Happy birthday wishes to Nelson Flores, Anna Brodech, Zulma Rodriquez, Margaret Burns, Frank Zarlie, Yvette Rivera, Letty Sandoval, Robert Cordoba, Sue DeSumma, Annette Alicanti, Walter Milani, Vincent Montana Jr.

He would have celebrated his 51st birthday this week. His dancing continues in our hearts. He will never be forgotten. The pictures, his artistry and love that he has left will leave an ever lasting impression on us all. Arte Phillips loved to dance, he loved to perform, he was born to dance. We miss his smile, his talent, his friendship and passion for dance.

Something new, to serve our readers more effectively. Your weekly edition of DanceTalk will be arriving on Sunday evenings starting February 14th. All submissions to be posted must be received no later then the Saturday, prior for the upcoming week. Don’t forget you can also read DanceTalk first thing at the website click on http://www.mjames.org/blog/

The hit NBC show “America’s Got Talent”is looking to set up a casting call (appointments only) in Atlantic City, NJ. Go to http://americasgottalentauditions.com/new/ For more information contact Jen Apploff, Casting Producer, NBC “America’s Got Talent” C: 727.420.3221 jenapploff26@yahoo.com

Michael’s Cafe the place to dance every Wednesday night. DJ Mark spins the best classic hustle along with contemporary songs, WCS and Latin. This week, Donna Boyle from Disco America will be teaching a Free hustle lesson at 8:35PM. No cover, free parking. Located on Street Road in Bensalem, Pa. Next week the special guest teacher is Brian Gallagher. Spread the word.

Auditions for Harrah’s Wild West Casino – female dancers. Weekend performances. Feb.9: Auditions will be held at Bally’s Casino, 6th floor – Traymore Ballroom Sign in at 1pm; auditions are 1:30 sharp Feb. 10: Auditions at Stepping Out Dance Studio, 37 W.26th St. between 6 & Broadway, NYC 9th floor – Grand Ballroom Sign in at 2pm; auditions are 2:30 sharp www.confettientertainment.com

Best known for his judging on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and ‘Hairspray’, Adam Shankman, is working on a number of upcoming films. His choreography skills will be seen next year in motion pictures to be released – “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Bob:The Musical”.

The 2010 Hustle Directory is coming to DanceTalk in March. We will be posting a complete, comprehensive list of some of the best hustle teachers across the USA. Stay tuned.

Make it a great week,
Ron
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2010 NASDE “Classic and Showcase (points year to date)

10 MALE competitors 10 FEMALE competitors
GARY MCINTYRE 10 SUSAN KIRKLIN 10
BENJI SCHWIMMER 10 KELLESE KEY 10
LUIS CRESPO 9 PATTY VO 9
JASON BARNES 9 ERICA BERG 9
JASON MARKER 8 ANNMARIE MARKER 8
JASON MIKLIC 8 DEBORAH SZEKELY 8
JAKE HANING 7 DALETHA JOUZDANI 7
EDDIE VALDEZ 7 ELISE VALDEZ 7
AUSTIN MURREY 6 CHELSEA RODGERS 6
JODY MOSCARITOLO 6 CONNIE GAUTHIER 6

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Letters to the Editor

(our goal is to post readers letters twice a month, unfortunately due to space limitations we can not publish them all)

Congratulations to Daniel McGee for stepping up and offering his services as President of IHDA! Daniel not only has the credentials to do the job, he has the class and foresight needed to lead the IHDA to it’s full potential. I read Dance Talk every month and recurring theme in the last year or so is that of attracting new people to the hustle world. IHDA could not find a better ambassador to this cause! Daniel epitomizes the compassion, understanding and patience that those of us “new-bees” to hustle are longing for but,unfortunately, seems to be a rare trait in the echelon of the Hustle World. He is a true gentleman in every sense of the word, a fantastic business man and his knowledge, execution and ability to lead the IHDA to great places are exactly what the IHDA needs say this pivotal time. He would serve IHDA well and is deserving of a vote from everyone who truly cares about the future of hustle.
Joan Hancock
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David and Danny – the differences:

After carefully reading Danny’s Platform, and having written my own, the differences between us seem striking. Danny is an IHDA insider who’s vision repeatedly addresses growing various facets of the IHDA. Namely, the website, the international arm, even membership cards. All of this would indeed create a better and more professional organization. The problem is that while Danny’s vision is about the future of the IHDA, MY vision is about the future of Hustle. Danny is a first rate dancer who runs a successful business (Top Hat) and has experience with the IHDA as a current officer. I am a relative IHDA outsider who runs a dance team, and an IHDA like group called FAST, but it is populated with 188 of hustles younger participants. Honestly, either of us would make a fine leader considering practical or organizational considerations.
However – our visions of the future differ completely. To me, the IHDA is the means to an end. According to Danny’s platform, it IS the end. Reading his vision it appears that what’s good for the IHDA is what’s good for hustle. Danny never addresses the missing young, the disenfranchised or the street dancers. He addresses growth as organizational growth, not Hustle’s growth. I am all about growing the hustle itself, and using the IHDA organization to do that – rather than just growing the IHDA and abandoning anyone who doesn’t share my vision. When we asked Billy at MadJam last year about the “missing youth” problem – he railed against the request suggesting that young hustle dancers were out there in other countries. The Hustle Lounge then ran an article at my request surveying the readers on that same matter, only to find that almost none of the 62 respondents agreed with Billy’s assertion about us not having a problem. Susan Fritz was the one vote in favor of Billy’s world view. And interestingly, like Danny, Susan is a relative newcomer to hustle who never participated in the dance world in 1980 where hustle dancers and their fans circled every night club with a lighted floor. Dave Moldover advised me on this matter also when I asked his advice about hustle’s future. Dave said “You all have too much organization and too little participation.” Well Dave Moldover’s quote has become MY campaign slogan. IMO, we don’t need membership cards. Salsa and Lindy are doing fine w/o them. What we need are MORE dancers. Voting for me will represent a near complete changing of the guard at the IHDA. I would draft Angelina as VP and change the VP’s role to managing the delegates. I would spend my time getting 2 speed comps into our all sanctioned events – where the fast speed was at the original disco speeds of 1980 (128 BPM average according to Billboard). Regrettably, most of our current hustle champions would be replaced by younger and more talented dancers once the speed was raised to levels requiring far greater skill. But we would create a new breed of dancer that COULD do what we did in 1980, and dance to the hits that still define the Disco era to this day. You all still can hear those songs to this day when radio stations do Disco nights, or at any wedding anywhere. Our events could then start having better music with the 108 BPM speed ceiling removed. As a DJ myself, I can tell you that DJ’s would LOVE removing this restriction. Even more so – we could now bring our new champions into real night clubs, just like the disco days of our past. Hustle HAS a future folks – and to me, that future is the end (goal), the IHDA is the means. Danny’s stated vision makes the IHDA the end, and hustle the means. Our central difference is our opposite views of the future. My vision is about our dance – NOT just our IHDA club. When top promoters like Dave Moldover and nearly every responder on the hustle lounge identify a problem the current IHDA organization’s leadership denies – it is time for a leadership change.
David Flynn
PS – I think a lot of Danny, Top Hat and everything he and Jameson have accomplished in PA. But the vision of the future is what separates us dramatically. At this point, members need to decide “How long can we keep going w/o trying to solve the missing youth problem.”
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Hey Ron,
Happy New Years to you. I remember you writing about starting a missing person’s article for those that fell out of touch with dance buddies from years ago???? Is That still on your agenda?? If so, please add these names to the list. Thank you so much for what you do,
Joy
Would love to be reconnected with – Zane Tobas, David Padilla and Shawn Lorenzo