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Immortal - Arte Phillips
The dancers dancer, Arte was admired by all. He had
an innate talent that can't be taught. A contagious smile,
full of charisma, that was immeasurable. It is
virtually impossible to have a discussion of hustle dancing,
without his name coming up. The hustle world has lost a favorite
son.
Arte Phillips was hustle.
His dance roots go back to the mid 70's when he helped develop many of
the fundamental hustle steps utilized today. From
his early days as a member of the "Disco Dance Stars",
partnering with Lisa Nunziella, representing New York
proudly on "Dance Fever" with Maria Torres, competing
on "Star Search" with Sharon Savoy, performing for Prince Renier of
Monaco with Nelly Cotto and then on to
Broadway, he was unique, every dance step of the
way. He experienced so many highlights that
others can only dream about. Arte was a leader in life. He
loved to be out front, the wind in his face
when riding his motorcycle, as president of the
"International Hustle Dance Associate" or when choreographing
a show. The pride he displayed escorting the great
adagio master Francois Szony, out onto the stage for his
Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1999 World Disco Classic and when
performing live on national television for the "Miss American
Pageant" along with Sharon Savoy.
A fashion connoisseur, he was the James Dean, the John Lennon of
our hustle world.
We love him.
Click for larger
With a dance arsenal bursting from its seams, he could glide
across the dance floor with speed and delicate
precision. A beautiful dancer inside and out, he had
Hollywood good looks and skills on the dance floor that were
exemplary. He covered all the bases, choreography,
adagio, performer, competitor, adjudicator and
teacher. He was honored over the years by his peers
receiving the very first "Eddie Vega Award"
at "Hustle USA", the Life Time achievement awards from
both "Discoamerica Dance Championships" and the
"World Hustle Dance Championships", and the prestigious "Gypsy Award"
on Broadway.
Confirmation in greatness comes from you. He always had the
largest attendance at his workshops across the
country, because you loved him. For the last 6 years
he was voted by his students, peers and friends as
the best dancer and/or teacher in "DanceTalk's Annual
Readers Choice Awards". Confirmed by you.
He had leadership qualities that revealed his love of fashion, for
dancing, performing, teaching and compassion for his
fellow human beings. I remember
his passionate express when he embraced Gladys
Torres, I remember the look on Ginger DiMaio's face when he held her
close at "Ginger's Wish". He relit their flames.
We will miss his entertaining shows at Discoamerica, his wit,
the humor, his incredible dance skills on the floor whether
leading or following (everyone was in awe), his informative
workshops, his knowledge at making learning fun, his
sincere friendship and nonjudgmental out look towards others.
Arte was more then just dancing.
I had an extensive conversation with Arte, just a few weeks
gone by, as he shared with me his personal
memories of Eddie Vega. Arte idolized
him. He described how caring, loving Eddie
was, "Eddie would virtually give the coat off his back to a
complete stranger". He shared how Eddie would dance
with anyone and happily share his knowledge on dance. "Eddie ,
to me he was the most incredible, influential, and the
sharing dancer in the Hustle world that I have ever met. He "talent
wise" was the Baryshnikov of the Hustle," explained Arte. This was
Arte's mentor and companion. Careful
analysis reveals that Arte, the
student, had surpassed those
important lessons. He emulated Eddie through admirable eyes ,
and Arte's life had become all that he
adored about Eddie: Loving, caring, putting others
first and being a friend.
Click for larger
Arte was a teacher, he taught us lessons on how to shine on
the dance floor, but the critical lessons were taught
outside the classroom. How he treated us and his fellow dancers. The
impact he has had on all of us. The times he
spent dancing with senior citizens or
speaking encouraging words to my children. He made the time.
These are the lessons that best describe the character and the size of
his heart. When Arte danced at socials, in the
clubs, he loved to be front and center....but for those who knew him,
understand best, it wasn't for him, it was for all
of us.
What Arte had, which set him apart, was an
internal glowing light. This light reflected
and lit your brain and lit your heart. He simply
made you feel good, loving life and lighting up your
spirit for dance. He did this for Gladys and Ginger
and countless others.
I was told that Arte passed away quietly, in his sleep. His
heart had failed. When a man gives so much of
himself to others, gives so much love,
gives so much time, we wonder, did he save enough
for himself.
For the last 15 years, I have had the distinct pleasure of introducing
Arte at dozens of dance socials, award ceremonies and national
dance competitions. For the last time, I would like
to say,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together
for Mr. Arte Phillips"
Thank you for all the letters, poems, IMs, videos,
pictures and thoughtful wishes we have received. We
are overwhelmed, a true testament to the love and respect dancers have
for Arte.
Please enjoy the loving letters below. Regretfully, we are
limited on space and can't post them all at this
time.
Sincerely,
Ron
A photo tribute to Arte Phillips can be seen at Fred's
website. http://www.fredf.fotki.com/
Please visit the Hustle Lounge to view the score
of letters that have come in. You may post
your own thoughts and comments.
http://thehustlelounge.com/arte-phillips-rest-in-peace/
Enjoy these youtube videos of dance champion Arte Phillips
performing on the nationally televised "Star Search" with the
beautiful Sharon Savoy.
More Vintage Pictures Here
Letters for Arte
Dear Ron,
Thank you so much for your support. It has helped to know that you have
loved Arte and what he was about. Please let everyone know
that there will be a Memorial Party in honor of Arte (near his birthday
Feb 13) in late January 09. Arte's family wants everyone to
come celebrate with Arte. I will be sending the details to
all soon.
Love, Peace and Unity for Arte,
Beth Darchi
................
Hey Ron
Sorry to be talking to you under these circumstances.
My condolences to the Sniederman Family.
I am, and always will be honored and privileged to have had such a
wonderful, beautiful, friend in my life. He was
a phenomenal, extraordinary person. Arti was (One of
a kind) with amazing talent and personality. His Love for
dance and people was sincere and divine. It's no wonder that he's had
such an impact in my life and the lives of many. My memories of him
will never be forgotten, he's fulfilled my life with joy and laughter
as well as many experiences and opportunities to last a lifetime that
will never be forgotten. Arti had a heart of gold which he
shared with many people in his life. I will always cherish
his Memory, Love and Friendship. His laughter will always
linger in my heart. Truly a sad and unexpected lost, but his
memory will never be lost in my heart. I Love you Arti Philips, you
were an inspiration to many. Peace Be with You my Friend.
Always' your Friend,
Nelly Pacatun Cotto (NYC)
................
Hello Ron, thank you for thinking of me I heard about Arte the day
before yesterday. I am truly sorry. He was a very special person in my
brothers life while they were partners and after they broke up they
were very, very close friends.
Best regards,
Smiley Vega (Eddie Vega's older sister)
................
hey ron
it is unbelievably shocking and sad about arte
only shows how fragile life is
festa
................
Dear Ron,
With so many memories of Arte going back so very many years, where does
one begin? Roseland, Alexis, Darians, Fred Astaire, Infernos ... just
to name a few. From contests, shows, a place to dance every
night and Arte with his larger than life smile and laugh was as amazing
then as it was for all the rest of days afterwards. I
remember when Arte first started dancing ... it wasn't just hustle.
Arte tried anything and everything and whatever he touched was
amazing.
Eddie Vega, Arte Philips, Ricky Quintana, Maria Torres were always
dancing for fun, but they entertained everyone anywhere. Yes, back then
Arte was the 'white boy who could dance', as Bobby Morales reminded
everyone. My colleague, the recipient
of The 2007 World Hustle Hall of Fame
Award, Entertainer, Choreographer, and most of all friend. You will
always be on our minds, always in our hearts, always
on the dance floor and never forgotten.,
God Has Blessed You and He has blessed us for knowing you ~
Diane K Nardone (World Hustle Dance Championships)
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Ron,
The loss of Arte is stunning. I'm surprised how emotionally
his loss has affected me. I cried when I got the email and
tears are in my eyes as I write this. He was one of the
greatest dancers I've known, my favorite instructor and a friend to
all. The loss of Arte is like the loss of John F. Kennedy, he
was a beloved leader who gave us hope for a
better tomorrow along with the direction and
confidence on how to get there. Then,
abruptly, he was taken from us, far before his time,
far before his work was done, leaving us all suffering this
great loss.
May Arte rest in peace.
Sincerely, Dave Lach (Grand Rapids MI)
................
Hi Ron,
As many others, I was devastated by the news of Arte's passing away.
Philadelphia got to know him better over the last couple of years as he
became a regular. We enjoyed that. He is one of our stars of hustle. I
feel bad for all those that enjoyed him but I feel worse for the next
generation that will never get to experience him. I do wonder
how it is that the others entertainers are given a high level of regard
then dance. With all he has accomplished, will I see a write up in Time
Magazine? Entertainment weekly? Newsweek?
local news reports? I thank you Ron not just for covering the
life of a creative being like Artie but for all the countless reports
you have shared with us. May Arte rest in peace.
Sincerely,
Doris (Phila)
................
My heart felt condolences to Arte's family. I have fond memories of him
when he first started out with Floyd Chilsolm's team.
Luis Rivera (Disco Dance Dimensions)
................
Dear Ron,
I am really sad to hear that Arte passed away. He always made
me laugh, and was a joy to dance with. I will miss him.
God Bless,
Ricky Quintana (Disco Dance Stars)
................
Hi Ron,
I was so saddened to hear of the passing of Arte Phillips. He not only
was a talented dancer, he was a gentleman as well. I was one of the
"dancers" that got to dance with him. He never said
no to anyone, no matter what level they were at. I was lucky
enough to be his "dance dummy" at one of his workshops. At
the end of the workshop he said to me..."Susan, let's show them what we
had rehearsed." of course we hadn't rehearsed anything....I
said to him that I had been rehearsing with him in my dancing fantasies
for 15 years. His response was genuine and sincere.
It was the highlight of my weekend. I loved every
minute that I had on the dance floor with him. I will never
forget how much fun he was to watch on the dancefloor.
I'll miss him terribly, like so many others. The dancing world is
mourning the loss of a great dancer and a great guy!
Susan C (Long Island)
................
Hi Ron:
By now, you’ve probably heard the very sad news that Arte
Phillips passed away. Simone Assboeck announced this very sad
news at the Hustle Jam party at Stepping Out. A
memorial fund has been started by Simone at Stepping Out.
Arte Phillips was simply the best of the best, and his passing has
shocked the hustle community to its very foundations. I
personally saw Arte dancing at Stepping Out the previous Wednesday,
wearing a red t-shirt with Coca Cola in Hebrew (from a recent trip to
Israel)...... Little could I have believed he would no longer
be with us by the following week. Arte was an incredible and
gifted dancer. He was a constant source of inspiration for
me..... He will be greatly missed.
Very sadly,
David Slater (New York)
................
Dear Ron,
I taught ballroom dancing, I fell in love with this dance and my
partner, Pat Taverna and I began competing anywhere we could around the
City. It was our “first place” win at Club Regines, in NYC that became
the defining moment in my dance life. That’s how I first met Arte. We
were approached by the producer of a new Dance troupe, called the Disco
Dance Stars and asked if we would like to join. Recruited for the team,
at about the same time, was a fairly young and very talented couple,
Lisa Nunziella and Arte Phillips. After weeks of practice and
rehearsals it was off to perform in the Holy Land. Arte was the “kid”
always joking and clowning around. I remember him excited with the
newness of his surrounds, always inquisitive and exploring. He was
always thinking of different moves, ways to dance an old step, Always
“on”. I never saw him get moody or cross with anyone, (and when you
work so closely with the same people day in and day out, stuck on a bus
for hours at a time cramped, tired and hungry, you had every right to
get a little touchy). Not Arte. We were kept over an
extra week by the Tel Aviv Sheraton Hotel to do nothing more than dance
in their Disco at night and be a draw for the tourists and locals. I
was paid to dance with Arte. What fun! People would clear the dance
floor to watch us and we made up the routines as we went. That’s when I
first became aware of Arte’s ability to dance and feel the music so
beautifully. He would later come to say “it’s not about the steps”. He
was so right. 29 years ago he danced with the same joy that
we all have seen and experienced at one time or another today. We
all have experienced that feeling of the room lighting up
because Arte has just arrived. That “Wow” factor which anyone blessed
to have danced with him knew first hand. After not seeing him
for 27 years, not only did he recognize
me, but remembered my real name. That is the true testament to who this
person was. Yes, he was one of the most gifted dancers we will ever
have the privilege to know, but more than that, he was a man who looked
outside of himself. He cared about others. He made sure that you knew
that you mattered. And we mattered to him. I will never forget those
wonderful moments watching Arte dance at Michael's, I will treasure
them. I only had to say his name and his face would light up. His eyes
would radiate such joy when he knew that his friends were watching and
enjoying him “feel the music”. (Thank you Arte for letting me
“feel the music” with you.)
That was breath to him. He loved us too! “To know that even
one life has breathed easier
Because you have lived, this is to have succeeded”. Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The humble in spirit will retain honor” Proverbs 29:23
Arte your life was a huge success. Arte we honor you and love
you always.
Evie Hoover ( Disco Dance Stars)
................
Arte- our inspiration, our ambassador, our most creative, beautiful
dancer, teacher, coach, choreographer, entertainer, competitor, NY boy,
loving son and brother, dear friend, kindred soul. The dance community
has sadly lost one of it's icons. I looked it up. Icon, an object of
extreme and uncritical devotion. Everyone loved Arte, including me.
When he was in the room dancing, there was no other place to be. The
room was illuminated with his energy, smile, physical style and
spirit. It is not difficult to describe Arte- unique, rare,
one of a kind, positive, handsome, friendly, charismatic, sexy, smart,
super cool, life of the party, one God's most special creations. They
say that God often takes the very special ones for himself too early.
Arte - one of the most creative and musical people I have ever had the
honor of knowing and calling my friend and it was my privilege he
referred to me as family. Many of us lost a dear friend who
had such a magnetic personality, we just wanted to be where he was.
Arte made everything more interesting and fun. He made you think,
laugh, be creative, be free, be silly...he made you want to be
more. He was a sensitive man and he found many subjects
interesting and could converse about them for hours. And then there was
dancing. God did that man love to dance! He had an immense passion for
dance as a creative and physical way for people to express themselves
and music. Arte loved all kinds of dancing but he especially loved the
hustle. We would have many long discussions about our hopes and efforts
of getting young people interested in hustle dancing. We agreed that
encouraging them to dance to the music of their generation would be one
of the ways to insure it's place in the future. He would always say to
me, "I getcha, you're preachin to the choir." It was important to him.
His students were devoted to him and his work was proudly seen in their
performances and shows he choreographed for dance events. I remember
seeing Arte compete 'back in the day' and he was one of our superstars.
Then one night I remember sitting in a Broadway Theatre for a
performance of Victor Victoria and there was Arte in one of the opening
dance numbers. I was pleasantly surprised and proud to know him as one
of 1st generation street hustle dancers done good. Another time I was
watching a TV show and he was dancing on one of the awards shows. But,
he will be remembered most by what he gave to us on the social dance
floor, always showing us by example to have fun, express ourselves and
the music, be creative and get out of that box! His energy had no
limits and he loved to entertain. I have been asked if I will cancel my
dances but instead we will honor Arte's life in the way he loved the
most, by dancing! We will be dancing in celebration of Arte at the 92nd
Street Y next Saturday, Nov 22nd. I encourage everyone to wear an
'Arte' hat. Bring your pictures and thoughts of Arte and we will have a
wall to display them in honor of him. We will have performances
inspired by Arte. Arte gave us and taught us many things and
now he is teaching us that life is fragile and we must take care of
ourselves and each other, appreciate each other and enjoy each and
every day. Yes, the thought of how much we will miss him is
painful but in so many ways, how he has touched us has left a permanent
mark in our lives forever and every time there is hustle dancing, he
will be with us and his spirit will live on. Dance on, Arte!
With much love, gratitude and respect,
Lori Brizzi (New York Hustle Congress)
'No Day But Today'
................
To Everyone
The dance community lost one of it original members/founders &
creators. - As you looked at Arte - the smile/ the joy of doing what he
loved to do strikes the viewer right in the face. Back in April 2007 -
I asked Arte if it was ok to put his "Star Search" performances up onto
You Tube and he said of course. Here is a link to the You Tube box http://www.mjames.org/arte_phillips.html
- with some other Gems found on the web - there is also a
short bio from Ron Bess there.
As I was trying to compose this I realized I could not both write
& have any Clips of Arte playing in the background - because as
you can guess - I totally forgot where my trend of thought was going. -
It was always brought back to his "Smile - His Love of the Dance". Here
is a link to Arte's Site - http://www.artephillipsdance.com
It is strange, organizing with Alan Paris, Tuesday night to bring Arte
up in December - and finding out - Thursday he has danced on. Karen
Lupo would always comment how, she always loved watching him dance @
the events because - time stood still and the moment took over. There
was so much joy as he danced, I pray that he is happy & at
Peace. and The Beat goes on - for Arte as the ideas and limitations of
his earthly body have just been erased - I see him, in my mind - with
one of of his hats on, looking up - and saying, one word with that
Smile of his - "WOW"
Your friends,
Mark & Karen (Dance Zone)
................
Hi Ron,
The passing of Arte
is devastating. I found comfort in these
words. Could you share with your readers a poem that
others may find some comfort in these words. I think
Arte would like it.
Thanks, Mary K. (Pa)
I am the wind
I am the rain
I am the sunlight
through your window pane
I am the leaf
turning brown in the fall
I am the faintest whisper
on the breeze when you call
I am the snowflake
that kisses your cheek
I am the child in the park
playing Hide "n" Go Seek
I am the scent of the flowers
that fills the Spring air
I am all around you
I'm everywhere
I'll always be with you
from this moment on
I'm in your every dance
I'm in your every song
You see, when we move on
we never truly die
We become one with nature
we unify
Take care my precious one
on my passing don't dwell
Remember the love
we shared together
See you again someday
All is Well
Taken from http://www.messagesofsympathy.com
................
Hi Ron,
I received a phone call from Star Search asking me to come on the show
and compete. It was a wonderful offer but I turned them down saying I
needed to find the right partner. Star Search responded by saying to
just come on the show as soon as I found one. I immediately thought of
Arte Phillips, and even though we had never really met, we new of each
other being dancers in the New York dance scene. Arte was the perfect
choice with his boyish Hollywood Brad Pitt looks, his incredible speed
and versatility as a dancer. He of course, said yes, and we quickly
went to work as we had to create at least five routines for the show.
The shows format had changed: instead of dancing one number per week,
we had to compete Monday morning, then Monday afternoon, Tuesday
morning, Tuesday afternoon, and so on, until you ultimately lost. We
had approximately two months to pull a partnership together.
Dancing with Arte was like dancing at 78 rpm’s- every lift, dance step
and transition was fast- but it was the perfect formula for Star Search
as we had only 90 seconds in which to show our stuff. Dancing
on Star Search together was truly exciting. We did very well and won
enough times to make it into the final rounds. This next part of the
story was very hard on both of us. When the finals ended in a tie, the
vote was supposed to go to the bused in section of the
audience. We were told by the producers that unfortunately
all the ballots had been pre- filed out by our competitor’s friends.
Since the show had already been taped there was nothing they could do
about it. We lost, without ever really knowing who should have won that
night. We went onto dance in the Miss America
pageant the next two years in a row. We also performed together in
Peter Maxwell’s ballroom dance company which toured the Hawaiian
Islands . I was surprised when we were both asked
which number we enjoyed the most that we both picked the piece that was
most out of our own comfort zone and element. I loved the Prince
number, “She’s a Dream” and “Diamonds”- as it was more jazzy and sexy.
Arte chose “Night and Day” which was very lyrical and had an old
Hollywood ballroom style – which we performed in a long black dress and
tuxedo. What I will remember most is Arte’s nonstop infectious
energy. He livened up each and every rehearsal, performance and event
with his fun loving, upbeat personality. When he danced he
lived on the edge and it was always very exciting, daring and risky. He
lived how he danced. Anyone who has ever met or known him will miss
him. I already do.
Sharon Savoy (Virginia)
................
Ron,
My most powerful memory of Artie was when he and Lisa won the title for
the USBC in Hustle at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. They did
what Augie and Margo did for the Mambo 20 years before
them. I can’t describe how proud I was of the
fact that they were representing “our”
dance, “the hustle”. I wasn’t the only one that got goose
bumps watching them win that competition. The whole grand ballroom was
on its feet screaming and cheering in excitement. This moment was my
most memorable and to me. This was Artie me at his best. He
was still young, raw and hungry. What he and Lisa had finally done was
make the conservative “strictly ballroom” world stand up and
take notice of the newest dance on the block. The Hustle was
not to be considered a passing trend any longer. Hustle was setting the
trends and their performance confirmed that!.. They put Hustle on the
map that weekend! Many thought Hustle was a street dance that was going
to fade away.…That night Artie proved them all wrong. Hustle had
finally come into its own. From that moment on Hustle and
Artie earned the respect of the whole dance community. Artie
helped it break through to the other side…
For the rest of my years I will always remember Artie,…..,
Monday nights at DanceSport , always in front of the DJ booth, dancing
full-out with his many friends .
He danced full throttle right to the end . What more could a dancer
want?
It’s really hard to believe that he has left us so abruptly. But his
spirit of dance will continue to live on in the people that he touched
and inspired! We will all miss him! Each in our own way.
~Paul Pellicoro (Dancesport NYC)
................
Dear Ron,
I met Arte Phillips at the Poor Peters Parlor dance
contest years and years ago in Long Island, and I couldn't believe how
good a dancer he was. I asked all my friends and aquaintances
WHO was THAT GUY? I was told that this
guy came from Queens and was THE MAN. Since then I
have seen him everywhere from Roseland to the Ice
Palace, Alexis, Phil Blacks Studio, every borough,
new jersey,upstate, the catskills, cruise ships, Madison Square Garden,
Ipanema, Boombomakow, the Latin Quarter, Cat Club,
Starship, Infinity, Plato's Retreat, The Electric
Circus, The Hop, Yakity Yak, Fred Astair's,
The Lemon Tree, Elephas, Seconds, Kisses,
Act 111, Fudgies, The Milky Way, Darions, Dance
studio, Scandals, Fantasy Island , 2001
Odyssey, The Golden Dove, Pastels,
Penthouse, Uncle Sams, Harpers, The Winners
Circle, Jupiters, Metro 700, Fokus,
Feathers, Channel 80, Zachary's, FKA
Penrods, Decamerons, Chaz, The
Bijou, Long Island exchange AKA the
Savoy, Regines, Les Poulets, ....The
Limelight, Palladium, Funhouse, Melons, Broadway 48, Adams Apple,
Lamaganette, Tatou, ...to name a few
Before you knew it before during and after TV, Broadway, Dance Feveer,
Star Search, He started dancing all over the United States and
then the world. I will never forget when I asked him to dance at
KIKKERS bar a tiny corner neighborhood bar in QUEENS in a
dance contest that I was running and he showed up and danced wearing
Red and Gold with Maria Torres, they brought the house down!
There was a congregation of Rock people that hated the
Hustle, hated DISCO hated my
contest, They lost their collective minds after they
saw their routine to My Sweet Summer suite by the Love
Unlimeted Orchestra. I will never ever ever forget the impact
that that night made on me and just as I have been
in such awe of his accomplishments seeing him perform in so many
different stages, dance floors and venues this really hit home harder.
May he rest in piece...... Let him dance in the heavens and look down
on us- there will be countless people that will never forget what he
brought and will continue to bring to the dance world. My request to
everyone that has kids that do the Hustle or not, talk about Arte
Phillips, share pictures, share the
Dvd's and videos of what he has done and try
to pass on the great things that he has done perhaps people could
immortalize him as we do Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Bill
Russell, Michael Jordan, ....and all the greats of our lives
so our children's children know....
BOBBY O (Tampa)
................
Hi Ron:
After reading your article
Immortal - Arte Phillips I had to stop
and shed a few tears. You chaptered Arte. After I
moved away I only heard about what he was doing but never got to
connect. You my friend have made it possible for people like
me who have moved out of the NY area to still remain
in-touch.
For that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
George Velazquez (Georgia)
................
Dear Ron,
Beloved Arte Phillips
My deepest condolences to his Family.
I was so saddened to hear of the passing of Arte Phillips.
This is a great loss for the dance community. He
mesmerized the world with his dancing. He was caring
and kind. A classy, gracious and
true gentleman. Arte was such an inspiration to
me and I miss him terribly. I will always remember his
everlasting smile and will cherish his Memory, Love and
Friendship.
It has been an honor
May Arte rest in peace
Donna J Boyle (Disco America )
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