DanceTalk - The Archives
March 2004
Thank for
Visiting the Archieves of Ron's Dance Talk
Ron Bess & daughter
picture courtesy of Eric Novoa
LINKS of INTEREST - for HUSTLE
Click on Flames to Burn on to the -
DanceTalk * 3-30-04
Happy Birthday wishes to Judy Secoda ,Bill Poulter and Nino Torre .
We send our prayers out for Dee Murrey, a swing dancer friend from Wichita, that is under going bypass surgery.
Over 125 dancers were on hand at the Paladium in Margate, Florida for the preliminary Van McCoy contest. Michael Neil and Trish Berlanga won the regional championship. Runner ups were Frank Mazzarella and Gloria Kennedy. Michael & Trish move on to the finals this coming Saturday night. This will bring together all the regional champions for the finals. The Dance world is descending on Miami for the IHSC this weekend. Good luck to all the participants, if your planning on going check out the website for all the details. http://www.hustleandsalsa.com
The Hustle birthday party for Disco Dave Sarul has been changed from Fishers to Universal Dance Center in Collingswood, NJ on April 10th. See all the details below.
Six more weeks to go till the finals at Zachary's in Long Island. This past weeks winners were Keith Harrison and Nina Rosado. Second place honors went to Peter Altman & Denise and third place winners were Louie and Silvia Piccininni. The judges were Judith Van Dyke, Yvette Rivera and Kasey from Bogart Studios. The contest continues this Saturday night.
Roe Petrizzi (Ro Ro) is a single mother of 2 teens. She has been hustle dancing for over 30 years. She is a hard working, thoughtful and fun loving gal with a zest for life and an undying sense of humor. She now faces the biggest challenge of her life... a spinal operation on 4/12/04. We can all help, by coming out and dancing on April 10th. Roe's only concerns as she weighs possible paralysis, is her two children's fate and whether she will ever dance again. Please join us at the fund raiser. See all the details below.
Make it a great week,
Ron
"Jenny's Dance Picks"
Your reading them here first, Mixmaster Jenny Costa gives DanceTalk readers her top picks that are rocking the dance clubs. "The first lady" of dance is on 103.5 FM, the number one dance station in the nation, WKTU in New York. But did you know that Jenny is one of the original hustle dancers from back in the day. Way before Saturday Night Fever, she was rated one of the top dancers in NY. Jenny currently spins Thursday evenings at the Mirage in Westbury Long Island from 9PM on... and on Friday's at Mirage from 4 to 9PM.
Here are Jenny's top 10 for March
1. Yeah - by Usher
2. Here for you - by Angela De No
3. As The Rush Comes - by Motorcycle
4. Girlfriend - by Robbie Rivera
5. White Flag Dance Mix - by Dido
6. Just a Little More Love - by David Guetta
7. Deja Vu - by Roc Project
8. Deepest Blue - by Deepest Blue
9. Just A Little White Dance Mix - by Janet Jackson
10. Dip It Low - by Christina Milian
Mad Jam Review & Highlights
Congratulations to organizer Dave Moldover on his wonderful dance event, Mad Jam 2. The weekend was full of exciting competitions, workshops and social dancing. Dave was able to bring together 3 forms of dance (Hustle, WCS, Hand Dance) under one roof. The weekend gave rise to triple crown winners Tybaldt Ulrich and Hazel Mede. They took first place in the all three of their professional categories. The Top Teacher award went to Fred Price. The audience was also treated to an impromptu exhibition of a three way dance executed by Silvana Gallagher, Rick Barney & Shawn Brenan. Many professionals were on hand to teach workshops, private lessons, compete and dance up a storm: Donna Boyle, John Lindo, Debbie Tuttle, Keith Gussoni, Fred & Tina Price, Silvana Gallagher, Debbie Ramsey, Joyce Szilli, Bobby Morales, John Festa, Tybaldt Ulrich, Brian Gallagher, Dean Garrish, Danny McGee, Erik Novoa, Laura Cozik, Bill Cameron, Donna Roesel, ........
The event introduced many to the funky Hand Dancing, the official dance of DC. It takes WCS to another level with intricate hand turns and moves. Here are some of the highlights. (For a complete list of all the results please visit the website.) http://www.AtlanticDanceJam.com
Open Show Case
1) Tybaldt Ulrich & Hazel Mede
2) Dori & Summer
3) Steve Neeren & Lyng Fish
Classic Hustle
1) Tybaldt Ulrich & Hazel Mede
2) Erik Novoa & Laura Cozik
Pro Am Spot Light
1) Ed Malone & Dawn Garrish
2) Pumpkin Habit & Keith Gussoni
3) Jim Call & Tina Price
Just Hustle Open
1) Fred & Tina Price
2) Barry Douglas & Judy Burke
3) Brian & Sophie
Just Dance
1) Joel Hasband & Lana May
2) Shawn Brenan & Kelly
3) John Rajchel & Wendy Lippincott
DanceTalk * 3-23-04
Happy Spring,
Wishing Mike Tuttle and Ron Morrison a happy Birthday.
Congratulations to Jenn & Jeff Gessner on the birth of their baby girl Grace. She was born on Monday the 22nd. Everyone is doing great.
Hustle Dance Cruise 2005, will take place January 27 thru Jan. 31st, 2005
on Royal Caribbean's 5-Star "Enchantment of the Seas." It will sail from Fort Lauderdale to Key West to Cozumel, Mexico and back. Pre-cruise party on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Special discounts on flights and oceanfront hotels available. Plan now to escape the frigid cold next winter! Upgraded cabin reservations being taken now, call Norm or Silvia of Sunburst Travel at 954-431-7771 for more details.
Fellow hustle dancer, Steve Holmes, has just released his biography. Available on line, "Up From Welfare" shares and inspires one to never give up. Steve holds a masters degree, coaches kids football & basketball and is the executive director of a drug & alcohol rehabilitation program. Congratulations to Steve on all his accomplishments and for giving "so much" back to the community...and the guy loves to dance. Visit the website for a preview on his book and ordering information.
http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/16926
Hooked On Hustle returns to Philadelphia on Saturday, May 15th. Mark your calendar for this one night party extravaganza. Shannon Johnson hosts this special night at Dancesport 101. Shannon always has a few extra surprises up her sleeve... you don't want to miss this event.
Hustle dancers, check out the new website for the IHDA . The deadline for this years listing is March 22nd. Studios, students, competitors and organizers are encouraged to get involved. http://www.i-h-d-a.com
There are still 7 more weeks to put your skills to the test at Zachary's Saturday night Dance Contest. This weeks winners were: first place winners Joe Alexander and Lisa Paternoster, 2nd place Neil Shell and Diane Hakak and third place was Pete and Angelina. The judges were Diane Nardone, Derrick Allen and Norma Rivera-Varrichio (Mrs New York/Mrs Puerto Rico)
Don't miss this weeks "Letter to the editor." It is right on target.
This Tuesday, March 23rd, John Festa hosts a weekly dance party at 99 Hudson, at the corner of Franklin in NYC. The party starts at 9PM with a $10 cover.
I hope to see you this coming weekend at Mad Jam. It's not to late to join the party.
http://www.AtlanticDanceJam.com
Make it a great week,
Ron
Spotlight
"DJ Rene Hewitt & The Inferno"
Back in the day, the exciting dancers went to the clubs where the best Disc Jockeys performed their craft. When Disco and hustle dancing were at a national peak, clubs like: Starship, 1018, Studio 54, Paradise Garage and The Loft were the places to be seen. But then, one of the most exciting night clubs of all times emerged.
The Inferno
At the helm, in the DJ booth was Rene Hewitt. He was responsible for keeping the 1,500 dancers moving and coming back each week for more. I did say 1,500 dancers on the floor, at one time. We are talking about a huge club. What an enormous responsibility for any DJ. On Friday and Saturday evenings the club opened at 11:00PM and didn't close until 8:00AM. The clubs success grew by word of mouth. There were no visible signs out side, no paid promotions, you literally needed a map to find the place.
Rene was featured on WBLS-FM radio in New York. "Street Parties," was their late night dance show run by Eddie Rivera’s (President of International Disco Record Center), in conjunction with WKTU-FM. "This was a great way for free advertisement and people would show up at the club." Rene remembers how people would wonder how he was able to play at the club and be on the radio at the same time. "We use to laugh, because it was pre-taped," recalls Rene. Initially, he was spinning on Friday's but as his reputation grew and the owner, Angelo, saw Rene's success building the Friday night party, he was rewarded with Saturday's.
"The fire and police departments use to come to the club and close us down, claiming it was a fire hazard. There would be about 1200 people in the club and four to five hundred waiting outside to get in."
The music literally made the dance crowd scream with joy. The sound was incredible and the choice of music was moving. Some of Rene's top picks included "Devil's Gun" and "Another One Bites the Dust."
As a kid growing up in NY, Rene always dreamed of being a DJ. He began collecting records at an early age. Prior to spinning at the Inferno, Rene was the Disc jockey at “The Chase”. Located on 27th street in Manhattan, on the second floor, The Chase was a very small club. The club use to get so crowded that the dance floor use to sink and "we were so afraid it would fall in." "I would play from 10PM until about 9am and would pass out when I got home". During the day he was the editor for the music industries premier dance magazine, "Discoteckin." Later on Rene started his own DJ record pool, "Associated Promotions." Stella Winston, the notable talk show host, featured Rene's life story on her New York show, "Straight Up." She noticed that Rene had some wonderful talents and suggested that he have his own TV show. Rene jumped on the opportunity and created a new format for television, www.HouseandClassicsTV.com As producer and director of the show, he has pulled together a staff of 10 people from all sides of the music and film industry to create the show. It features mixed house or classic music by DJ's from all over the globe. The show will feature silhouettes of dancers, visuals, and a video segment called "A Classic Moment." Over his career Rene has spun at many legendary Clubs: Starship, Illusions, Bubbles, Club X, and Ice Palace 57, Studio 54, One Hot Spot, Side Street, Club Exodus and The Warehouse.
Today, Rene keeps busy multitasking in the music industry. " I'm still spinning records and recently was a guest DJ at E-Man’s parties, “Bang The Party”. I also appear on Mike Stone’s roster of DJ’s and play occasionally at his club, “The Warehouse”. I've become the Public Relations Director for Maestro – The Documentary (www.maestro-documentary.com) and co-produced the movies theme song “Oasis” with producer Aaron Carl. Rene also writes a record review column for NBC TV’s affiliate station KCBD.com. Two years ago, Rene was one of the finalists in the Classic DJ Competition hosted by Nino Torre.
Rene's music can be heard on two websites, www.rogie.net and www.globalsoul.com . "I would like to reach out to those of you who visited or remember the Inferno. If it wasn't for the support of Angelo (rip) the owner of the Inferno and Kenny Carpenter, I probably wouldn't have made it as a DJ. It is friends like these that I cherish".
Rene brings back great memories of the Inferno. The music mesmerized us and gave dancers the energy to move all night.
(the film MAESTRO has opened in New York, and it is playing at the QUAD CINEMA, W 13th St.)
Letter to the editor
To The Viewers of VH1's "When Disco Ruled the World"
I've reviewed VH1's "When Disco Ruled the World" documentary numerous times
and keep coming up with the same conclusion: "I was told one thing ...
while VH1 did another" .... they hooked me in believing this was going to be a different documentary. When they didn't use any of my interview in the first half of the show I really knew they were up to their own agenda. I contradicted just about every negative point they dwelled on. So it is no wonder my three hour interview got reduced to a few seconds. VH1 got 75% of their contacts for that show from me ... but they never followed up on some of the ones that really should have been in it. Who really cares about the Studio 54 doorman? and Steve Rubell's driver? and
Carmen D'Alessio - co-founder of, Studio 54???
I mean ... "come on... give me a break" .... They had Studio 54 on their
minds from jump street. They should have done a Studio 54 documentary and
gotten it over with. But they assured me Studio 54 would only get a mention
... about one minute .. at the most!!!! I've been had!!! There were so many other clubs which should have been included. Studio 54 was a zoo... and not a true example of a '70s disco club. It was an exclusive show business disco nightmare which most disco aficionados hated. It only deserved a mere mention in this documentary... which .. again .. I was assured of by the VH1 producers... was going to happen. VH1 should have talked to many of the other contacts I gave them, like: Ron Bess, Lisa N., and numerous other dancers, djs, artists, producers, .. some
of which have never been interviewed ... which would have added some real class to the program... but they did what they did ... and kept me in the dark about their interviewee list until a couple of days prior to the airing. I had to complain to the president of Viacom (owner of VH1 television) about their lack of communication and promotion. The first half of the show was half-way decent... but the second half was
all down hill. They could have done without the 54 fiasco and the disco
demolition (which really was not the death of disco .. cause disco ...never really died ... VH1 just contributed to the scam.... willingly or unwillingly.) It just did not have to happen the way they did it. There was no reason for it ... and they out and out lied to me... plain and simple. They produced a "National Enquirer" mentality disco
documentary... not even concerned about painting a negative one-sided picture.
I should have charged VH1 a fortune like I wanted to in the beginning ... but they assured me ... this one would be different .. so I donated my time, contacts, and video clips of my show ... free of charge because they were going to "do the right thing" ... and "right thing" ... it is not! Sorry.
Word on the street has it: "VH1 will be 'off the air' by the end of the
year." Good riddance.
Marty Angelo
http://www.discostepbystep.com
DanceTalk * 3-15-04
Happy Birthday wishes to Scott Michielli, Alex Skutza, Caren Casper and Lauren Bess.
Round two of the Zachary's dance contest took place this past weekend. That leaves 8 more weeks to strut your stuff. Congratulations to organizers Charlie Pace, Michael Froumeni, Bobby O and DJ Steve for making this happen. This weeks judges were Judith Van Dyke, Mrs. NY Galaxy 2004 - Norma Rivera and Yvette Rivera. First place went to Michael Flores & Mimi Saliba, second place Leo & Jacqueline Vargas and third place Hrant Antreasyan and Fern.
The hot new show, for anyone dreaming of becoming a star is Gimme The Mike! KTVU Fox 2 is bringing it to you. If you think you've got what it takes then ...auditions will take place on Tuesday, March 23rd and Wednesday, March 24th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Paramount's Great America. Call back auditions take place on April 3rd at the KTVU Fox 2 Studios in Oakland California's Jack London Square. Show taping will take place on May 8th & 9th. Five contestants will be selected for each of five shows. The winner of each advancing to the July 2nd finals which will be broadcast LIVE. Click here for Official Rules
DJ Mike Brooks from Oldies 98.3FM is now spinning on Thursdays (8PM) at Pistol Pete's saloon, 1000 Black Horse Pike in Pleasantville, NJ and at The Temple Bar at Caesar's Casino In Atlantic City on Fri & Sat (11:30pm til 3am) Hardwood floor and elegant with no cover -- 609-441-2345. Mike was the former DJ at Cherry's and HB's back in the day.
New York Salsa Open: Grand prize: Roundtrip Tickets for two including travel & accommodations to San Juan, Puerto Rico to compete in the Puerto Rico Salsa Open July 2004 with chance to win a first prize of $10,000. All registrants will qualify to compete in Puerto Rico Salsa Open Competitions which take place on July 25 & 26 just before the PR Salsa Congress which takes place from July 27-31 @ Wyndham El San Juan Hotel To register-email: simplysalsa@worldsalsadj.com
Don't miss next weeks DanceTalk when we spotlight legendary DJ Rene Hewitt, the mixmaster at the historic Inferno in New York.
Make it a great week,
Ron
Mad Jam Preview
The Mid Atlantic Dance Jam (MAD JAM) takes place March 26 to the 28th.
The weekend will be a West Coast Swing, Hustle & Hand Dance Spectacular! This years event takes place at the Grand Hotel Ballroom in the Ramada Inn, New Carrollton, MD. The location is Less than 3 hours from Philly and Southern New Jersey. Hundreds of dancers have already registered with an expectation of over 800 attending this year.
Make your reservations before March 19th. (Earlybird pricing end March 19th).
New sponsor's contributions have helped put the prize purse at over $10,000.00
Mad Jam 2004 has added additional contests to the roster: Teams, 3 levels of Hustle Jack & Jills, Just Dance, Classic & Showcase categories. There will be a special all night Hustle party with New York DJ Bobby Morales. Bobby will bring his magical touch of dance classics along with the entire DJ Staff from Mad Jam. Your registration includes a free Saturday midnight buffet plus 8 Free dance workshops.
Lots of vendors will be represented including: Dance Shoes, Men's & Women's dance wear, Custom Orthotics, Dance gifts & Thumbs up video.
It's not to late to register, see all the details below including the all star staff.
Congratulations to Dave Moldover for bringing this exciting event to Maryland.
www.atlanticdancejam.com
$89 weekend pass includes all events and 8 free workshops
$40 Saturday night pass includes 2 free workshops, Saturday competitions, show & midnight buffet.
$79 hotel guest rooms, make reservations by March 19th
Stars of Swing, Who's Who of Hustle, Hot Shots of Hand Dance & all your friends.... Barry Douglas, Bill Cameron, Brian Gallagher, Bobby Morales, Christopher & Lisa Joe, Cheryl Clark, Craig Hutchinson, Dahlia Hirsh, Dave Moldover, Daniel McGee, Darlene Long Cree & Robin Smith, Dean & Dawn Garrish, Debbie Ramsey & Wesley Boz, Debbie Tuttle, Denise Fortune, Donna Boyle, Donna Roesel, Erik Novoa & Laura Cozik, Figgy Jones, Frank G, Fred & Tina Price, Heidi Groskreutz, Jennifer Lyons, Jim & Peggy Keisel, John Festa, John Lindo, Joyce Szili, Keith Gussoni, Kevin Fitzhugh, Kim Frazier, Ligaya Fish, Phil Lamothe, Priscilla Wiley, Rob Baen & Sheila Purkey, Ron Bess, Shawn Martin, Silvana Gallagher, Steve Neeren, Steven Matthews & Carolyn Patterson, Tami Harris, Tammy Brown, Tybaldt Ulrich & Hazel Mede.
Dance Trivia
Donna Summer has three daughters. Her oldest is a successful young actress currently appearing on the television show "My Wife and Kids." Donna turned 55 this past New Year's Eve.
Gloria Gaynor was the first Disco/dance artist to have a Platinum dance recording which was the classic.. "I Will Survive."
Studio 54 opened in a former Movie studio in May of 1977.
The first commercial 12" inch record was the song "Ten Percent" by Double Exposure on Salsoul records produced by Tom Moulton.
The late, Gene Siskel, best known as half of the famous movie critics "Siskel and Ebert," sold John Travolta's white suit from "Saturday Night Fever" at a Christie's Auction in NY for $145,500.
Alec R. Constindinos, best known for his orchestral disco hits like "Romeo & Julliet"...continues to write music and produce movies in Hollywood.
And, Their real names are:
Cher - Cherilyn Sarkisian
Fred Astair - Fredrick Austeritz
David Bowie - David Robert Jones
Joel Gray - Joe Katz
Madonna - Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone
Rita Moreno - Rosita Alverio
Ginger Rodgers - Virginia McMath
Stevie Wonder - Stevland Morris
Donna Summer - La Donna Gaines
DanceTalk * 3-8-04
Happy Birthday wishes to Silvana Gallagher.
Love Saves The Day, by Tim Lawrence. A new book which includes over 300 interviews with the scenes most influential players, Nicky Siano, Tom Moulton, Loleatta Holloway, Giorgio Moroder, Frankie Knuckles, Earl Young... It also includes 20 special DJ discographies -listing their favorite records of the disco decade. Just released go to http://www.theloftnyc.com
The revival of the legendary Zachary's Dance Contest got off to an overwhelming success. The first weeks winners were Luis Rosa & Mary Poma. Second place went to Ricky Quintana & Lisa Paternoster while Peter & Angolina took third. Judged by Susan Marolda, Judith Van Dyke and Carl "Mr. C" Charles with host, Bobby O. The competition continues for 9 more weeks. See more details below.
Don't miss the Big Apple Dance convention this coming week. An all star list of teachers and competitions to attend. See the details below.
Radio Station WKTU in NY is the recipient of the 2004 Best Dance Radio Station award in the nation. It was presented at the Winter Music Awards being held in Miami.
Please note the date change on the next Atrium Dance Party. The original date of March 12th has been changed to March 19th. See all the details below.
The Grand Re-opening of Swing Shift , every Sunday at Club 56, The 56th Fighter Group Restaurant in East Farmingdale from 6:00PM - 9:30PM
DanceTalk is accessible at many websites including http://www.Discoamerica.com
For the entire list, please scroll down.
Make It a great week,
Ron
Hustle Dance Directory (part 3)
Here is the third part of our comprehensive list of the top dance teachers for hustle thru out the USA. These instructors are all professionals with extensive backgrounds in dance. Although they may not be from your town, when visiting or attending a dance convention / competition, contact them in advance to arrange to attend their group classes and/or private lessons
Mr. C. AKA Carl G. Charles
Affiliated studios: Fazil's Dance/Reversals Studio (New York City) and Dance Club International (Middle Village) Queens
carlgcharles@mrcdance.com
www.mrcdance.com
Phone: (917) 776-2796
Lisa Nunziella and Deano Georgio
Los Angeles, California
Future Fit 10610 Culver Blvd.
Lisa@dancewithlisa.com deangeorgio@aol.com
www.dancewithlisa.com
Phone number 310-628-9265 or 323-365-6553
Tony Pace
Houston, Texas
Tony Pace Learn-to-Dance
Chayns Nightclub, 3920 FM 1960 West, Houston, TX
Prime Time Steak House, 9271 FM 1960 West, Houston, TX
Champions Ballroom 4610 FM 1960 West, Houston, TX
rcrankel@wt.net
281-353-3817
Roberto Pagan / Roberto's Dance Studio
operating out of: The Pioneer Club 209 Jefferson Street
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604
(201) 288-1422 phone (201) 288-8740 fax
nyex@optonline.net webmaster@robertosdancestudio.com
Website: http://www.robertosdancestudio.com
Dara Patrusky
Philadelphia / NJ
e-mail darapatrusky@aol.com.
dancers extrordianire affilliation. Specializing in hustle salsa and WCS privates.
267-259-1206
Arte Phillips
NY, Pa, NJ, DC,
artephillipsdance.com or arte_phillips@yahoo.com
347-432-3177 mobile 718-779-7937 home
Luis Rosa & Mary Poma
Queens, New York
Hollywood Entertainment and Mambo Unico
latindanceconnectin@yahoo.com
www.latindanceconnection.com
718 352-0578 347 683-3724
Gail Rundlett , Director/ owner/ Hustle instructor,
Massachusetts
Tempo Dance Center, 380 Washington St., Brighton MA 02135
617-783-5467, www.havetodance.com/tempodancecenter
Email.......GNRundlett@rcn.com
Joyce Szili
Silver Spring, Maryland and Merrifield, Virginia
Virginia Ballroom and K2 Dance Studio
E mail address - Joycedancr@aol.com
Web site - www.justhustle.com
Phone number - 301 598-2215
DANCE WITH DEBBIE"
Debbie Tuttle
Home Studio: 10908 Brookwood Avenue
Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772
Virginia Ballroom: 8442 Lee Highway
Merrifield, Virginia
dancewithdebbie@comcast.net
http://dcdancenet.com/dancingtuttles/
301.877.9379
Kim Vanaman , Hustle Instructor,
Massachusetts
Tempo Dance Center,
380 Washington St., Brighton, MA 02135,
617-783-5467, www.havetodance.com/tempodancecenter
Email.......jskg-vanaman@worldnet.att.com
Letters To The Editor
Hey Ron,
I watched the VH-1 program “When Disco Ruled the World” and thought it
basically came off contrary to our hope of it NOT focusing on the excesses of a few. The picture they painted is not what the music and dancing scene of the disco club era was generally like. Studio 54 was NOT a representative example. It was a freak show! There are many, many more shining examples of the good, clean, safe and fun dancing times had by all at discotheques nationwide both recently and in the past....
The disco phenomenon contributed many positive results overlooked by this VH1 program.... For instance in disco’s heyday: “disco brought all types of people together to party late night for stress relief", "disco gave class to the music scene after the burn-out sloppy hippie image of hard rockers left over from the 60's generation,"..... "disco induced everyone to dress chic again for the nightlife and lent renewed class to dancing again" and disco "totally revived partner dancing as a hobby in the United States." Still to this day "hustle dancing is alive at many major dance competitions and dance studios across the country with a very strong following" and "disco music hits are the preferred general dance music at special events and weddings -appealing to a very broad cross-section of society… NOT a bunch of drugged out sex fiends and mindless partiers as depicted by this documentary, “When Disco Ruled the World.” A neutral documentary should reflect on both the positive and negative history....VH1 did NOT do there homework. I am sure that the VH1 interviewers managed to over-look many of the positive commentary given in their interviews by editing out the more positive stuff. Alas, disco music and hustle dancing deserved better coverage.
From Fort Lauderdale,
Drew Axelrod
DanceTalk *3-2-04
Happy Birthday wishes to Billy Fajardo, Sara Jones, Yvette Rivera and Randy Atlas.
Look for Australian singing sensation Delta Goodren to hit the US market soon. She is the queen of pop music abroad.
Dance Mania The Ultimate Dance Contest is going strong every Sunday night at 10:00 PM at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and Casino. The finals take place April 25th.
Its not to late for you to compete.
Here are the current weekly winners that are eligible for the finals.
Week 1 Geramy Morrison and Lisa Rayes - Free Style
Week 2 Henry Bulgarin and Miracle Vail - Hustle
Week 3 News and Rabbit - Poppin and Lockin
Week 4 Mellisa Cohen and Thaddeus Decerantes - Argentine Tango/disco
Mark your calendars, Hooked On Hustle returns to Philadelphia. Shannon Johnson brings her hott dance party back on May 15th, Saturday night. More details to come.
George Velazquez co-wrote a book about his life as an amputee. The Amputee Coalition of America has made the book available by calling 1-888-AMP-KNOW . The proceeds go to helping Children with missing limbs.
The Latin Music Awards take place on April 29th live from Miami.
The Van McCoy dance contest made a stop in New Orleans this past weekend for the last regional competition prior to the finals in Miami at the IHSC. Congratulations to 1st place winners in the hustle, Theo Stafford & Celeste Pfefferle while Chino & MaryAnn took 1st place in the Salsa.
New York Dances for Rosa Collantes, March 7th at "Stepping Out" in NY. Rosa is going thru a serious health Crisis and needs our support. See all the details below.
Zacharys Dance Contest, every Saturday night for 10 weeks. Weekly and grand prize winners. Minimum 3 couples per week, no solos or groups. This historical night club is located in the East Meadow shopping plaza in East Meadow NY 516-794-9770
Make it a great week.
Ron
Retro
Twenty-nine years ago, some of the hottest dance songs were climbing to the top of the charts. The year was 1975. DJ record pools were gaining memberships as new clubs started to pop up. A brand new night club opened in the NY Hilton Hotel called The Roman Pubs Metamorphosis. Record executives reported that they feel the night clubs/Discos are becoming the new way to expose the public to new music.
The discotheques were becoming the laboratory (I guess that made us the guinea pigs). The impact of the music went from being a club / underground sound to the air waves across the country.
Here are the songs that were climbing the charts back then. Some of these ditties are still dance gems today.
"Sexy" by MFSB Orchestra
"Brazil" by the Ritchie Family
"Dreaming A Dream" by Crown Heights Affair
"Fight The Power" by the Isley Brothers
"Blow Your Whistle" by Gary Toms Empire
"Bad Luck" by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
"Fame" by David Bowie
"Do It Anyway You Wanna" by Peoples Choice
(and the number one spot was a song called)
"The Hustle" by Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony
Disco: A decade of Saturday Nights
Henry Ford Museum Catches Boogie Fever With "Disco: A Decade of Saturday Nights" starting June 15th and runs till Sept 15th 2004.
Disco: A Decade of Saturday Nights captures this funky and sometimes freaky musical phenomenon in a major exhibition. And it dances into Henry Ford Museum June 15, 2004. Timed tickets at $7 (general museum admission also required) go on sale April 15, 2004, and can be purchased at www.TheHenryFord.org or by calling (313-982-6001. Disco: A Decade of Saturday Nights follows this highly influential musical trend from its beginnings in the clubs of New York to the fad generated by the film, Saturday Night Fever, to discos backlash and to its ultimate resurgence.
This eclectic display features more than 200 artifacts from the disco era including one of the infamous white suits John Travolta wore in Saturday Night Fever, outfits that donned divas such as Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor, and rare photographs of Studio 54 taken by Andy Warhol. The spotlight also settles on legendary nightspots such as the Loft and the Paradise Garage and on artists including Grace Jones, Nile Rodgers of Chic, the Bee Gees, Sylvester, A Taste of Honey and more.
Beyond the artifacts, Disco also features a fully operational dance floor complete with light show; interactive DJ booth and of course the unmistakable sounds blasting through listening stations and kiosks along the exhibit route. Courtesy of http://www.discostepbystep.com/empdiscoexhibit24.htm
From iTunes & Mark James
|
Mark James' Dance Zen Site Search
|
TO RON
SOME DANCE LINKS
Webmaster & Sponsored by Mark James
TO MARK
