The Competition Dancers.

By Jonathan Ching, Waialae Iki:

Competition is the process of trying to beat others: the process of trying to win or do better than others, a contest, an activity in which people try to win something or do it better than others.

 

"Do you ever question why our educational system teaches

competition rather than cooperation?"

 

Katusha Demidova and Arunas Bizokas

We have it in everyday life, so it is nothing new. That man can dance better than I. Should we be "equal?" We are all different and some are better at what they do than others. However, a competition that is set up specifically for that, is something else.

In dancing, the International Style of Dance is at the forefront of competitive dancing. And with reason, they have the judges with the best dance credentials for their own type of dance in the world. They have decided that Ballroom dancing is their kuleana, and I agree with them, it is rightfully theirs.

Only recently have they come to judge the teachers of this type of dance. So that it is becoming a subject for discussion on who teaches best. We have already heard of the two best groups consistently producing the best International Style dancers on this island.

 "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the Andrews Sisters

And by the same token we have the two worst groups of teachers. We are talking competition dancing, are we not? There are very good dancers that can demonstrate what they do so good, however, teaching is not quite the same thing.

Since we are in no position to judge, then the International wannabees must be the ones to judge by any rules that they wish. It's in their kuleana but they must do it in order to learn it best.

Dance competitions are now organized and conducted by independent competition production companies. There are approximately 200 such companies operating in the United States and Canada alone. Competition production companies move from one metropolitan area to another, stopping for a few days in each area to conduct a regional competition.

"There! I've Said It Again" by Vaughn Monroe

By touring in this manner, these companies are able to generate profits while at the same time enabling significant numbers of dancers to attend local competitions. They should be here this coming year and they will make millions. Some companies also conduct one or more national competitions after their regional tours have ended.

The competitive dance industry has no oversight body or standards organization, although at least one effort is underway to establish a limited set of competition rules and safety standards in the industry. Most companies conduct regional tours from approximately January through May, while National competitions generally run from June through August.

Pub's Side Note: Check out the blog by Kapolei Chapter HBDA in the Oahu - West blog. We congratulate Lorna Depew and the entire Chapter for coming through like champs for the reader/dancers of our community. There is a reason why it is the largest chapter in HBDA. The feedback is in the hits.

It's Rolling

We shall have a new beginning for us all.

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to

be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk

through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential."

 

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

George Carlin

A Message by George Carlin from Google Plus:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" by Ella Fitzgerald & the Ink Spots

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Pub's Side Note: We have a whole new year in which we may be able to do something constructive. Happy New Year.

Happy Holidays

That's all for today folks:

 

Sincerely, Joseph Martel

 

Christmas

In these days when we are getting less religious prejudice, some are neglecting their own Christianity. Christmas is one of the most important festivals of Christians. It is celebrated every year all over the world on 25th December.

"Reverend John Henry Hopkins Jr. 1857, "We Three Kings of Orient Are" also known as We Three Kings and The Quest of the Magi is a much loved and sung carol during the holidays. It reminds people of the lengths that the kings went to in order to get to our Lord and Savior on the day that he was born. It is a song of hope and giving and makes many wish that they

could have made that trip with the Magi to give gifts to the baby Jesus."

It was on this day that Lord Jesus Christ was born and we all respect it as that special day. Christians wear new clothes and attend special prayers in the church on Christmas. The churches are lit up an evening before Christmas.

Preparations are made a month before, usually on the day after Thanksgiving. The commercial section goes all out, and the schools are bringing the subject up in their teachings. Christians have made many mistakes but Christianity continues with a straight forward purpose.

On Christmas, Christians sing carols and pray together in the church. All the family members decorate Christmas trees with toys, decorative lights, balloons and candles. Children believe that it is Santa Claus who brings gifts for them. Christmas is a festival of joy and peace.

In the Dance World it is recognized and dancing moves a little to the background and other things are more important such as relatives, friends and their own personal Christmas world.

Pub's Side Note: Just got into Google + and it is a little complicated (too much available for me) but the simple stuff seems right up my social alley. It has just about everything as social media to supplement our blogs. Guy Kawasaki has just written a terrific book "What the Plus!" Paperback on sale at Amazon for only $8.

"Y Volvere"

Somewhere in the early seventies, still in Nicaragua, I heard a beautiful Indian song usually played simply with a couple of guitars and perhaps a drum. I thought it was Indian because I lived deep in the Central American jungles and outsiders just never heard of it. The name was "Y Volvere" (I will return.)

"You cannot have any successes in life unless you learn to accept some failures."

I left for the States and it took a while but I forgot it for almost 40 years. Then I found it recently when I had a little more time for the Internet due to the horrible bus situation, increasingly crowded. Very tiring to ride standing up and even worse seeing old ladies ride standing up from Waianae to town. Yoshioka couldn't care less. I copied the music, the simple version and sent it to Calvin.

Then I did a little more research and found a nice version by Los Bunkers, a Chilean band, beautiful arrangement. And right after that I ran into a Philippine version and music by Lydia Lau, another fine arrangement. And then one Mexican Mariachi version. I posted them in the blogs.  And I got more curious as Calvin Ota emailed that it reminded him of an old Carlos Santana song.



I can do research but this is the first in depth research I have ever done using only the Internet. It can be done. Apparently it was published by a Frenchman, Alain Barriere, under the name "Emporte Moi" (Important To Me) which he wrote in 1968. Aside from five notes in the beginning of Europa by Carlos Santana, the lead guitar is identical to the melody of "Y Volvere," by Los Angeles Negros, (the Black Angels, Mexican group) recorded in 1970.

Carlos is a great guitarist but at least the Los Angeles Negros credit French singer/composer Alain Barriere as composer. It was kind of a let down for me. I admired Carlos for so many years. He never said he wrote it but he allowed others to think so. It seems as though there is plenty of this going on.

Most of it is inadvertent, they pick up the sheet music from somewhere and they don't know who wrote it, but they like it and may make a few changes. I like the entire song but somehow it has a special flavor with a Rumba-Bolero rhythm.

Pub's Side Note: Now I am doing a little research on another one of my favorites, Dime by Morris Albert, which he wrote first in Portuguese, (he is Brazilian) and then wrote it Spanish, very similar. Then he renamed and rewrote the lyrics in English, "Feelings," when he came to the US on tour. It then became a smash hit in the US.

Luis Miguel - Contigo En La Distancia - Vidéo Dailymotion

Luis Miguel - Contigo En La Distancia - Vidéo Dailymotion

So I try something new, just click Luis Miguel and see what you can do with it. I think it requires a fast internet connection, good speakers on your computer or good earphones to grasp all the sounds available in the digital. I am trying to find a way of downloading the one without the commercials.

The Law of Diminishing Returns.

We are just about there, if I am the only writer. One person by themselves is limited in any blog unless they are a very famous person and I ain't it. So it stand to reason and all of our reader/dancers will know that we need the Information and Photo Contributors more than ever to advance the readership. It is still a long ways from Social Media.

"Let go of the people who are holding you down. If you consider them,

you already know who those people are."

The total readership is at about 400 average hits per month for six blogs. Whereas the increment has been almost one every two days, it will slow down to about one a week, without additional Guest Authors. If we get a Guest Author, the hits will go back up to one every two days. This is all based on our past statistics.

"La Media Luz"  by Julio Iglesias

All potential Information Contributors are afraid of the commitment and we mustn't blame them. That is how it has been in the past, Newsletters, Web sites etc. But blogging is much different, we offer the platform and you use it whenever you damn well please. We have had Guest Authors that just stopped writing. No hu, hu,  and somehow Blogger just removed them. And they never complained, so everybody is happy.

For all Contributors: It benefits them, it benefits the blog and it benefits the reader/dancers which are the most important segment of the blogs. Also the fact that Town Dancer will probably be the first one of our blogs to become completely independent. That is from me. But it is still wide open. With a few people from any of the other blogs and with the average hits over 100 hundred per day, they can also go. The "Junk" blogs will remain mine til  the end.

Pub's Side Note: Perhaps things will be a lot better when the city gets over the Carlisle "cattle car" business in transit. Auwe!

Not Ballroom?

By Jeffrey Felton, Nuuanu.

I haven't had much teaching but in over 60 years I have learned an awful lot of dancing. People would say I have loved music. True. The thing is I have never danced International Style and yet I haven't really danced American Style either. I have been lucky and danced mostly a kind of street dance learned at home parties, school gatherings, bars and night clubs.

"Carnival is a necessity in exhibition, theatrical, acrobatic and competition dancing.

Of little importance and may be superfluous in Recreational dancing."

When one dances with a variety ladies in a variety of places, one must stick to the basic movements so that we can both enjoy moving to the music. The step, step, step is very easily learned and with a little body action you can feel the music. And with the slow, quick, quick or quick, quick, slow, you get a little more variety with the appropriate music.

Learning the rock step and the chasse, gets you into feeling your oats in any dance and most ladies, bless their hearts, are very good at following. To top it off a few lessons at some social clubs like on Oahu and you can learn some easily led figures. Just be careful of teachers with LAGS.* You can wait months for the few good movements to become part of your routine, then if you feel like it take another course in bronze some where else.

"Jingle Bells"

I have seen the syllabi on the American, Country and International. They are mostly grouped the same because they took from each other. This was created by teachers a century ago and how they have perceived dancing mostly from their income perspective and make sense of their teaching to the prospective buyers.  It is not strictly social dancing.

In our social, street, cultural, recreational or whatever our group dances, the basic or "Bronze" is twice as big as the disciplines, and those are the basic movements used. When and if you get a steady partner or one that you dance with more frequently, then you begin to branch out into the intermediate class or "Silver." But you are not going to dance that with just anyone. Anything beyond this is "ballroom," exhibition, or competitions, contests, professionals or whatever but it ceases to be "Social." For most of us, it is not the same fun anymore.

When they say they have to "work" at it, then you know, it just ain't da reel teeng anymore. However if anyone wants to get into that, they have a right to their decision and we should respect that. Meanwhile, there's a hellava lot more us than all of them put together, let's dance, our kind of dance.  *  *  *  *

Pub's Side Note: *LAGS = Latest And Greatest Syndrome.

Triple Filter Test

This specially for the Creative Researchers And Producers, they have dwindled in the last few years but unfortunately, some still remain.

One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?" "Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."

"Triple filter?" asked the man. "That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first filter is Truth.

Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?" "No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it." "All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not.

Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary ...".
"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you're not certain it's true?".

 

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued." You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter - the filter of Usefulness.

Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really..."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"

Have you ever tried living up to it? Do you believe people can?
Well.. Don't just sit there! Share this lesson! this is a good one!

Pub's Side Note: In Waipahu? Most everyone might say;
"I coulda been home in 20 minutes." We're learning.
The sun doesn't rise and set in downtown Honolulu or Waikiki.

International Dancers.

Ran into another Club Dancer who accused me of being an International Dancer. Us, the Social, Recreational, Cultural dancers have not found our right terminology or niche yet. Most of us know where we are at but the "outsiders" don't know. They just ain't wid it yet. Eventually they will pick up on the action. And we are definitely the biggest group of dancers on this island and we dance.

Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.

So love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don't.

And believe that everything happens for a reason ...

If you get a chance - take it;  if it changes your life let it.

Nobody said it would be easy ... And it's going to end.

They just promised that it would be worth it.

The International Dancers look down on us as being junk dancers. And the other dancers brand everyone one that does not dance exactly as they as "International Dancers." Of course they simply do not know. International dancers are ballroom dancers and they usually require a ballroom. In the last ten years, (this century) the Internationals have seized the term for themselves, and rightfully so. It belongs to them, not "us." They consider themselves art.

So we are definitely in the middle of this dancesphere along with 60% of the dancers on this island. So how you like them potatoes? Sixty Per Cent! The problem is we are having to define ourselves first, and we will eventually find the acceptable terminology. We dance primarily American style of dance, not the International Style of dance. By primarily, I mean that many of us can modify any movement in it, if and when we damn well please. Somebody have a problem with that?

"We Wish You A Merry Christmas"   ...   José Feliciano

The competition and exhibition dancers dance only the International style of dance and they try according to their strict rules, which may be engraved on stone. And yes, everyone knows that some will take International dance classes for years, but would never make a dent in a competition. They have to live through that, it's their problem.

In our cultural dance group, we do not have to dance in ballrooms. We dance to our music, in libraries, gas stations, malls, school cafeterias, district parks and community centers, that's our culture. And if you see us dancing in a gas station, please don't call us gas station dancers. We have even been known to dance in Night Clubs and very nicely I may add, except in places where they force us to drink alcohol. We are gradually defining ourselves and taking a little pride in it.  Watch it, we may be Da Reel Teeng!

We are so fortunate that on this Island we have some of the best American Style dance teachers in the US. Now if we can just find a nice place in the West where they appreciate what we are, we can dance up a storm and enjoy life to the fullest! May I have this dance?

What Do We Dance?

For this coming year we are getting some much clearer conclusions on the dance scene. 10% of the dance scene is the Ballroom Dancer and as they have insisted, it is the International Style of Dance for theirs is an art. These are their quotes.

Q: How do we know the Indians were the first people in North America?
A: They had reservations.

Because the Internationals have unknowingly dragged the terminology of "ballroom" down, we in the main body should and are accepting their suppositions. In their minds they are the Rootzi-Tootzis and we are the "junk" dancers. We can accept that in order to separate them from us.

Now may we just leave them aside and go on our business. As our own group, as cultural or recreational dancers, we will do just fine. We are over 60% of the total and that is quite hefty compared to the other groups.

"Oh! What It Seemed To Be"   ...   Helen Forrest & Dick Haymes

We dance predominately the American Style of dance and we tend to go with more of the basics than the fancy exhibition kind. We try to enjoy the music by moving to it and not worry too much about the dance. And yes, we are the cultural, recreational dancers, and we have been accused by Club Dancers of being International types. You got the wrong cat, Dude.

The Peripherals have at least 10%, Tango, Line, Salsa and Swing, they have been mainly in protest of "Ballroom." And the Club Dancers have at least 20%, they don't want anything to do with "Ballroom" and they differ from the rest of us mainly because they insist on live music, they prefer to dance in a Night Club environment and they use alcoholic beverages. They should follow their own likes and we don't criticize them.

We, the recreational, cultural dancers, dance in libraries, malls, school cafeterias, district parks and community centers, and yes, even night clubs. And we dance predominantly to recorded music. To dance a rumba "Y Volvere" by Los Bunkers, is an experience never to be seen or heard in any live dance on the entire Pacific Basin, I don't care who they are. Perhaps it is only my experience. If I started at five and I am 87 years old now, I will admit to my limitations.

"Your beliefs don't make you a better person. Your behavior does."

Pub's Side Note: The super market costing more? You ain't seen nuttin' yet, wait till you see your property tax bill. You have been unanimously selected to pay for the rail. Billions and Billions of dollars in pure unadulterated profits. Nobody asked the users, it's the money, Honey.

Competition Dancing

By Stanley Moon, Waimanalo:

Competitive dance has been a popular, widespread activity in which competitors performed dances in any of several permitted dance styles for a century. These were known as contests in the old days and the judges just knew what they liked.  These dances such as acrobatic, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, modern, and tap are still before a common group of judges.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace."

This is in contrast with other activities that involve competition among dancers based on purpose, or specific dance style, such as pom squad, ballroom, sequence, latin, ceremonial, and caberet dance. The strictest in all detail is the International Style of Dance. Judges must be highly qualified and have even evolved a different terminology, Adjudicators. This must be strictly "class."

So that in Hawaii, it is well known that two groups consistently produce the best International dancers on Oahu for competition. By the same token, there are two groups that consistently produce the worst dancers. We are talking "competition dancing." Any of those people, are far better judges than I. On television it is strictly show business.

 

"I Can Dream, Can't I"   ...   Andrews Sisters

The competitive dance industry largely consists of competition production companies. They are also sometimes called dance competition companies and they conduct regional competitions at stops along their annual, nationwide tours. Mostly for the very young crowd, (under 20.) We are overdue for one in Hawaii. May get one for the new Dance Pavilion at the Patsy Mink Recreation Park in Waipio. There are several professional dance studios that could compete.

Competitive dancers must be physically fit because even short dances can be physically demanding. Also, dancers must continuously train to maintain and improve their technique, balance skills, strength and flexibility. Competitive dancing requires dedication as many months may be spent practicing dance and developing dance routines.

It is not the same as Cultural Dancing on this island. We get better by just dancing today wherever, and we dance tomorrow wherever, and we just keep on dancing and having a ball. Somehow we seem  to be having a little more fun. *  *  *  *

Pub's Side Note: It is slowly forming all by itself, a new dance force, for Truth, Inclusion and Innovation and made "of the dancers, by the dancers and for the dancers." Let it roll!

Gotta Get Rid of this Blog

There are some important principles of blog traffic generation that I am trying to understand in order to be successful at bringing Information and Photo contributors into our blogs, and they can pick the blog. 

"I've Heard That Song Before"   ...   Harry James

There are both principles and rules of traffic generation, principles have to do with my approach to the task and the rules are the practical nuts and bolts of driving traffic. I need to have an understanding of the larger picture before I can successfully put the practical techniques into action. And I am working at it.

Those we invite can start as Guest Authors if they wish and only publish about their club. It is quite all right. The club gets the publicity, the entire our dance structure picks up on the action and in particular, the reader/dancers.

"Manana (Is Soon Enough For Me)"   ...   Peggy Lee

What you'll usually see a lot of is the techniques alone. While this is still valuable information, I probably won't get far with these techniques if I am not versed in the underlying principles of blog traffic generation. I know I also need neighbor island people communicating with other neighbor island people by means of our blogs. The introduction of all will be through photos. The "Stars" of the show are not that important. In our blog it is the reader/dancers that are important. This will take awhile to seep in.

Industrial Park, for Ewa, voted down by the rail people. The Chinese are installing these
in the outskirts of all the big cities. 1000 people live and work in this area. Just think,
one thousand less cars on the freeway and one thousand less cars in Honolulu
downtown traffic. But you know the rail people, - big, big bucks in profits.

I must make more personal contact with people on our Dance Scene that may be willing to share their knowledge and information with their fellow dancers. That isn't easy. Many still think in terms of, "What is he selling?" $$$$, which is the usual case in Internet marketing. It will take time, none of us is in it for the money, honey.

"Brazil"   ...   Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell)

Pub's Side Note: Blogs are more personal, direct and more current communication. They leave an opening for comments in each blog and are receptive to more formal answers and opinions in the blog itself. With each new contributor, the hits go through the ceiling. Real Social Media is much different than anything we have come across before.

Teaching Dance

The truth is that anybody can teach anybody to dance. And people can learn from others. But! There is a difference in results by different people and that is what counts. There are many ramifications of this. There are many studios on the mainland that now require a Degree in Dance to be a teacher. We have on this Island many good teachers of the International Style of Dance that do not have that degree.

"We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning."

However we have excellent "dancers" teaching and some mediocre "dancers" teaching. The results are different, yes. And the best dancers are not always the best teachers and likewise the best teachers are not always the best dancers. Everyone seems to agree with this.

On the island of Oahu where the Rootzi Tootzis developed the term "junk dancer," they very much believe in the competition concept and have very conveniently overlooked some of the results of the teaching. Two groups have consistently produced the best International Style dancers on this Island. And by the same token, there are two groups that have consistently produced the worst International Style dancers on this Island. You people are better judges than I, you figure it out.

Cultural dance is quite different, in that it is the art of expressing music and emotion in movement. Learning traditional social dance will ensure that you can perform in a regular dance floor of a social dance. Your role is cut out for you. It's a challenge, but it can transform any person's life for the best with the minimum of formal teaching and you can have a ball while learning.

Most of us remain in a class by ourselves, just enjoying moving to music,

but it should be our kind of music.

 

"Y Volvere"   ...   Los Bunkers

The following song is not the simple central american jungle version, early 70s. This is Managua, a band, big city, big audience, different presentation, more syncopation. But I like it  too. I am testing these for the blogs.



Dimly lit, but if you can get to heart of the music, you can dance your heart out. Then I still have to find out if you can choose from the others that are available. Then if your computer (the grey) can keep ahead of the playing. (the red)

Pub's Side Note: There may still be chance to stop the rail, and keep the city, city.

Recreational Dancer

By Robert Taniguchi, Kalama Valley

Most every thing in life is divided into convenient, small, medium and large. Dancing is no different. We have beginners, intermediates and advanced in every discipline. These blogs have been going over the basics for beginners and most dancers can have a very enjoyable time in that category. It is very important and we find some nice things to learn in dance.

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."

After we have acquired a few years of experience we find that we have allowed our teachers to take us to a more fun level of dance. This is the time when through repetition we begin to make what is unfamiliar into part of our own. The body does not interpret right or wrong, just familiarity.

Our attentivenes and cooperative learning constantly must be supported by time on the dance floor having fun. You learn to make changes on your own, hopefully for the better. Continue to be open to suggestions. Keep your goals short term, somewhat challenging but definitely obtainable. Things that can become building blocks for dancing and aid your confidence.
 

"That Lucky Old Sun"   ...   Frankie Laine

I take ocassional lessons at a social dance club and I pick them very carefully. Most are interested in teaching steps and patterns and that is what I need. There is enough to learn about dancing in three lifetimes without subjecting your self to being delayed by a controlled learning curve.

I will accept that I will never dance in exhibition or competition dancing. I just seek where my errors and weaknesses are both physically and mentally and try to eliminate them. No big hurry I just get better every day and you do too. As I grow older, I hear it more often, a lady will tell me, "You dance very nicely." That mellow glow can last for several days.  *  *  *  *

Publ's Side Note: Buses are in worst shape, need more buses, but more cars will be used. Parking in town going to $500/month. I am glad you can afford it.

 

Veterans Day

World War I was about 90% right even after it was over. WWII was at least 95% right and then went to 100% right later which was wrong of course. “But WWII was a time when the world asked ordinary men, to do extraordinary things.” And most men were just ordinary men.

Then began the downward trend, the police action in Korea and we almost had it won. But China had a police action of their own. And we were lucky to get a draw.

Many of the top people still did not understand and we went into Vietnam and it took us ten years and thousands of casualties before we realized we were wrong. Tough on those killed and wounded on the way. This time the North took over the whole country and we were lucky to get out.

Rumsfeld, Rowe and Cheney never, ever realized we were wrong. We just could have done things a little different. Cheney was able to make those decisions for the Bush Administration and he knew the blame could always be placed on Bush.

Afghanistan was right because we had to extinguish the headquarters of Al- Qaieda. But the history of taking over Afghanistan is there for anyone to  read. The last ones to try it were the Russians and they were right next door and couldn't do it.

But Cheney and the rest of our top men got hubris and (as the Greeks so tiresomely told us) that leads inexorably and inevitably to Nemesis. Now we are still stuck between Iraq and a hard place. And then we must try to get out of Afghanistan. And Romney and the Republicans still think they were right. A few more million killed and a few more billion dollars would have done the job. (Just so they wouldn't pay for it of course.)

And history will continue to repeat itself. From the poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” by Rudyard Kipling. It's happened before and it has happened many times after.

Theirs not to reason why

Theirs but to do or die

Into the Jaws of Death

Into the Mouth of Hell

Rode the Six Hundred.

Modern Dance

By Franklin Lum, Turtle Bay.

By World War II, American dance had evolved in several directions. But the spirit of the early modern dance pioneers lived on in the work of Jose Limon, whom many consider the greatest performer in the history of modern dance.

"Learning to walk sets you free.  Learning to dance gives you the greatest freedom of all:

to express with your whole self the person you are."

No, not martial arts!

Limon was born in Mexico, in the state of Sinaloa. His family, displaced by the Mexican Revolution, moved to the United States when he was seven years old.  As a young man, Limon enrolled in art school in New York but later dropped out, complaining that it was not his style.

He immediately began to study dance with Charles Weidman and Doris Humphrey. From 1930 to 1940, Limon danced in concert works and Broadway shows, beginning with Irving Berlin’s As Thousands Cheer in 1932.

During those years he also began to choreograph his own works. Many of Limon’s dances, such as Danzas Mexicanas (1939), had Mexican or Spanish themes. After serving in World War II, Limon formed his own company and enjoyed great success both in the United States and abroad. Today he is remembered for his commanding stage presence and for the seemingly effortless use of his body to communicate subtle ideas and emotions.

"Till The End Of Time"   ...   Perry Como

From Wikipedia.

When Limon danced he showed his true feelings, a great passion, intensity, and mainly spontaneity. “ Limon’s choreography embodies the impulse and drive of his dancing, but it is clear that the Apollonian mind was there informing his thought and giving shape to his creation.

He had great skill in developing and varying movement from a supreme economy of thematic material. His works based on theme and variation are so harmoniously conceived that it is hard to imagine any gesture, motion or choreographic element not being essential to the whole.

He was a genius choreographer who understood and played with the music perfectly. He combined his phrases with counterpoint “adding dimension to the music” Not all the choreographers were able to combine so gracefully, music with dance during the 20th century like him.

Pub's Side Note: It has been agreed again, there are two groups on Oahu who consistently, year after year produce the best International dancers on this Island. Competitions? you got'em.