Monday, October 28, 2024

A COMPREHENSIVE NON-PROFIT DANCE GUIDE FOR RECREATIONAL PARTNER OR COUPLE DANCING IN HAWAII (for 7 pages, see Web Version)

Partner dancing is communicative, kinetic art. The dance floor is the canvas, the music is your paint, while you and your partner become the brush that creates the painting. 

Dancing gives you a wonderful and spiritual-like natural high...the sensation and emotions that one experiences from this form of social dancing is totally indescribable.

Dancing is also great for one's emotional and mental well-being as well as for your physical health.

Naturally this type of dancing does take work and lessons to get there, but once you know a few basics of partner dancing it will all be worth it.  Another benefit of dancing is that you will meet some very wonderful people from all over the world who share a similar passion, many of whom will become lifelong friends.


Recognized as a great salsa dancer by his peers, Frankie Martinez stated, "A good dancer is not learned, you only learn the basic steps and shines.  There is something in all of us that comes out through dancing that sets us apart from one other.  How we feel the music and express it is unique to each one of us...you need to be true to your feelings and of course practice makes perfect....."My way of dancing is a mix of basics and instincts applied to modern day music blending yesterday and today." 

                   Frankie Martinez, NY Salsa

Frankie Manning, the Ambassador of Lindy Hop shared his approach to dancing, "The music...fashioned my style of dancing." 

When asked about the secret to her success in writing music, multiple Grammy award winner and Gershwin Prize recipient Carole King said, "I try to get out of the way and let the process be guided by whatever is guiding me."  

Jimi Hendrix, one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time, didn't read music or study theory, yet his guitar sang like no other because he could hear the music in his head, and he played from his heart. 

The point about this is that dancing is not about repetitive  steps or pre-programmed routines, rather dancing in it's purest form occurs when your movement becomes an honest expression and interpretation of the music. This is when you are able to let it go and dance with unbridled passion and enthusiasm.

Just as it inspired Frankie Martinez, Frankie Manning, Carole King, Jimi Hendrix and all of the great dancers and musicians, let the music and how you feel be your guiding light. By tapping from within, you will be able to develop, create, and express new, unique and innovative movements in your dance. 


                    
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DISCLAIMER: This blog is for entertainment purposes only and therefore it's content, including performance times, dates, cover charges and parking accomodations may not be accurate and/or current, so please do your own due diligence prior to attending any of these events.

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DANCE MUSINGS: Salsa dance venues are popping up all over town, recent ones include Margaritas on Sheridan Street at 9 pm to 11 pm on Saturdays, Taqueria El Gallo Rosa at 7 pm to 9 pm on Fridays, Aloha Dancesport (various days with different hosts -Tuesday, Friday, Saturday), Dave and Busters on Sundays and Mexilulu various days of the monrh. Check out Instagram and Facebook for more details. 

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AN EDITORIAL:  HEADS UP TO THE DANCERS WHO FAIL TO PATRONIZE THE ESTABLISHMENTS: If you enjoy dancing to a particular band or singer at a venue and wish to see them perform there regularly then please patronize the establishment by buying food or drinks during your visits there. The bottom line for owners is whether they made a profit for the evening as it is the primary factor that determines whether management will, or will not invite a particular band or singer back to their venue. I know several owners that own restaurants and they have told me that they will absolutely  not extend an invitation to a band or singer no matter how popular they are if their followers do not spend money (those who will bring their dance shoes but leave their wallets at home and ask for free tap water to drink) 🥴.  Unfortunately owners realize that catering to the seniors who dance, from a profit point of view, can be a challenge and as a result many places that used to cater to that dancing crowd have all closed, or for the few that remain open they now have a cover charge.  For those who haven't figured it out by now there is no such thing as a free ride in the dance world as live music is never free.

On the mainland there are several counties that sponsor free social dancing in government buildings with DJ music on weekends (targeting seniors).....not a bad idea! If anyone has clout with our administration perhaps we could bring this kind of event to Honolulu 🙏😅

OTHER 'POSSIBLE' DANCE SPOTS:  Hawaiian Brians, Rooftop Bar on Piikoi Street, Hilton Hawaiian Village's Tapa Bar, The Veranda (Kahala) and the Mango Room in Wahiawa may have dancing periodically, so they are possibilities. The Beach House at Aloha Tower (formerly Nashville) may also have dances during the week. 

Buho's in Waikiki, Taqueria el Ranchero in Kapolei and The District on Kona Street has salsa dancing during the week.

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DANCING IS BACK, HOWEVER BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND ASSESS THE RISKS.

COVID IS STILL WITH US EVEN IN THE YEAR 2024 AND CAN SPREAD IF THERE IS INADEQUATE INDOOR VENTILATION OR FILTRATION.

THE UNVACCINATED ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE, SECOND WOULD THOSE THAT ARE NOT CURRENT WITH THEIR BOOSTERS.





          
Disclaimer: Some dancing events listed here may no longer be current.




Palladium is now open post covid. Click here for dance schedule dance fever oahu.

    Palladium @ 404 Kapahulu Ave.


.       The new Mango Street Grill (fka Dots          Wahiawa) is now open for dancing on certain weekends



    
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For Latin dancing events going on in town see Social Dancing on Oahu and Salsa in Paradise (Facebook).


              POPULAR  LEADER TRAITS

Popular leaders strive to create a wonderful experience for all of their partners.  Ladies usually are willing and eager to dance with these kind of leaders.

The secret?  These leaders all took lessons when first starting off on their journey. They experienced frustration and rejection along the way but they managed to forge ahead because of their passion for dancing.

Instead of using complex or esoteric leads on the beginning or less experienced dancers, consummate leaders will use comfortable leads that their follows can understand. They are however, capable of ratcheting it up a notch or two in order to bring out the best in the more experienced dancers. These leaders know that there is a 'time and place' for everything especially when it comes to dancing with people of varying skillsets and age groups. It should also be noted that the accomplished leaders have relaxed and comfortable grips that are not hurtful to their partners. If a leader is tense or nervous he should check if his grip pressure is too hard, if so it could be hurtful for his partners. Safety and comfort should always be given the utmost priority when partner dancing.

At times it is can be overwhelming for their partners when leaders steadfastly stick to patterns or set routines with a 'one size fits all approach'.  For those that are new to dancing and have no clue what to do, this experience can be intimidating and frustrating 😪.  It is sort of like someone trying to teach an elementary school student quantum physics, or fluid dynamics when they are still learning how to add and subtract. Social dancing should be a conversation or dialogue between two people, not a lecture or a monologue.  The preferred mindset in social dancing is to "share a dance" with others and not to intimidate or overwhelm them. The greatest gift for any leader is to see his partner smile and enjoy the dance while bringing out the best in her.

*NOTE:  It should be noted that many lady dancers do not appreciate being told by a leader how they should be dancing (this applies both ways by the way). The fastest way to become extremely unpopular and not have anyone willing to dance with is to critique others, so please refrain from giving unsolicited advice to strangers - unfortunately you don't learn this aspect of social dancing just from taking dance lessons so be mindful of it and be respectful of others. Social dancing is really all about having fun with the person that you are dancing with as that is what truly matters 🤗

In order to become a better leader one should learn how to adapt and effectively communicate their leads to everyone that they dance with based upon each person's ability. One of the ways of accomplishing this is to dance with many other individuals of varying skillsets and not with the same person all the time. Experienced leaders have danced with hundreds of follows over the years, naturally all leaders will have experienced rejection and frustration along the way but this is a part of the growth process. This hands on experience is invaluable and cannot be learned merely by taking lessons. In fact, dance lessons are much easier to execute than dancing socially with strangers, with lessons both the leader and follow know exactly what the movement is and what each person needs to do to accomplish that movement, whereas when dancing with strangers the leads are spontaneous and totally unplanned. 

GENISIS: Dancers will first start by taking basic lessons for at least a year or two (more time is needed if you wish to learn the many different dance styles that are out there). Beginning dancers learn the timing and the basic steps of a dance. Intermediate dancers already know the timing and steps of a dance and are working on fine-tuning their techniques in order that their leads may become crisp and clear. Advanced dancers have solid foundations and have mastered a multitude of techniques and leading skills, this also allows them to amalgamate many movements with ease (even mixing dance styles) with a focus on expression, creativity, and musical interpretation/improvisation. For these leaders movements come naturally and they don't have to think about it. Accordingly they are able to develop a true connection with their partners and a relationship with the music. Although this may take several years to attain, it is an enlightened way of dancing in it's highest and purest form. Dancing this way cannot be taught because it is not pattern based or choreographed, rather it is instinctive and "emotion-based". It is spontaneous and unique to each individual's unique dance 'DNA', akin to nirvana this is when you are able to develop a unique and expressive style of your own to the music at hand. A vast vocabulary of dance movements allows these dancers to create an artistic and instinctive flow to the music.

YOU TUBE dance instructional videos: If you have not taken any dance lessons before then watching YouTube in order to learn a particular dance may be a bit intimidating for many. On the other hand however those that have taken beginner lessons and  learned the basic steps and movements of a dance can definitely improve by watching YouTube. If a movement is a bit fast or complicated for you then you can adjust the playback speed (under settings) and watch the lesson in slow motion. Some movements take weeks to develop your muscle memory so that is where YouTube comes to the rescue as another source of dance instruction.  Youtube is invaluable as it has helped many leaders to brush up on old leads as well as learn new ones.  As you can also watch and study the lessons at your own pace it is very convenient, better yet the lessons are free.

[Comments from an accomplished lady dancer (who is a regular club dancer and a part-time dance assistant/instructor):  "I read your blog and it is the most fascinating and helpful information a dancer, beginner or otherwise, can and SHOULD read! Keep up the good work!"

Comments from a recent visitor to the islands
"... I had the good fortune to discover your terrific blog.  I found it very extensive, very well written, very informative and right on target re all the key points of social partner dancing....congrats on such a great blog!"]

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  • Captivating video dances! Watching these videos will give you an idea of what each dance style looks like.


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