News Archives Nov 2006 - Feb 2007

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Jmighell 12:42, 18 February 2007 (PST)

A great dance last Friday with DJ's Carole and Glenn Wiegand. We celebrated club birthdays with a cake that didn't last long enough even for me to get third helpings. Denny Harris used his cell phone to take a picture of birthday girls Kathy Chang and Carol Clark that turned out surprising well (see below); but then again he had the advantage of very attractive subjects.

Jocelyn Liu missed all the fun, with the rather lame excuse (just kidding, Jocelyn) that she wanted to be with her son Mark and daughter-in-law Linda for the birth of her first grandchild, a healthy baby boy they named Wesley. Mark, Linda and Wesley will all be moving shortly to the Bay Area; Jocelyn is likely to find herself pressed into baby-sitting service; but I expect that as a result, we'll see another line dancer joining our group a few years down the road.

Carole and Glenn had their equipment set up on the stage, to prevent the CD's from skipping as some of our more exuberant dancers shook the floor, and they had the request list placed on the edge of the stage. Many of the dancers were seen kneeling on the seat in front of the stage as they looked over the list, a posture that prompted John Bowen to speculate that they were praying, with devout hope that their dance requests be answered.

Among the new dances played last Friday was Feel the Magic (dance video), by Gary Lafferty. Gary is the choreographer of All Day Long aka Mr. Mom (dance video), named as Dance of the Year at the Crystal Boots Awards last year. Feel the Magic is done to Hungry Eyes, sung by Eric Carmen (music video) , a song many people will remember from the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing (move clip, another movie clip). Last Monday Night at Swiss Park, Rob and HongYing reviewed this dance; Gary Clayton has taught it, and I hear that Evelyn Khinoo may be teaching it next Tuesday.

The Monday Night Crew also reviewed Where Have You Gone by Gene Morrill & Ernie (Hutch) Hutchinson, a dance that has been quite popular at Swiss Park for several weeks. The music is Sam (audio clip), sung by Olivia Newton-John.

Doris Volz has been doing a wonderful job on the Roundup, and the newly released February issue contains a great article on our VP Glenda Castain written by Kathy Martin. Anyone wishing to contribute articles or other content to the newsletter should get in touch with Doris; her deadline for contributions is the 20th of each month.

Today, February 18, is New Year's Day in the Chinese calendar. Kung Hei Fat Choy (happy new year)! Here's hoping that everyone enjoys a happy and prosperous year of the boar.

Dispatch from Palm Springs, by Sharon Emmett

Jmighell 09:58, 17 February 2007 (PST)

Palm Springs 11th Annual Line Dance Event Feb 2-4, 2007 hosted by Russ and Gloria Gunn was a warm welcoming experience. It is held in one room with a wooden floor and the vendors booths all around (easily accessible!). The instructors were great. There is also an EZ-Intermediate venue just across the lawn in another building. KC Douglas hosted this and it was held one day, Sat. Feb 3. This EZ-Int. culminated with their own evening dance.

Some of the favorite dances taught seemed to be (instructors are also the choreographers, unless otherwise noted):

• Noel Castle - Without You. Great Il Divo music (music video).

• Patti Fall - Head Over Heels, by Andrew, Simon & Sheila (dance video, music video). Also: Geri Morrison's La Noche (music video).

• Michael Barr - And Fell In Love (dance video). Also: Who Can It Be Now (music video).

• Michele Perron - Oscar's (audio clip).

• Gerard Murphy - Do It (audio clip). Also: Never Been There Before, a cute Irish Dance (audio clip).

• Michele Burton - Divisadero Cha (dance video). Also: Simon Ward's Rock This Party (dance video). This seemed to be a favorite.

There were many more favorite dances from Jackie Miranda, Terry Slemmons, Jo Ann Brady, Bracken Ellis, and JP Potter. (See the full list of who taught what here.) JP and Bracken did a top notch DJing job and were at the helm all through the days, also. They were always ready to restart a dance or pick out a certain part in the dance. GREAT JOB!!!!!

Palm Springs is a great place to visit. There is the weekly Thurs. Street Fair, College of the Desert Sat and Sun event, the wonderful Follies, great bike and hiking paths all around the town. The downtown bustles at night and has many shops and restaurants. Joshua Trees National Park is not far away. People in the area are very friendly and weather WOW!! Shorts every day.

NEXT YEAR'S DATE: Palm Springs Line Dance Festival - Feb. 1, 2, 3, 2008

Our Valentines Dance

Jmighell 10:36, 14 February 2007 (PST)

The hall was all decked out and bursting to the rafters with a party atmosphere for our Valentine's Day Dance last Friday. A nice decorating job by Gary, Lee and Susan. DJs Diana Ward and Tina kept the floor filled with happy dancers, mostly attired in red.

The mix of new and newly revived dances was a nice reflection of the diverse interests and taste of our dancers:

• Do It - Gerard Murphy. The More You Do It (The More I Like it Done to Me), by Natalie Cole (audio clip).

• Rock this Party - Simon Ward (dance video). Rock This Party by Bob Sinclar & Cutee B (music video).

• Across the River - Hazel Pace. High Society by Sammy Kershaw (audio clip).

• My Maria - Mike Camara & Dan Albro. My Maria, Brooks and Dunn (music video).

Gerard Murphy (here's a video of him doing his dance Crabbuckit) first introduced Do It at last year's Las Vegas Dance Explosion. The song is a sultry smooth number sung by Natalie Cole, daughter of Nat King Cole. Natalie weaves into the lyrics a few bits from her 1975 hit song This Will Be an Everlasting Love (listen for the words 'from now on'). It's a great dance recommended by John Robinson. One of Diana Ward's students (who probably doesn't want her name mentioned) does some nice styling with it.

Rock this Party is a big hit with many of the younger dancers, and the music is heavy rap. It contains a remix of the 1990 song Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) by C&C Music Factory. The music video has tributes to everyone from the Beatles to John Travolta and Michael Jackson (you need a scorecard to keep track of the tracks it references and parodies). Bob Sinclar, the DJ and record producer who made the song, has a talent for self-promotion; his name is repeated endlessly in the lyrics and displayed prominently on the video. The dance by Simon Ward is now at about 23 on the list of popular dances in Carol Craven's weekly survey (2/11/07).

Our country western dancers enjoyed Across the River. And Jan Hanway led us in My Maria, a nice beginner dance from 1999. Some of our more energetic dancers did a Walking Wazi that made my knees hurt, just watching it (pics below). Don't miss the dance this coming Friday, with special guest DJs Glenn and Carole Wiegand.

Diana Ward at Swiss Park

Jmighell 07:33, 7 February 2007 (PST)

Diana Ward will be our DJ at Swiss Park this coming Friday, and it will be a pleasure to see her there. Diana teaches about a thousand dance classes each week (details on the calendar at BALD), and is a very popular DJ at Quicksteppers, Cactus Corners and Country Hustlers. She also hosts the First Sunday Dances in San Bruno each month (1:00pm to 4:00, San Bruno Senior Center, 1555 Crystal Springs Rd.). At last Sunday's dance (playlist) there were lessons for:

• Seven Wonders - Metelnick & Biggs (dance video). How 'Bout Them Cowgirls by George Strait.

• Come On Joe - Gaye Teather. Come On Joe by George Strait (Find a sample audio clip on this page.)

A Michael and Michele Monday

Jmighell 07:33, 7 February 2007 (PST)

We had a lot of fun last Monday Night at Swiss Park reviewing three dances choreographed by Michael Barr and Michele Burton:

• Divisadero Cha - Michele. (dance video). There's No Getting Over Me by Ronnie Milsap.

• Soul Man - Michael & Michele. Soul Man by Sam & Dave (music video).

• Heeeerre's Johnny - Michael & Michele. Johnny ‘B’ Goode by Band Of Oz.

Heeerre's Johnny is fast and aerobic, done to the Band of Oz version of the classic Chuck Berry hit song Johnny 'B' Goode from 1958 (music video).

My favorite moment that evening came when Rob was leading a review. These reviews feature dancers teaching one another, so they sometimes lack the sort of quiet, orderly and respectful attention given to instructors in most dance classes. At one point Rob was calling out the steps and got into trouble. He consulted the step sheet and then said "No, I made a mistake in saying you should turn right. You should turn left." And then he looked around for the person who was really to blame. "Glenn, why don't you stop me when I say stupid things like that?" And without missing a beat, Glenn assured him that "No one was listening to you anyway."

When Country was Western

Jmighell 09:05, 4 February 2007 (PST)

Bob Hubbard Update

Jmighell 17:48, 31 January 2007 (PST)

Helen Davidson reports: "Gary talked with Bob Hubbard last night, and he said he is getting better. The doctor will be going to work on him today. But Bob will not be able to DJ for us during February." Back pains like that can acquaint a man with true misery, and I know that everyone in the club joins me in hoping for Bob's speedy recovery. Helen has arranged for substitute DJs for the coming month, including Neil Hale this coming Friday, then Diana Ward, Glenn & Carole Wiegand and Evelyn Khinoo & Denny Harris. Our thanks to all, for stepping in to help.

Hopping Mad! Henry Costa

Jmighell 00:15, 30 January 2007 (PST)

This coming Friday we'll be in for a special treat as Henry Costa returns as guest instructor to Swiss Park. Henry's appearance will be the start of his 10 Years of Dancin' Fun Tour, during which he'll be swinging his way through Southern California before returning to the Saddle Rack to teach Guyton Mundy's Hey People (video) on Valentine's Day, February 14th. (Never been to the Saddle Rack? Check out their page at myspace.) Henry's an old friend to Boots 'n' Buckles, and it will be a real pleasure to welcome him back.

A Hot Tamale Night with Neil

Jmighell 17:53, 29 January 2007 (PST)

A great dance last Friday with Neil Hale as our substitute DJ. There was a good crowd, with many dancers not seen that often at Swiss Park. It was fun dancing to Neil's classic Hot Tamales. Here is a video of Neil dancing it last summer. At about that time, Neil ruefully admitted that he wasn't the tamale he used to be, to which Yvonne Anderson replied "Yes, but you're still hot!" Bob Hubbard is still out of action, and Neil has graciously agreed to DJ again for us next week.

New(ish) dances played that night included:

• Afterglow Cha - Dee Musk (dance video)
• Atomik Polka - Bastiaan van Leeuwen (instruction video, dance video)
• Can't Stop a River - Metelnick & Biggs (dance video)
• My Greek No. 1 - Maria Rask (instruction, dance video)
• Heart of an Angel - William Brown (demo video, dance video)
• Crazy Cha - Robbie McGowan Hickie (dance video)
• Baby Blues - Tina Argyle (dance video)
• Say Hey - Teresa and Vera (dance video)
• Red Hot Rock & Roller - Gaye Teather

(The dance video for My Greek No. 1 features the lovely Rachael McEnaney and some guy that no other guy could possibly even notice when Rachel is on the floor.)

We also did Michele Burton's Divisadero Cha (video) and Michael Barr's And Fell in Love (video), two dances taught at the recent Cactus Corner workshop. Divisidero Cha is now at 15th place on Carol Craven's weekly dance survey. And just to round things out, here is a video of Michele Burton & the Derringers doing Hot Tamales.

Frances Lind is still recovering from her illness, but is much better, and it was good to see her back on the dance floor last Friday.

Fourth Saturday Coming Up

Jmighell 13:05, 25 January 2007 (PST)

Mike and Joyce Shannon's Fourth Saturday Dance will be held this weekend at Hyde Middle School, at 19325 Bollinger Road in Cupertino (map). The dance starts at 7:30pm and lasts until 10:30; admission is $5.

Earlier this month, Mike taught John Robinson's lively dance Hot Foot Scuffle at Swiss Park. We had a chance to practice it at Quickstepper socials, so its likely to be on the playlist.

A Classy Cactus Corners Classic

Jmighell 12:49, 25 January 2007 (PST)

Everyone has been talking all this week about what a great time they had last Saturday at the Cactus Corners workshop. These guys know how to throw a party. Instructors, shown below from left to right, were Michele Burton & Michael Barr, Charyle Hartje, Gary Clayton and Evelyn Khinoo. See more pictures at the club's website and the picture album linked there.

Dances Taught at the Workshop
Instructor	Dance (steps)	Choreographer	Video Links
Michele	Aspire	Bracken Ellis	dance-video
Michael	And Fell in Love	Michael Barr	dance-video
Gary & Charlye	Make Believe	Hartje & Clayton	music-video
Gary & Charlye	Runaround Sue	Hartje & Clayton	music-video
Evelyn	Hey Muchacha..	Neville Fitzgerald	music-video

Michael's And Fell in Love has been getting a good bit of play at Swiss Park. I heard they were considering a teach of Michele's hot new dance Divisadero Cha (steps, video), but the dance is very popular and already known by many in the area.

Evelyn just taught Gary and Charyle's new dance Make Believe at her Tuesday class. The song is Conway Twitty's 1965 classic It's Only Make Believe, but the dance uses the version sung by the Dean Brothers from their CD 'A Chance to Dance 5'. Runaround Sue is from the 1961 hit song by Dion.

Neville Fitzgerald, the choreographer of Hey Muchacha.. has had a string of hits in the area recently, including Cherry Poppin, Freek Like Me, I Said Daaaaave and Pumpin For Love.

Recommended Free Video Converter

Jmighell 16:27, 23 January 2007 (PST)

If you've got a slow Internet connection, it can be time-consuming and painful trying to watch videos on YouTube to learn a dance. You'd really like to save the video file to your hard disk, where you can easily play it anytime you want, pausing and replaying and fast-forwarding it to suit your needs. Or perhaps you don't like the video at all, but would like to extract a copy of just the music in a YouTube video and then save it as an audio MP3 file. The problem is that YouTube and some other video services use Flash file formats to keep people from saving a copy of the file or converting it to some other format. The solution is a free online file converter called FLV. Goto the FLV site and enter the web address of the YouTube video you would like to save. Choose to save it as a video file (AVI, MP4 or MOV), or convert it to music-only as an MP3 file. Press start and wait for a few moments for the server to convert the file and present you with a link, allowing you to download it to your hard disk.

A Sizzling Latin Monday Night

Jmighell 12:56, 23 January 2007 PST)

The theme was latin dances at the Monday Night session at Swiss Park last night. Rob Lynch reviewed Baila Casanova for us, a great dance by Peter Metelnick & Allison Biggs. For those who can't quite place the song, here is a music video of Paulina Rubio (pictured at right) singing it.

HongYing, who had been kibitzing poor Rob mercilessly during his review, then took the floor to review the Teresa & Vera dance "I Said I Love You". Here's a music video of Raul Malo performing the song.

And then the group finally nailed Robbie McGowan Hickie's Soluna. For others who might need a review, here's an instruction video of the dance, and here is a video of the dance played to the normal song, "Monday Mi Amore" sung by the Southern California group Soluna.

Next Monday's theme is Western dances. Learn more about the Monday night sessions here.

Neil Hale at Swiss Park

Jmighell 05:56, 23 January 2007 (PST)

Neil Hale will be the DJ this coming Friday, and it will be great to see him back at Swiss Park. Neil has been talking and corresponding with a number of dancers to assemble a Tentative Play List. Requests made that evening will also be considered.

I was delighted to see that Neil's list includes Afterglow Cha, one of my current favorites. You can find the step sheet on choreographer Dee Musk's website. And here's a YouTube video of the dance.

About Last Friday Night

Jmighell 17:46, 22 January 2007 (PST)

Last Friday Doris Volz taught Arabian Nights, a hot new dance by Marthe Thibeault. Here is a copy of the stepsheet and an audio clip. This is a Youtube clip of the music video, featuring Chipz the singing group that produced the song. And for the guys who would rather watch that particular style of dance than participate in it, here is a great YouTube feature on belly dancing. Very educational. Clint Qualls (pictured here with Kelley) was the DJ, and did a wonderful job keeping the floor filled with dancers. We also celebrated January club birthdays for (left to right): Michael, Sue, Maria, Shirley, Paul and Doris.

Services for Bea Smilovitz

Jmighell 16:38, 20 January 2007 (PST)

Bea Smilovitz passed away peacefully at her family's home on Friday. Her family is planning services on Sunday at 10:00am in the Reflection Chapel, at the Chapel of the Chimes, located at 32992 Mission Blvd. in Hayward. The family recommend that you arrive early, because traffic can get backed up going through the memorial park to get to the Reflection Chapel.

After the services the family invites everyone to come to the home of Bea's daughter and son-in-law (Bessie & Mannie Lateiner) in Danville for a reception. The address is:

206 Viewpoint Drive

Danville, CA 94506

Directions to Bessie's: Off of 680 North you can take either the Crow Canyon or Sycamore exit. Make a right when you come off the exit. Make a right on Tassajara, Right on Rassani Drive, Left on Cloverbrook Drive, Right on Park Haven Drive, and a Left on to Viewpoint.

If you have any questions, you can contact Yvonne @ 925-743-9639 or Millie at 925-828-7143.

New Look for Our Web Site

Admin 01:03, 17 January 2007 (PST)

We've modified the appearance of our wiki web site. The changes include a tan-colored background and a new navigation box on the left that shows all major pages on this site. If you can't see these changes, you may need to clear the cache in your browser. For users of Microsoft Internet Explorer (almost everyone), this is done by holding down the Control key and pressing F5. If you are using Mozilla, Firefox or Safari, try holding down the Shift key while clicking Reload, or press Control and Shift and R (Cmd-Shift-R on Apple Macs). If this does not work, try deleting your cache of temporary internet files. And if you're still having problems, .

Bob Hubbard

Jmighell 21:45, 10 January 2007 (PST)

Bob Hubbard has injured his back and is undergoing treatment that includes extensive pain medication. The latest word is that he'll be out of action for all of January. Evelyn Khinoo and Denny Harris filled in as substitute DJ's at last Friday's dance and did a great job. About 75 dancers crowded the floor as guest instructors Mike and Joyce Shannon taught John Robinson's 'Hot Foot Scuffle'.

Helen Davidson (yes, she's using that name nowadays) has arranged for other substitute DJ's:

• Jan. 12 - John Bowen and Gina Mello
• Jan. 19 - Clint Qualls
• Jan. 26 - Neil Hale

Neil Hale will also be substituting for Jamie Hogan this coming Friday night, at the Second Friday Dance in Menlo Park.

Our best wishes to Bob for a speedy recovery, and hearty thanks to all who volunteered to step in for him while he's away.

General Membership Meeting

RobL 11:06, 26 November 2006 (PST

The meeting was held Friday, November 17, 2006 at Swiss Park. The proposed changes to the bylaws were passed.

Election for 2007 Board of Directors has ended and the ballots have all been counted. Congratulations, and especially thanks, to the following members who were elected to serve on next year's board:

• Glenda Castain
• Carol Clark
• Joanne Costantino
• Gary Davidson
• Dan Latipow
• Frances Lind
• John Mighell
• Helen Phillips
• Lee Sollecito
• Sonny Sollecito
• Doris Volz