Moanalua Corridor

Dance Aliamanu at Radford

2012-02-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

Saturday I got my new recliner chair with 8 motors to massage me while I am working on my computer in comfort. Comes with an Ottoman so I can put my feet up when I wish. I can recline back quite a bit, so on Sunday I may just take my nap in it.

"Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it,

casts the shadow of our burden behind us."

Got ready early and the sun was shining brightly as I looked towards be beach on my way to the bus stop. Plenty of fishermen out there, not many people enjoying the waters.

The ride to my destination is always pleasant and restful. Getting on past Kapolei, it was dusk and I could see high clouds with the sun still shining on them. It was dark by the time I got to Pearl City. Got to Salt Lake and Farrington by 7:00 and then it as a 25 minute walk to Radford. I sure needed the exercise and I take care to walk on the grasses instead of the cement when I can. I have to take more time to do more walking.

Sparse crowd at Radford, but then there were other attractions elsewhere. And I got some reasonable shots of the affair, but all were too fuzzy. Perhaps I can be enlightened as to what I am doing wrong. Any photographers out there?

Always a nice group doing what they come for.

I forgot to take some gifts for special people and I also forgot to take a container to get some goodies and bring back with me. This may not have been "my night.'

The always impressive Ring of Prayer, led by Jim

Our blogs are Social Media. Well, maybe we are not Social Media yet but I can see that we cannot go very far unless we make it Social Media. In our case the most important ingredients are the Information Contributors and the Guest Authors. Different viewpoints? Of course and that's it! The simplicity in the solution is amazing. The difficulty is communicating to those that have the capabiltiy of understanding this. Never been done before? I know it.

"How High The Moon" by Les Paul and Mary Ford

Left a little late but I hurried and I got tired but I got there with about a five minutes to spare and plenty of room on the bus. But by the time we got to Pearlridge it was packed. Got to Sack N Save before ten, bought some goodies and then got on my computer. When you are tired physically, it is easy to conked out early.

Moanalua Corridor Waking up

2012-02-10T00:58:00.000-08:00

There are an awful lot of good people in this section. Just accustomed to dancing in town mostly. Now I begin to see a few people from Kalihi. They will be coming. And why not, no matter how you slice it, there is still traffic in town. And perhaps the people in the Moanalua Corridor are nicer.

"The best way out is always through. - Fortune favors the brave."

The young are doing very well in the upper Moanalua Corridor but some dancing places can get a little rough. Anyway, the developing night life is becoming more evident. From there someone will think of a place in the upper Corridor for the Cultural Dancer. A bit older group but interested in enjoying themselves with dancing and a few drinks and closer to home.

Saturday, February, 11th.

On the Waianae Coast, the saying is there, though no one has ever done anything with it. "I coulda been home in 20 minutes. In Waikiki, it takes me 20 minutes to get out of the Parking Area."

So tomorrow, Saturday we have the opportunity to lay down some shoe leather and enjoy the movement to our kind of good music and closer to home.

Dancing With The Stars,
Review by Carol Smith

I remember the judge Len Goodman telling a winner in DWTS, once upon a time "I like to see flowers and I like to see the lawn. Your dancing was all flowers and no lawn."

DWTS non-professionals have weak basic foundations simply because it takes years to develop. On that foundation, they put a rather fancy building with a heavy roof. I don't mean to be bashful, they simply don't have an option to spend a year or two on training or to dance basic steps on national TV.

I'm not trying to take away the fact that they really do work hard. The dancing looks so good on TV partly because half of the couple is a top notch professional, partly because the choreography is designed to work well for the partnership.

"Teach Me Tonight" by the DeCastro Sisters.

So yes, a lot of that dancing is "flashy trash". Maybe 30% of the basic dance is still there. They dance advanced choreography that is normally danced in your 3rd - 6th year of competitive ballroom training. Some of it is never danced, as some of the moves are not allowed in ballroom as has pointed out many times.

You are more likely to learn the same exact stuff if you take "theater arts" ballroom classes. But those are usually private classes, that is, instructor is working with only one person/couple, that would be you. That's very expensive and not very effective if you don't have any training. If you go to regular ballroom classes you will have a lot of fun even if you don't learn the DWTS moves.

Moanalua Corridor Extended

2012-02-08T00:23:00.000-08:00

I have finally heard it and it makes sense. I have been a little in error defining the Moanalua Corridor territory. My original designated area was from the beginning of the Moanalua Road in Pearl City to the end of the Moanalua Road in Salt Lake, Mauka to Makai. Now I have been reminded that it should include, because of the name, the area known as Moanalua. And they are right.

"Many people will walk in and out of your life,

but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart."

Especially that I have also been reminded that Tripler has a very good size ballroom perfect for a Dinner/Dance occasion. I went there once about ten, fifteen years back, to a Christmas function of the Wahiawa Ballroom Dance Club and it was beautiful. So the entire thing adds up and the plot thickens. Since I have a regularly scheduled blood test at the VA, I may find it easy to get more information on the use of the dinner/dance space for future dinner/dance parties for our people.

"Chances Are" by Johnny Mathis

So the net result specially for the addition of a possible new night club in Salt Lake is that the Lower Moanalua Corridor will be rolling. The upper corridor will remain dormant for a while longer but they may even get a new Dance Club too. Dance Aliamanu at Radford High School and at Aliamanu Intermediate are getting solid in this section. Maurice has done a good job at those two schools.

Saturday, Februray 11

Next to Waikiki, this area is the most heavily populated on the island of Oahu. It is only that most of the possible dancers have been accustomed to dancing in town for all the wrong reasons. It is slowly changing now. The center will eventually be at the new Dance Pavilion at the Patsy Mink Recreation Center. Hopefully they will make it only half the size of the Palladium for exclusive use of the Cultural Dancers. That will leave the Palladium for the Ballroom dancers. And everyone will be happy.

Pub's Side Note: I don't remember ever hearing the term "junk dancer" in the West applied to anyone. But then no Creative Researchers And Producers either.

Dance Aliamanu at Aliamanu Intermediate

2012-02-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

Saturday was another very nice day. Got most of my "To dos" done. On my way to the bus stop I got the picture I was looking for of the Malasadas with a little action.

"Anything Is Possible. - Reach for the stars."

C bus on time and got to Middle Street at 6:30, A few minutes wait and got a #40 bus going back
Ewa. Got off at the Plaza Hotel and from there it was a "needed" walk to Aliamanu Intermediate before seven and a nice group already waiting.

Mel was at the reception table and the dancers came strolling in but then they intend to dance until the joint closes. I danced a couple.

Joanne Cassidy and Harriet Kirahara came in with the shoe display and they seem to be doing a good business. I got a nice picture at the table presentation.

Joanne, Susan, Michiko, Jane and Harriet.

So I danced a couple more, and watched the action developing very nicely. Wayne came in and the Reception table began to get some people. Got a shot there.

Some of the dancers are beginning to realize the necessity of good publictiy. We need someone from Dance Hawaii to help with the PR. Then of course the people were doing what they came to do. Dance. So I had to get that photo.

Q: How do Chickens dance?
A: Chick to chick.

The recepton table getting some action and in the right foto dancers doing what comes naturally.

Went around getting shots and found the first of three couples. Three couples come out nice and clear for the size, with a little room for descriptions. Looked around for three more couples but hard to find when they are dancing. So I thought I would have a dance too.

Fil, Lasting, Claudia, Chuck, Ping and Hector

The Ring of Prayer is always impressive and of course what follows is the Kau Kau line and the Line Dancers dancing away their wait in line.

Ring of Prayer led by Gilda, and the Kee's having funtime with the Line Dancers.

Since I can't eat in public yet, it is time for me to leave. Nice walk to Nimitz, the first bus going to town and got off at Middle Street. The C bus going to Makaha was packed. Got a seat and most of the people in my section were still there when I got off at Nanakuli before ten.

At home, I checked my computer and conked out early.

Western Fluke of History #6

2012-02-03T00:29:00.000-08:00

By Aristides Raul Garcia, aka as El Intruso.

After WWII, great Cuban musicians came to the United States to learn Jazz. The best example of them is the late Mario Bauza who became a Jazz master as a musician, composer, and arranger. One could disagree with his contention that he was the "inventor of Latin Jazz", but he was certainly a pioneer of the gender.

"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible."

In any case, New York born Latinos could relate to this fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms and Jazz; they could culturally identify with both idioms. The Mambo in NY was able to take elements of Jazz, and became, perhaps, the first ever Latin Pop Musical expression with cross-over possibilities; it was also taken up by other New Yorkers, mainly by the up and coming Jewish middle class, but also by Italians, Irish, and Afro Americans.

One of the main characteristics of the New York Mambo was its lyrical simplicity, and many times its total lack of any lyrics. That is one of the reasons why it was never popular in Latin America. The main thing for Mambo lovers in NY was the instrumentation, the solos, the virtuosity of the musicians and arrangers.

"Ven Devorame Otra Vez" por Los Cuatro

Some of those Mambos are classic pieces, in every sense of the word. It was a time of experimentation without the taboos which usually accompany village life. This was New York, and the sky was the limit, they went for it. Speaking of demographics, race, and economics, the end of the Mambo Era coincides with the flight of the white ethnic middle class from Manhattan to suburbia. In reality, during the dying days of the Mambo rage, if you wanted to dance Mambo you were better off going to the Catskill Mountains, which had become an almost all-Jewish "enclave" and resort area.

It became a museum piece to be found only in the dance studios of the Ballroom teachers. Was everyone dancing on the "2" at the Palladium? If you look at film footage from those glorious days, and you really know how to count to the music, you see that people were dancing on different counts, mainly on what today is called the 2, and on the 3.

"Noche Azul" por Vicente Fernandez

You don't have to take my word for it. Mr. Luis Flores, aka Luis Maquina or La Maquina was interviewed by Marla Friedler. He is one of the celebrated great dancers from the Palladium days. She asked him: "Did you dance on the 2?" His answer: "don't talk that shit to me, the 2, the 1. I danced on the clave." Something like that. Go ahead and go to the features section of Salsaweb. Look it up. What he meant by that could be a lot of things. For the time being I leave it there.

So far, we know the following: Mambo was "developed" in Cuba in the 40s and before arriving in New York it was in Mexico. Here we have to add that by no means was Mambo ever the sweeping rage, neither in Cuba, nor in Mexico, nor in New York. Mambo always had to share the stage with other music. If you buy the CDs Dancemania vol 1&2, you will see that in those days even Mr. Puente didn't call everything Mambo.

In the old days it was customary to call a song by its name. In these two CDs you have Son Montunos, Mambos, ChaChaChas, Boleros, Guajiras, Son-ChaChaCha, Bolero-Son, etc. It is important to note this, because almost all the numbers in these compilations were recorded during the heyday of the Mambo. Mr Puente said that it was all Mambo to him. It suited him well.

Da Corridor Update

2012-01-31T00:20:00.000-08:00

Most important in the horizon of our blogs is the fact that we need an Information Contributor which may lead into another Guest Author some where. Give a voice to those without one, a change of life. Broaden your own horizons, share your dance culture and whatever you have learned and try to show your fellow reader/dancers there can be a better life in a cultural dance for everybody.

Celebrate your life.

Don't save anything for a special occasion.

Life is always a special occasion.

Dream what you want to dream.

The Guest Author is becoming most effective in the Town Dancer blog which is the leading blog by at least 60 points. One more Guest Author and they will go independent. Meanwhile, we need a Guest Author in any one of our other blogs, just to increase the readership. Our blogs are not for everyone but we are missing a lot of good readers. Just need a "different" viewpoint. Clones we don't need.

Aloha, loyal music & dance Fans!

Don't forget Da Spin Doc will be performing at the Fleet Club every 1st Tuesday of the month! Music and dancing from the 50's to 80's. Musical theme will be Valentine's Day. If you want to, wear something "Valentine-esque."
$5 suggested donation. Next performance at the Fleet Club - Tuesday, Feb. 7 from 6 - 9pm.

Mahalo, and Aloha!
Professor Bob, Da Spin Doctor
http://www.daspindoctor.vpweb.com/
808-271-4493

And Tuesday, the 14th, Da Spin Doctor at:

"Yesterday" by Placido Domingo

Pub's Side Note: For this blog specially we need someone that lives in the terrritory. The Moanalua Road sections which lead from Pearl City to Moanalua, which includes Tripler. Then too check the "Good People" in the Oahu - West blog. I was getting married couples very nicely, then I decide to accept steady dance couples into the bunch. It is turning out pretty good. Must live in the territory. May be able to do it in Moanalua Corridor blog when more people are aware..

The Rock Step

2012-01-27T00:28:00.000-08:00

This section of town will be long known for their knowledge of dancing. Not there yet? No worry, we have a long and merry way to slide.

"Praise is a device for making a person deserve it."

Rock step (also called break step) may refer to one of similar dance moves. The name refers to the rocking action during the move: the weight is transferred from one foot to another and then back. It is used in a number of dances, perhaps as many as a hundred.

Most often it is a two-step dance move executed in two beats of music. As with most basic movements there are a basic six with just about as many variations from there as you wish.

Basic rocks

In rocking forward, the dancer steps forwards with full weight transfer then transfers the weight back to the back foot while keeping it in place. There are two different forward rocks where the man steps forward with either foot and rocks back to his other foot.

"Yesterday" by the Beatles

In doing the back rock step, there are also two and every thing is just in reverse. And most dancers have no trouble with that. The side rock should come just as naturally. The leader steps with his left foot to the left and rocks back to his right foot. The right side rock is just the opposite.

Six different step movements but all are very basic in what had been at one time developed from more primitive environments into modern cultural dancing. This may go back four, five thousand years.

Now the peripherals. Tango, Salsa, Swing, can get pretty technical on the Turning rocks, not to mention the Internationals. Wow, you should read some of the material on Turning Rocks. Gawd! But the Cultural dancer knows that he can move as he wishes as long as he is in rhythm. So if he wishes to move in any other degree off the forward or backward or sideways, he can do it. And fortunately for us the Ladies are marvels at following such an action.

In Latin dancing the Rock step and the break step may be used interchangeably but generally the leader starts (breaks) on the accented beat of the music wherever it may occur and the rest is gingerbread.

Pub's Side Note: Oahu - West blog still having difficulty in the search engines. Of course I am still experimenting. I made very few of my requisites to get them into the search engines. For now the easist is to get on any other of our blogs and click the link. Question: Is Social Dancing the same as Cultural Dancing?

Western Fluke #5

2012-01-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

By Aristides Raul Garcia, New York
AKA El Intruso

A few months back, Mike Bello wrote a message on this board to "ANGRY, ENOJADA". In it he makes a statement which probably is the belief of many; this is what he told her, "also, realize that salsa began and was developed by, for the most part, Puerto Ricans in New York. They used the Afro- Cuban styles as a foundation and took off with them. So, naturally, New Yorkers have a longer history with salsa and mambo. Everywhere else, including South America, it was picked up much later and they developed their own styles. The same has happened in the west coast (L.A.)."

"One can't complain. I have my friends. Why, someone spoke to me only yesterday."

~Winnie the Pooh

In reality, the Puerto Ricans who went for the Mambo were by and large born and raised, or raised, in the US. We are talking about the mid-50’s. They had to be the sons and daughters of the first waves of Puerto Rican immigrants to the US, before the great exodus of the 50’s, also known as Operation Bootstrap. Until that exodus from the Island, most Puerto Ricans in the US were of urban background, while those migrating during Operation Bootstrap were almost entirely of a rural background.

To talk about Puerto Ricans doing the Mambo is not as easy as it may seem. The fact is that in the mid 50’s you had a diversity of clubs catering to the different musical tastes of Puerto Ricans. Catering to the Mambo-oriented there was, practically, only one; the Palladium. At the other end of the spectrum, you had the Club Caborrojeno, and the Happy Hills Casino (to mention two) providing more typical Puerto Rican music, what many call (in a derogative manner) "Jibaro" music.

"Oye Como Va" por Azucar Moreno

The fact is that El Jibarito de Lares, Ramito, Cesar Concepcion, and a little bit later (late 50’s) Cortijo y su Combo were outselling the Mambo bands in NY. Yomo Toro had been a legend in that circuit (also derogatively known as the "cuchifrito circuit’) long before he played with the Fania All Stars. For Puerto Ricans not born in the US but of an urban background, Mambo was also not the thing; for them it was the music of Bobby Capo, Mirta Silva, Daniel Santos (the last two, both Puerto Ricans, were at points in their careers leadsingers for the Cuban Musical legend, La Sonora Matancera, in fact Celia Cruz was a replacement for Mirta Silva), Arsenio Rodriguez, etc., etc., etc.

"Moliendo Cafe" por Azucar Moreno

Mambo’s popularity and longevity has been blown out of proportion, for commercial reasons. It has been taken out of context since the book and the movie, "The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love", and gave high hopes, to some dinosaurs, of a Mambo comeback. The Mambo’s Golden Age lasted at the most 5 years - from 1955 to circa 1960. That is really nothing compared with the decades after decades of dancing to Latin Music. The Fania All Stars (nobody was talking about Mambo during their time) were on a roll for almost 10 years. The Mambo was only one of the musical expressions attracting NY born Latinos, yes mainly NY Puerto Ricans, or NuYorkricans. For those Latinos, the musical innovations of people like Chano Pozo, Mario Bauza, and Chico O’Farril, to mention a few, provided an outlet to express their biculturality.

Pub's Side Note: Is there more? You bet! This guy really knows his Latin Music and Dance better than anyone else that I know of. Even then, I don't always agree with some of his opinions. I fondly remember the Mambo, but now it is fading in the distance. Much of our information is not close to fact. Mostly erroneous opinions and innuendo. Truth: Afro-Cuban music and dance does not come from Africa. It comes from Cuba.

Moanalua Corridor Still Slowing Down

2012-01-21T00:05:00.000-08:00

I will allow this blog to coast. I simply do not have the time to cover all the functions in this sector. I have to spend more time in developing the Oahu - West blog. When the dust settles, in a couple months, all the blogs will move forward I am sure. As a sector Moanalua Corridor remains solid. Just needs a good Information Contributor, then we can worry about getting a Guest Author.

"A true friend is someone who knows there's something wrong even when

you have the biggest smile on your face."

The confusion remains because the old Platinum Horseshoe has been divided into two segments. The section from Waipio and up to and including the North Shore is pretty much the main part of the renamed PH with Richard Sun as an additional Administrator.

Then Oahu - West will inherited the rest of the territory, Waipahu - Ewa Beach and West of this section up to and including the Waianae Coast. The main anchors being Kapolei Chapter HBDA(Willy, Nora and Tim) and Dance Waipahu. (Maurice.) Anything else will be gingerbread.

"I Believe" by Frankie Laine

Changes made to the "Facebook" privacy policy through the years have greatly opened the previously closed community to viewing by anyone. This is including individuals, companies and search engines looking to make big bucks. But everyone knows that Facebook is not in it for charitable purposes. I dropped them a few months ago. Now I have just dropped the last of them, Twitter. Just not doing me much good. Our blogs have been ten times the immediate communication.

Some dancers in this sector have discovered "Phrasing." Perhaps it is only minimal but it helps, specially because nine out of ten "dancers" on this island do not know what it means and this includes teachers. Just a hint. It is a musical paragraph. Four segments of eight counts each. Is it in all songs? Well, pretty close. We will introduce it very slowly, it will be for the Universal, Social or Cultural dancers only. They may learn to use it in show business but for now it is for "feeling" only.

A Bad Trip

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Woke up late, not so good, and I got on the computer with only a glass of orange juice. Didn't have breakfast until eleven o'clock. Things were just not right in my emails. Then I got a thank you letter from one sister about the candies but no mention of the other gift I had sent for Christmas. I wrote back that her other sister got the same thing and never said anything either.

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."

Just one of those days, but I got ready in enough time to get to Aliamanu by 6:30 pm, Nice people as per usual and I got a photo of the line dancers.

Line dancing as per usual and getting some good men in there.

I had some time so I walked over to Longs to get my specials on coffee. They were all out. So I walked back. Then I was able to get rid of a dance DVD. and get a photo of the Cha Cha Cha Dance class. Instructors Helen Toledo and Manny Carreon.

Intricate Cha Cha Cha, I had never seen this pattern before.

Left early and had no idea of the bus schedule, so I decided to get the first bus going to town. The number 9, grouchy bus driver. (maybe against bikes.) Got off at Middle Street and left one of my dance folder for someone to pick up. The bus driver warned after I got the bike off. If I left it there it would go in the trash. I said OK and that is what he did. Went over and got and dumped in the trash and then took off. Definitely not my day.

"What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong

Batteries slowed down and I was going to get off at Kapolei Longs and get my coffee but I decided to get on home. Too many things going wrong. Have me a little of the Nectar of the Gods and relax a little with a little music. Conked out early.

Dance Aliamanu at Radford

2012-01-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

It was a very pleasant day and I got ready early. Nice weather outside and there were plenty of fishing poles on the beach. Probably a hundred on the beaches of Nanakuli and Lualualei.The bus was on time a little after 5:30 and I got to Kam and Salt Lake a little after 6:30. A twenty minute walk (which I needed) and I was at the Radford Dance Emporium before seven. Not bad.

Left overs from New Year:
"Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’ - Always choose life - Forgive everyone everything - What other people think of you is none of your business - Time heals almost everything. Give time time - However good or bad a situation is, it will change - Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does."

There were a lot of people there already. Joanne had already set up her shoe department. And was able to get the early birds in my first photo, near the reception desk.

Seated: Judy Smith, Mel Nakagawa and Maurice Morita. Standing: Harriet Kirahara,

Joanne Cassidy, Rueben Gutierrez, Jim and Anna Arrowhead.

Walked around and said hello to so many people that I am getting to know. As fine a bunch of people as I have ever seen, and got a gold mine photo with the help of Mel.

Jim and Anna Arrowhead, Judy Smith and Tony Augustin, and Beverly and Creighton Goo.

This picture may not be so good at a soccer game, but here it is perfect.

"Stranger in Paradise" by Tony Bennett

A few dances here and there. And I got a chance to get my CDs out to three people. I usually go for the earliest teachers. Got some pics of what the people in this part of town come for.

Small crowd but they are having fun dancing up a storm.

Mel helped me get another three couples. Looks like I hit the jackpot. We are getting a good array of the regular attendees, a solid group.

Tony and Lilia Augustin, Naomi and Erik Nakai, Sally Forges and Rueben Gutierrez

Random table shots, this is social dancing to Da Max.

I kept thinking not too many people but we had a good Ring of Prayer led as per usual by Jim. The ono kau kau was waiting and I got good photos of the starting line dancers that do their thing while waiting for the kau kau line to thin down.

The traditional Ring of Prayer, and the line dancers enjoying their wait for the kau kau line to get smaller. These people can even enjoy the waits, Dat's Social Dancing.

I left at nine and got to Salt Lake and Kam early enough to get the 9:30 bus going to Nanakuli. Plenty of room to sit down and plenty of light. Unfortunately, the battery ran down just before Kapolei and I had time to do a little reading of Print Shop which is turning out to be quite a nice program and a lot more complicated than most people know.

Got home before eleven and conked out before one am.

From Da Spin Doctor

2012-01-14T23:00:00.000-08:00

Aloha, and Happy Kung Hei Fat Choi, music fans!

Just a brief reminder that will be spinning the hits from the 50's-80's for your listening and
dancing pleasure this coming Tuesday, Jan. 17 at the Pearl City Elks from 6pm to 9pm. As long as
you keep coming, we will keep playing! No cover! Suggested donation = $5. See you Tuesday!

And, don't forget the Fleet Club every 1st Tuesday of the month! Next performance at the Fleet
Club will be Tuesday, Feb. 7 from 6-9pm. Musical theme will be Valentine's Day.

Mahalo, and Aloha!
Professor Bob, Da Spin Doctor
http://www.daspindoctor.vpweb.com/
808-271-4493

“Let It Be” By The Beatles

Left overs from New Years:
"It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else - When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer - Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion - Today is special. Over prepare, then go with the flow - The most important sex organ is the brain - No one is in charge of your happiness but you."

Western Fluke of History, part 4

2012-01-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

Salsa on two, (New York)
By Aristides Raul Garcia aka El Intruso

Back to the Palladium (In New York.) In his essay "Is it Mambo or Salsa? Only the Clave Knows" Mike Bello claims to have been at the Palladium. He is not really lying; he is telling a half truth, and that is the problem in dealing with this "slippery cat", they don’t really lie; they just tell you the part of the truth that fits their purpose. Of course Mike Bello probably went to the Palladium which opened in the 80’s on East 14th Street as a normal North American Disco, and as time went by introduced Salsa Nights (not Mambo nights, by the way) on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, I really don’t remember.

"Football is not a contact sport, it’s a collision sport – dancing is a contact sport."

But Mr. Bello was never at the Palladium of Mambo-fame; the one I’m going to describe. Not even the famous Eddie Torres has ever claimed to have been there. And anyone trying to tell you that in those days the drinking laws were more relaxed, or that the bouncers at the doors would turn a blind eye if one was under age, is simply lying or living a fantasy; they were very strict, and in the early 60’s the Palladium had to be very careful, because the Police Department was keeping an eye on the joint looking for any excuse to close it down.

The Palladium was for a very specific group of people. The average Latino was not going there. It was show time at the Palladium; battle of the bands, battle of the dancers, and eventually battle of the bouncers. It had very little to offer to the average Pedro y Juana. They were, and still are, reluctant to spend their hard earned pesos to stand on the sideline listening to virtuoso solos, which seem to go on for ever, or watching super dancers take over the dance floor. They appreciate both things, but only to a certain point; what they really want to do, above all, is to dance themselves. So they were simply going to other clubs, and left the Palladium to the "hip crowd"

"Hazlo Bonito" por El Coronel

The problem with that was that when the middle class fled to suburbia in the early 60’s, slowly the crowds at the Palladium started to get smaller. Then the famous and the curio seekers also started to disappear. There were nights at the Palladium when the only people present were the mafiosi (and their bouncers), the musicians and their friends, and the great dancers all looking at each other wondering what was going on. Good bands were not so willing to play there anymore. The Mafia running the joint grew restless and aggressive.

Today’s newcomer to Salsa is aware of Tito Puente, EL REY DEL MAMBO, there was another Tito who also was one of the big legends from the Palladium. His name was Tito Rodriguez. Legend has it that T. Rodriguez started to play more uptown than downtown; that he also had his eyes set on the Latin American market; that he saw the Mambo thing coming to an end. He felt comfortable playing anywhere.

"Cuba Rum" por Bo Katzman

He was confronted at the Palladium about his lack of desire to continue to play there; confronted by the Mafia running the joint, legend has it that he told them off. What is not a legend is that they beat him up right there and then, in the Holiest of places of today’s Mambo Bible stompers; in the Mambo shrine: the Palladium.

Very quickly after that, the Palladium went from Le Grand Fricase of Latin Music, to Fracas after Fracas, to El Gran Fracaso. Oh, they tried to revive it. They finally realized that what was making people jump was that new sound of Cortijo y su Combo with Ismael Rivera on vocals. Yeah, they tried to get people back at the Palladium with that Jibaro sounding Combo; they tried to attract the Charanga and Pachanga crowd.

They really tried everything. It was too late. Tito Rodriguez had said after the incident that he would never again set foot in the Palladium and his fans (which were many) followed suit. It was bye bye Palladium. The Mambo became poor and homeless. It was really the end of it. It has never made a comeback. It became a museum piece to be found only in the dance studios of the Ballroom teachers. (wait, there's more!)

You all should have the details already. Starts at six on Saturday, so we will expect you at six,

and ends at ten so I will take a photo of you at ten. Happy Dancing.

"Social dancing in the West is not just the variety of the individual social dance styles.

It's the music, the people, the entire atmosphere of social dance that is the joy."

Moanalua Corridor Lagging

2012-01-11T00:18:00.000-08:00

We don't really have to get worried, but Moanalua Corridor blog is lagging behind the top three. Town Dancer in front, naturally followed by Oahu And Beyond and then Platinum Horseshoe. These are our top blogs and they all have Guest Authors except Moanalua Corridor

"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down."

Of course we must not bother those that are not interested, But with hits at an ever increasing rate, I know there are many out there that are interested. I must find one, preferably one that lives in the area, to speak with the authority of a resident. The Guest Author we have been waiting for is coming. An American Style dance teacher would be perfect.

I am still looking for the line dance group that would be interested and preferably in the upper Corridor. Most line dancers prefer to ignore us and we must accept it. But we will find a group that will be part of our dance friends. In this blogging there are no real commitments, no monthly meetings, or annual dues. You don't really have to do anything but it a great opportunity to express your opinion.

"Be My Love" by Mario Lanza

With all this space in the Corridor and the huge population of residents, it is only natural that a new club will form to meet the needs of the growing dance community. The Dance Studios in the upper are not much for our kind of dancing. They just have never had much publicity. There must be some communication to and from the new ones in order for the whole enchilada to succeed.

There is an emerging consensus about what the knowledge-creating dance club of the future will look like. It will be good at learning and unlearning. It will be open to new ideas from a diverse network of contacts, but able to integrate them smoothly, with the financial and marketing skills needed to stay financially solvent.

"How High the Moon" by Les Paul and Mary Ford

Staff must have a large measure of autonomy to try and fail. Members will be encouraged to challenge the status quo. Open communication and information-sharing with customers, staff and other connections will encourage a flow of ideas. Teamwork and flexibility will be taken for granted. Dancewise the Moanalua Corridor is looking good for the year.

Working Overtime

2012-01-08T13:10:00.000-08:00

Too many things to do for the blogs and my own private life. Made an important arrangement in town seeing as I had to go for a dentist appointment. Turn out the dentist called in sick and they could not reach me on the phone. Postponed for another day.

T Shirt in Aiea: "I was wrong once. I thought I had made a mistake."

Then called my computer geek to get my laptop computer and was to meet at Times Market, Vineyard and Liliha. I got there a little after one and wait until a little after two. Nothing, so I took the next bus to town.

My watch not available at Fishers, perhap in Kakaako. Tried Longs and prices high. Went to Love's bakery and they were out of corn tortillas. (they don't last long) Then I got the next C bus to Kapolei. At KMart in Kapolei, I got the most expensive thirteen dollar watch they had. I told them price was no object, I am the last of the big spenders.

Got home too tired to go any where else, so I skipped the big dance Saturday night at Aliamanu. Anybody want to say something email me. Or send some photos, email them.

From Rags To Riches"by Tony Bennett

At home been trying to get rid of the old email address on the blog for a month but it is a very difficult and complicated arrangement. I even had to use two different computers to do it. But fortunately I got all the blogs under my new and correct email address.

A Beautiful Tuesday

2012-01-04T12:03:00.000-08:00

Got most everything done by noon. All clear by the afternoon. Prepared my travel agenda and left home with plenty of time. Not many people on the beach at Nanakuli, few fishermen. I was on the #40 bus at ten minutes to five. The ride was not bad and I got off at the Valkanburgh bus stop, sometime after six. A short walk and I was at The Fleet Lounge.

"Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes,

in their own way, by going to the mall of their choice."

Yes there were some people dancing at the time and I suppose that with a few suggestions we could have an even earlier crowd. And that would establish the first Pau Hana Dance. (Hawaii's version of the Tea Dance.) There is a very large office population in and around this area. And the after work dance is a very important agenda for the People in the West. And since they won't do it in town the West will have to lead the way. The Pau Hana Dance. Difficult to do? Yes, but maybe it is about time.

From top left, clockwise: The early birds finding a nice corner. - First table shot: Ronnie Amian, Jon Obara, Linette Arakawa, Bert Burgess, Deanie Bates and Brian K. - A shot of a table with the bar in sight and Jon Obara who we mised in prior photo. - Then the dancers doing what they like to do.

The dancers began to accumulate and before seven they had a nice crowd. A few International types but mostly the knock down drag out club dancers. Da reel teeng. No spectacular poses or excessive hand waving. If they shake their booties it is to enjoy the music better.

Clockwise from upper left: - Ruth Wilkerson, PrinceofIdes, Sharon Nakai, Michael and Lara Dandelyous,

and the door to the bar area. - And of course, a photo of the nice lady behind the bar, next time get the name. -

Dave and Bree Cardell, Da Spin Doctor, Stephanie and Monday Verzon. - Doug and Kathy Hill,

Debbie, Gerrie, Rey, Amanda, Terry Conlan.

Some people even got in a little line dancing mixed in with the regular. This is a fun crowd, not show business. Other social dance clubs in the West are picking this up?. And I am still trying to learn the Electric slide. A nice lady did enlighten me a little and I will see if I can find it on the Internet.

"Por El Amor De Una Mujer" by Xavier Solis

I left with plenty of time and I had time for a few nips out of my flask. The bus was at the bus stop about five minutes later with plenty of room and easy to find a seat. Opened my little notebook computer and put some nice music on. Just a few nips now and then, the familiar feeling looking at the passing panorama through Rum colored glasses. I was home in no time, couldn't walk a straight line but otherwise just fine.

Western Fluke Of History, Part 3

2012-01-02T00:10:00.000-08:00

Dancing on the "2"
By Aristides Raul Garcia, aka as El Intruso.

The Cuban Perez Prado, to whom some people attribute the creation of the Mambo, was well established for years in Mexico before the Mambo arrived in Manhattan. He was the darling of the upper classes, and the chic, not only in Mexico, but all over Latin America.

"Some people march to a different drummer ... and some people Salsa on the two."

In an interview, Tito Puente told Marla Friedler that he was the first one to put dancers on the stage; Perez Prado was doing that in Mexico almost 40 years before that!!!, probably with Mexican dancers. Many Mexicans took to the Son, the Danzon, the Mambo, etc. In fact, even today the Danzon is taught in the Ballrooms of Mexico. The movie simply titled "Danzon" gives a good picture of this phenomena.

I mention the Mexican ruling class and the chic, because to talk about Latin Music without referring to economic classes, demographics, race, age groups, and even political beliefs, is to be myopic. For example, Salsa music owes its origin to two Cuban music and dances: the Danzon which was the music of the rich and powerful, and the working class Son. The Danzon finds its origin in the French Contre Danse, which derives its name from the English Country Dance, which had become the dance of the French royal court and of the colonialists in Haiti.

"Que Rico Es El Mambo" por Perez Prado

When the slaves rebelled and threw them out, many of these colonialists moved, not back to France, but to Santiago de Cuba. The Cuban rulers (Cuba was a Spanish colony at the time, and slavery was still flourishing there) took well to this "new" dance, and adopted it with enthusiasm. Eventually it evolved into the Danzon. Funny, that in a "proletarian" state such as Cuba the National Dance is the dance of the ruling class; the Danzon. The Son, according to the Cuban musicologist Alejo Carpentier (and others) is from its beginnings working class.

According to them it was brought to Cuba by a "free black Dominican woman". Its history doesn’t seem to interest many people today, perhaps because its tranculturalisation was due to the efforts of an obscure individual as opposed to a social cataclysm, such as the slave trade, or the Haitian revolution. I mention this business about social classes, demographics, and race because to understand the popularity of Mambo in NYC, all these things have to be considered.

Mull it over, there is more to come.

Pub's Side Note: I will see you all at the Tuesday Pau Hana Dance at the Fleet Lounge. Dancing to the music of Da Spin Doctor. Starts at 5:30? Sounds OK by me.And won't it be something when we can dance at District Parks and Community Centers? Dream On, my friends.

Da Spin Doctor

2011-12-30T15:59:00.000-08:00

Aloha, 2012 Dance & Music Fans! HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
Short version: Time to ring in the New Year !
Dance to the oldies and ballroom music, now twice a month!
1st Tuesdays, Fleet Club, 6-9 pm.
3rd Tuesdays, Pearl City Elks Lodge, 6-9 pm.

Professor Bob & Candy will be performing at the Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 46 aka "Fleet Lounge" at 891 Valkenburgh St., 808-423-0873. Da Spin Doc will be there the first Tuesday of each month, starting Tuesday, Jan. 3rd, 2012.

The Fleet Lounge is near the airport area and across from the Fire Dept. tower training facility. As soon as you make the turn from Nimitz (bottom level of the Airport Viaduct) onto Valkenburgh, make an immediate hard left turn on Valkenburgh into their parking lot. If this paved lot fills, there's lots more alternate free parking across the street in a dirt lot, marked with a sign.

Since the Fleet Lounge is a private club affiliated with the USN, USMC, and USCG, you will be signed in as my personal guests, just like the P.C. Elks. Free parking, no minimum charge, no cover charge - just 'pass the hat' as we do now and hopefully buy a few cheap drinks!

They are willing to give us a try, provided we have lots of folks show up! So, those of you who have asked us to find a spot closer to town, it's up to you (and me) to fill up the club! LOTS of room on this dance floor!

Please let your networks know about this new venue to hear great oldies and enjoy dance music on a huge floor. PLEASE pass the word! We would love to make this a regular monthly event, but we can only do that with your continued participation.

ALSO - DON'T FORGET that will again be spinning the hits from 1940s - 1980s for your listening and dancing pleasure, from 6:00 - 9:00pm, continuing Tuesday, Jan. 17th at the P.C. Elks Lodge, next to Ige's 19th Hole. We will continue at the Pearl City Elks every third Tuesday so long as interest is there, and enough participants show up. Please bring your friends along! Candy and I are looking forward to seeing you there each third Tuesday !!!

See you this Tuesday at the PC Elks!
Mahalo, and Aloha!
Professor Bob, Da Spin Doctor
http://www.daspindoctor.vpweb.com/
808-271-4493

Dis and Dat fo' da New Year.

2011-12-29T16:09:00.000-08:00

The New Year, 2012, is almost here.

"Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, they send forth a tiny ripple of hope... and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

Q: There are five frogs on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left?

A: There are still five left. Deciding is not the same as doing.

The Three Tiers:

In dancing it is fairly easy to put everything into the three tiers, the good, the bad and whatevah. And in the Moanalua Corridor it is quite the same as any where else. And I will admit I have been spending too much time in the other sections.

The "Bad" department has too many. But we have gone over it so many times. It will also apply to the coming year. If anyone chooses to ignore us, may we ignore them? No hu hu, just acceptance. We have work to do and we must be on our way.

The "whatevahs" department in the middle will find us doing more to please them "wherevah," Our advantage is that they are finding out that Cha Cha Cha has over 600 documented steps and patterns. International has what they consider "theirs" at about 75 - 80 at most. Bettah go wid da reel teeng.

The "Good"department has us in a very fortunate position because we can almost see the results ahead. Some groups are and will continue to lose ground but there will be new ones with new ideas and they will make it. Lucky we have so many in the "good" department, where they kokua for the benefit of all the dancers. They send us information and photos which are the most important factors in keeping a blog going. And then they kokua in assisting to get information and photos at the different functions. We can't lose for winning.

It's Looking Good

2011-12-25T12:36:00.000-08:00

Moanalua Corridor has been a little in the dumps for the last quarter. But things are looking up. First, of course, we must get a good regular Information Contributor, a person that is able to commuicate with our reader/dancers. The email flyer kine, "To Whom It May Concern" helps but is not for our kine "Social Media.

"The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies,

can continue growing as we continue to live."

Then of course, Dance Hawaii is going to get better control of the venues to dance in. More dancers, more photos, more communication in this blog. Perhaps one in the upper Moanalua Corridor too.

Then there is the coming monthly dancing at the Elks, on the second Tuesday of every month and at Fleet Lounge with the first Tuesday of every month. Both with Da Spin Doctor furnishing the "moosic."

What you don't read here for the West, you can read in the new Oahu - West blog. I am beginning to think that our reader/dancers like the colors in Platinum Horseshoe much better than they do of the Oahu - West blog.

Pub's Side Note: You can now get Oahu - West in the Google Search Engine.The other search engines will get it in about a week. Other get on any of the other blogs and click the name in the side bar. It will appear like magic on your screen.

The Western Fluke Of History, Part 2

2011-12-23T00:13:00.000-08:00

Dancing on the "2"

By Aristides Raul Garcia AKA "El Intruso", New York

I’m going to try and catch this slippery cat by the tail. Let’s take a closer look at this original dance and the Palladium. Mike Bello in his "essay": "Mambo, Cuba created it, New York perfected it", takes the Mambo on a non- stop supersonic flight from Cuba to NYC. He, like every other "dance on 2" expert, decides to ignore the fact that the trans-culturalisation of Afro-Cuban music in the Caribbean Basin was in motion long before the Mambo made it to New York.

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on,

with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us."

Lets take a brief look at Mexico in relationship to this transculturalisation. For artists coming from the Spanish Caribbean, long before New York became a center of Latin music, Mexico was the Latin Hollywood. The center of Latin music and one of the largest cities in the world.

The goal of just about every band, singer, or musician from the area was to perform and be recorded there. In turn, many Mexicans took to this music whole heartedly and some of it spread into their other dances.

One of the most famous singers of Sones, Boleros, etc. was the Mexican known as Toña la Negra, whose popularity was superseded, perhaps, only by Celia Cruz. She was, and still is, a legend.

"Mambo Guajiro" by Rene Touzet

Agustin Lara, composer, arranger, and singer (also Mexican) was in high demand all over the Caribbean in the late 40’s and all throughout the 50’s. One of his most famous compositions is "La Clave y el Bongo alegran el Corazon".

He was writing poems and music to the Claves before Manhattan knew how to eat with them. Before New York knew about the Mambo, Mario Moreno (Cantinflas) - also Mexican, was dancing it both seriously and comically. In reality by the time the Mambo made it to NYC, it was considered "zapato viejo" (old shoe) even in Cuba.

(More coming!)

Pub's Side Note: We are fortunate that at least two Disc Jockeys on Oahu really can play Latin sounding music for the ballroom dancer. The others will just take time to realize it.

We Live and We Learn

2011-12-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

There are over 600 documented steps and patterns in every dance used by the ballroom dancer. Each of the disciplines has less than fifty in their syllabi of Bronze, Silver and Gold divisions. And they range from the leadable to the fairly unleadable. And yet too many dancers go for the fancier steps. The social club dancers use many moves that can be learned by the follower almost instantly. But that's Da Reel Teeng.

"Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us

that we're here for something else besides ourselves."

From the Waha 25 years ago.
Fancy Steps By Richard Masuyama

The only comment to this trend is that many students are interested only in picking up new and very advanced dance figures without too much concern about technique and styling that goes with these. The figures in the Gold Bar and Gold Star are mostly for exhibition and competitions and are starkly out of place on the social dance floor. They generally require a great deal of space for their execution and many will agree that they look terrible when not done correctly.

With so many dance steps and figures available, it is sensible to concentrate on those that can be led and followed easily with any partner for use in social dancing. Forget the open and fancy figures that can be done only with one or very limited number of partners. Learn to do the simple figures well and leave the fancy ones to the expert exhibition dancers.

Pub's Side Note: One of the best legacies left by Richard was his advice on ballroom dancing.

Calvin and Hobbes doing the new Moanalua Corridor Shag.

"Light My Fire" by The Doors

From Wendy Johnson interview:

Q: Do you think other countries respect American style?

A: Wendy Johnson: Yes. I think they respect it as a style. I don’t think they necessarily respect what they see. I think Marcus and Karen Hilton would have been great American smooth dancers. A lot of their shows incorporate American smooth dancing. I’ve always thought that if a European couple took it into their mind to compete in American smooth here, they would wipe the floor because the quality would be amazing.

A lot of them already do it in their shows. They love doing it, and think it’s great. I’m going to Germany soon to teach American style. I’ll be showing them the difference between bolero and international rumba, and also the difference in American, International and Argentine tangos, and how they can be combined. (Fusion?)

What's Doin'?

2011-12-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

Not much doing this week end in the famous Moanalua Corridor. Things sure are jumping elsewhere. We got a terific article and photos on their Social from Nora Dionisio, President of Kapolei Chapter, HBDA. Turned into a terrific for the new blog, "Oahu - West," for Friday. We have another blog of the dance at August Ahrens of Friday evening in Saturday's blog. So take a look/see.

Blogger's Law No.22B: It is impossible for an optomist to be pleasantly surprised.

Platinum Horseshoe will be no more. We have lost all control there. We can still blog but that is about all. Blogger has been notified but they don't don't have a clue either. So we have a new blog. The hits are going up very slowly but we must be patient.

Meanwhile the instructions are in the Platinum Horseshoe blog of how to get onto the new "Oahu - West." I have notified the search engines but it will take another two or three weeks before they all know about it. Meanwhile, use the links in any of our other blogs. Thanks all and have some happy holidays.

The Tea Party? Ha!
And the clear and obvious biblical text for this crisis is 1 Timothy 6:9-10:

"But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many

senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."

"Bloggers aren’t made in journalism schools This is only coming out now. They are made from something they have deep inside them a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill."

Sunday, December 18 to Saturday 31st.

2011-12-15T11:44:00.000-08:00

Nice cruising week, no classes in the territory. Moanalua Corridor Party dead as a doornail but otherwise everything running smoothly. If we missed some dancing in the Corridor, please let us know.

"Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement
of the moment has passed."

Sun, 18

The new blog to replace the defective Platinum Horseshoe blog. We don't known how long Platinum Horseshoe will remaiin there. They no longer have any administrators and no changes can be made by anyone. Blogger doesn't have a clue either. We must carry on as best as we can.

"(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" by the Beastie Boys

Sat 24. Christmas Eve.

Sun 25 Have a very Happy Christmas Day

Fri 30, So if you all want to dance at the New Waikiki Social Dance Club, at the famous Palladium, there is more detail on their Web site.

Sat 31, Wish everyone the Happiest of New Years.

Philippine Dancing

2011-12-13T00:14:00.000-08:00

By Alberto Babaylan, Waipahu

After the War, I was still a young man in the Philippines and I could see that the spirit for innovation and change was still alive. This could be discerned from the changes Filipinos made in their dance. The restless spirit to break the chains of bondage gave rise to an almost frenzied dancing.

"In a dance club, service is an attitude. a kind of caring

on the part of everyone in the club."

One can clearly see it even to this day. Dances like the Jive and the Swing, for instance, are danced to a much faster music tempo than they are in the US. The independent spirit reasserted it self through new variations and the syncopations of the better dancers which were popularized as other dancers copied them. Street dancing in its essence.

However, the main difference was that Filipinos "felt" their way through the dance. They were not consciously developing and inventing new dances as the Western dancers were for a time. Filipinos developed their dances as they were introduced, and innovating as they felt it. Today, the ballroom dance scene is replete with new variations that one would rarely see here. Visiting Westerners to the Philippines sometimes cannot even recognize the dances that their own people developed.

"If You Wanna Party" by Molella featuring the Outhere Brothers

But then that’s the beauty of dance. It is not constant and static. Dance is alive, as long as it is being danced and innovated upon. Filipinos may not have invented the popular ballroom dances, but we surely are contributing our major share in the development of these same dances, by injecting our own spirit and soul into each one of them. By continuously doing so, we are contributing to the world’s dance history.

In Hawaii, we have been somewhat limited because of the larger, strictly contructed style dance with too many rules and regulations. It is the reason the Club Dancers are developing so nicely in the Western part of this Island. They have always been there?