The New Year

Everyone seems to have good hopes for this year. Most are unaware of the tricks coming up with Trump and his band of crooks. Medicare is the first on their list. Make more money for the Medical companies and charge the poor.  The VA is gonna be much less for Veterans, but the rich hospitals and the rich doctors? Yeah, that's them, they did not steal it, they bought the presidency of the United States of America.

"In order that all people may be taught the truth,

it is necessary for all likewise to learn to hear it."

We don't get around much anymore but the night club scene on Oahu changes very little. It is still an entertainment venue and bar which serves alcoholic beverages that usually operates late into the night. The best night clubs are generally distinguished from regular bars, pubs or taverns by the inclusion of a stage for live music and a good sized dance floor.  Another distinction is that many ordinary bars aim at a mass market but nightclubs typically aim at a niche market of music and dancing enthusiasts and club goers. A Latin music night club is right around the corner.

"Tiny Bubbles" by Don Ho

Some nightclub bouncers do not admit people with informal clothing as part of a dress code and are usually very polite about it. The busiest nights for a nightclub on Oahu are Friday and Saturday night, though weekdays can sometimes have a pretty full house on ethnic holidays. And beer drinking has been losing ground to wine and spirits. Some venues have the bring your own drinks and do very well with other income sources such as the cover charge, A Beer stand, snacks, a Juice Bar and Pop machines. The Manager and the assistant manager handle every thing else and no bartenders or waitresses.

"Morning Dew" by Melveen Leed

And the entire island is waiting for a Tea Dance. The one that opens right about five pm on a Wednesday evening and ends at nine. A happy hour, that breaks up the week, with less drinking and of course much dancing, eating and socializing. They are very successful on the Mainland. Avoiding the 5 o'clock traffic jam going home and traveling in comfort when it is much clearer. Just to break up the middle of the week.

“Most dancers know that wine improves with age.

And I know that the older I get, the better I like it.”

End Of Year

Live music is not set in stone, like recorded music, so within a set song there may be changes of nuances according to the mood of the situation.  Most experienced social dancers are prepared to improvise and are ready to adapt and move to the music.

But even if you are prepared by listening to Latin Music and knowing the most popular songs, you will still need to adapt your dance to suit the mood of the occasion. After all, this is the beauty of live music and dancing to it, as every performance is unique and it will depend on the mood and energy of the dancers and the musicians, as well as the rapport they create with the audience.

"Here In My Heart" by Al Martino

Last but not least, relax and enjoy! Dancing is fun and this needs to come across in your performance. Smile and do not worry too much about making small errors that the audience will not even notice as long as you keep smiling and look relaxed. Also, by relaxing you will be more able to tune in to the music and let your musical intuition take over and translate into comfortable movements. That's Dancing!

"There are short cuts to happiness and dancing may be one of them."

Night Club Christmas

They say that that there is no such thing. Just a nice regular night of dancing. Well, I doubt that but no one gives us the details that we can share with our friends, relatives, neighbors and fellow dancers on this blog. The silence has been deafening. Anyway, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

LAGS: Latest And Greatest Syndrome has been a very important factor holding back the development of good social dancing on this Island, the weakness is in the collusion between the student and many beginning teachers. And it is basically good because we are constantly evolving and usually going for the better. However, if you do not have the basics down pat, you are lost in dancing deluxe movements with no finesse to go with the music.

"The First Noel"

This has existed for decades: The beginners are looking at the intermediates and want to go that route. The intermediates are looking at the advance dancers and wish to go that route. After so many years when they get to be advanced dancers (in figures) then they realize they should go back to and get the basics down a little better. Stands to Reason. How to do the Even Step, the Rock Step, and the Chasse, not in any prescribed way but moving your body according to the way you feel the music, now, that's dancing.

A pizza walks into a Pearl City bar and the bartender says,

"Sorry, we don't serve food here."

It is Christmas time.

This blog has some of the most scam, spam, robot hits in our blogosphere. In the audience section of the Blogger report, the normal is about 100 hits from the US, then 50 hits from France, then 25 hits from Germany. Now, all of a sudden there are 200 hits from Russia. He He. Somebody is trying to screw us up. I really don't know what they hope to accomplish with that crap.

"May this Christmas burn away all your sadness and bury all your tears so

that your life will be perpetually filled with happiness and joy."

Looks like this Christmas will be having a little more dancing to live music in town - but also in Kapolei, the Central Valley, the Waianae Coast and the North Shore. Oahu is getting to be the Dancing Island of Hawaii. With the biggest group of social dancers - it will be a good example for the rest of the Pacific.

"Dancers enjoy a glass of wine each night for it's health benefits. The other glasses are for their witty comebacks and their flawless dance moves."

 

Dancing Correctly

By Clarence Chung, Makapuu Point

Alex Moore’s Ballroom Dancing (the “bible” of International style written in 1916) while occasionally updated is still basically the same as 100 years ago. Licensing has been brought up on Oahu in the past and who would give the tests? Who would create the standards, decide what dances are acceptable. And what individual or group would be pompous (and foolish) enough to consider only their way right or superior? Only someone who is extremely narrow minded and lacks (or fears) creativity. Any competitor will tell you their style is a sport. Social dancing, our style, as an art is a matter of individual taste.

“Use what talents you possess, the woods will be very silent if

no birds sang there except those that sang best.”

The market place will usually rid the market of unqualified teachers. Who wants to study from teachers who are not admired or are unable to convey their knowledge? American or social style dancers try not fall into the trap that International dancers have boxed themselves into. We should all agree that we disagree. That’s what keeps American style alive, unique, creative and always fresh. The moment we succumb to uniformity, we cease to grow.

"Little Things Mean A Lot" by Kitty Kallen

Let us not bicker over which way is superior or right. For social dancers, our only criteria should be that our material is leadable and followable. And most of us are comfortable with the KISS method, "keep it simple stupid." A few of us want to show off a little, that's OK too. Dance styles constantly change to reflect changing music, social factors and life-styles. Let’s welcome all who want to dance and grow and learn from all, - And let's keep on dancing.

They asked him at the night club: "What's the difference between a dog and a fox?"

He said, "Oh about 3 drinks."

Nightclubbing?

If recent economic history suggests anything, it's that humans are poor at risk assessment. Can we hope to comprehend these risks until at least some of us have experienced them in their worst form? Quite possibly not – not least because of the intuition- defying the divide between the daily delights of social networking and its potential repercussions in the form of invasion of privacy and perhaps even more.

"In three words, dancers can sum up everything they have learned about life:

it goes on.”

On Oahu, the dancers are becoming more aware of being well informed on social dancing. And there is an abundance of information available. Of course, much of it is just too much and everyone know what that means. I try to give the reader/dancers a spoonful at a time and not drown them in bowls. It will help if we have more information contributors to share with our friends, relatives, neighbors and just good fellow dancers.

"The Thrill Is Gone" by Willie K.

Dancing in Night Clubs goes from way back and what has distinguished them from a bar or lounge is a "dance floor." And most social dancers are very aware that many places have "postage stamp" sized dance floors. It is much better to go to place where you can "dance." On Oahu. we are definitely getting there. Now we have to recommend the best places for the reader/dancers. Just let us know and we will share. Mahalo.

"Red wine seems to be the one catching on. Even I, a beginner, am beginning to like it and I have been looking at the world through "Rum" colored glasses all my life." 

Things Change

At one time Dancing Nights was headed for the top three. Then most of us know what happened, little night club dancing news from anyone. Now at the bottom of the pile in hits. Of course, I must tell everyone that over 60% of the hits on Extrava Danza and Ritmo Mestizo are scam, spam robot hits. They are not doing that much for us. All of you will learn to read the hit counters.

"In truth, the real opportunities for building good buzz through blogging have

only just begun. We simply have to look and see where things have

been and be able to see where things are going to be."

So just a couple of dancers that are willing to share a few items with our reader/dancers will enable Dancing Nights to get back in and and be noticed on Oahu. The only thing we insist on, is that no one should have a "commitment" to the blogs. You may have a commitment with your readers, but that is between you and them. None of you have to do anything, with the blogs. We offer a platform and you can use it whenever you like. Easy? It will take time and most dancers on Oahu will learn what to do. We should avoid pressure on anyone.

"Fly Me To The Moon" by Jimmy Borges

On Oahu a nightclub is an entertainment venue that usually operates late into the night. A nightclub is generally distinguished from bars, pubs or taverns by the inclusion of a "dance floor" and a DJ booth, where a DJ plays recorded music. The busiest nights for nightclubs on Oahu are Friday and Saturday nights.  The music in nightclubs is either live bands, which is preferred by some, or more commonly, a mix of songs played by a DJ through a powerful PA system. Most clubs or club nights cater to certain music genres so that a Latin Music and Dance venue will emerge on Oahu shortly.

"Beautiful Kauai" by Don Ho

Dancing has always been a social and fun way to bring people together as well as create beautiful displays of movement to music. Today, on Oahu, we continue the dance craze, even if it may no longer be called ballroom. More then ever, we bring it to new levels like history has never seen before. Fads may creep into nightclubbing a little, but not in our steady kine social dancing.

Who was that dancer who said,

 "Wine improves with age and the older I get, the better I like it.”

 

 

Live Music Update

We are gradually getting a good glimpse of the dancescape on Oahu and we can see a lot of good people enjoying the moving to their favorite musical arrangement and most of it to Live music. This island is just loaded down with dancers of all kinds. Take a good look, you all know it and lucky for us, that few will inform us that we are dancing "incorrectly."

"Never let it be said, that to dream is a waste of time. Dreams are our realities

in waiting, and in dreams we plant the seeds of the future."

Fortunately we are stuck with what we enjoy and do best. The social dance based on the American style of dance with all the variations pertaining to the island of Oahu. Lucky too that we have some of the best teachers of American dance in the Pacific right here on Oahu. I look forward to the acceptance of the alternative basic in the Rumba. There appears to be enough changes in our social dancing that we will realize the fact that a  "Hawaiian Style of Social Dance" will eventually emerge.

"Stranger In Paradise" by Tony Bennett

For our dance blogs our needs are still very basic.  The most important at this time are Information Contributors that are willing to share there knowledge of the dancing scene with their fellow dancers. And we will make connections to Dance Groups, Community Centers, District Parks, Night Clubs and anything else that has to do with our kind of dancing. Readers? With the right info, we will phase over into the new methods and the hits will go into the stratosphere.

"In our world, please feel free to dance anyway you want to dance."

Daytime Dancing?

In the United States and Canada, the American Style of ballroom dance exists. The dance technique used for both International and American styles is similar, but International Ballroom allows only closed dance positions, and was completely and uniquely constructed by the British in England. Whereas American Smooth allows closed, open and separated dance movements which allow the melding into the Social Dance style. In addition, different sets of dance figures are usually taught for the two styles. International Latin and American Rhythm have different styling, and have different dance figures in their respective syllabi.

"Dancers know that sometimes we cannot start the next chapter in our lives,

if we keep on re-reading the last one."

In the modern era we have danced only in the evening because we were all working and it was mostly the daytime shift. But in this century, specially on Oahu, we are discovering a different kind of dancer, one that can and does dance in the daytime. And who are these people? Most of the fans are the retired but they are reinforced by many that can take the time off to enjoy a little moving to their favorite music. It is Social, so we sure need a place in West Oahu for this kind of dancing. We can eliminate the kids, no hu hu.

With new dances or folk dances being added to or removed from the social ballroom repertoire from time to time, we have no list of subcategories or dances that are any more than a description of current practices. There are other dances historically accepted as ballroom dances but Social Dancers seem to prefer no more that one half dozen different dances to enjoy in any dance session, day or night.

At a current night club: This young guy told the girl that those were

fantastic moves she had been making in the dance. She replied,

"Who's dancing? Where's the restroom?"