by Tina Woo
On this afternoon we were greeted with dark grey skies, occasional downpours, and a winter advisory watch over the mountain summits! However, this did not deter 20 avid Nisei Ski Club skiers and dancers from the inaugural tea dance held on May 19, 2019 in Cupertino. The group gathered at 2 pm and participated in some line dancing: the Electric Slide and the Cupid Shuffle. This was just the warm up!
Sandy Kiyomura introduced the group to three dances: Cha Cha, East Coast Swing and Night Club Two- Step. She provided a brief history about the origins of the dances. Club members were very receptive and enthusiastic about learning the basic patterns, practicing as well as getting refresher tips. Sandy provided both the “leader” and “follower” patterns and encouraged dancers to rotate partners. Not only were we challenging our brains but also burning calories – approximately 500 during this event! Sandy has shared an article on the anti-aging benefits of dancing and mental exercise: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/well/move/health-benefits-dancing.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share. A big “thank you” to Sandy for providing us with these dance lessons.
Let’s review what we learned:
Cha Cha: Basic pattern, crossover breaks with follower spot turn, and Chase turns.
East Coast Swing: Basic pattern, throw out, outside and inside turns.
Night Club Two Step: Basic pattern, open break with underarm turn, opening outs
Kathy Fang and her friend Jeff Wright assisted Sandy in teaching the dances and provided a demonstration of the very romantic Bolero. They drove all the way from Berkeley and we appreciated their assistance.
Club members brought refreshments and finger foods to share. We were treated to David Tom’s Pistachio and Chocolate Fudge bars, Jackie Maruhashi’s jello mochi, Janet Ngai’s banana, pumpkin seed and chocolate bread, David & Peggy Hori’s wontons and eggrolls and Sandy’s mochi, to name a few. (See the new Recipe Corner).
Following the dance lessons, we had a chance to socialize, get to know NSC board candidates, discuss future ski trips, and more.
A fun time was had by all. Perhaps this is a prelude to future dance events? If you have ideas for future get-togethers, please let anyone on the board know!
