil and I just take them into consideration. But I must find out if someone will see or read these blogs. How many people know the answer to these questions on their sites?

" Morning  Dew" by Melveen Leed

After we get some Two Centers with their very valuable contributions, they can start to think about becoming a Guest Author. It amounts more or less to the same thing, getting your opinions and photos into the blog for the benefit of the reader/dancers. Except that instead of just sending it all by email and then having someone incorporate it into a blog you can do the whole smash yourself. You will in effect have your own blog within the blog and a ready made audience.

"Football isn't a contact sport; it's a collision sport.

Dancing is a contact sport. " ~ Vince Lombardi

Blooming

All of our Dance Blogs are doing a very good job of gradually defining themselves by just doing their own thing. Every bit of information from the readers makes it so. Even if we don't get enough of the Live Music Scene to share. We take pride in our differences and the reader/dancers are slowly realizing that bloggers are not a bunch of bums. Most blogs are racking up the hits compared to Web sites and that means people are reading them. There is a big big difference from the rest of the Social Media and "you ain't seen nuttin' yet."

"The best preparation for tomorrow, is to do our best for today."

In Web 2.0 terms, a website just gives you information, but does not interact with you while giving you that information. Think of regular Web media as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter. So that updates are not that important in a Web site and with good reason.

"Fly Me To The Moon" by Jimmy Borges

For us the ideal would be at least three Guest Authors in every blog, which would be of their choosing. Even if each one blogs only once per month, that is good up to date information of the dance scene for their readers. You interested in Live Music? Dis da blog. Night Clubbing, try Dancing Nights. Latin music and dance, try Ritmo Mestizo. And of course, the leading blog at this time is Platinum Horseshoe which covers West Oahu. The Commentaries and the Two Centers will eventually come in heavy because we try to make it easy for them.

Happy Dancing.

Getting There

The Night Club scene on Oahu is beginning to get more interesting in this blog. I meant for it to go in that direction but as always, the information contributors will make any final decisions. The night club scene is still pretty diverse and clearly divided by the young - and - the more experienced dancers. There is much solo dancing among the young whereas the more experienced ones are into partner dancing. A couple good line dances at intermission is just fine for them.

“It's a smile, it's a kiss, it's a sip of wine ... it's summertime!”

The interesting thing about the athleticism and/or the exercise quality of dance — when someone goes into a dance studio on Oahu looking for exercise, if they know anything about dancing, they come in asking about the swing, salsa and the cha-cha-cha. What they don't realize is a properly-done waltz or a properly-done rumba is much more exercise-oriented and physically exhausting than a swing dance and you may enjoy it more. You are using your muscles, but you're using them in a more of drawn-out control method than haphazardly running through a pattern. There's a lot more control involved and perhaps joy.

Fortunately, more people on Oahu realize that living, working and playing on the outskirts is much better than in downtown Honolulu. And most know that the situation in town is going to get worse with the Rail Disaster. The Waianae Coast, the North Shore and the Windward Coast are looking very good. And so are the coasts of all the neighbor islands.

“Wine may be one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most
natural things that have been brought to the greatest perfection and
it offers a great range for enjoyment and appreciation.”