smooth talk - San Diego Smooth Dancers

The San Diego Chapter of National Smooth Dancers
SMOOTH TALK
San Diego Smooth Dancers, Inc.
“Bringing Ballroom to our Community”
August 2014, Vol. 15 No. 1
see if you can take something down the stairs on
the way out to your car. If we had a few people do
that at each social, life would be easier.
President’s Message
Mike Cowlishaw
I’ve started planning our annual Christmas
Ball. If you wish to perform, you’ll need to let me
know ASAP. We kept the program shorter last
year, and this was well received. Same thing again,
and I’m planning to limit the show to the dance
class, club members and their professional partners.
Please, no last minute requests!
Time to start planning your dance card for the
convention! Just about a month from now we’ll be
dancing in Palm Springs! You can likely still find
a way to attend. Our friends from the Palomar
Chapter are hosting this year. We will be starting
the Convention the evening of August 29th and finishing the morning of September 1st. Our club is
hosting the late evening hospitality snack on
Friday. If you can help with this please let us
know. Al Folkman has (very graciously) offered to
coordinate rides for the convention.
Please start planning for next year’s convention
now! Our club is hosting, Kay and Patricia cochairing the event. As always, it will be over
Labor Day weekend, again in Palm Springs.
Time for the monthly request: we need help
with clean-up after the monthly social. Please
check in with Amante at the end of the evening and
Kay Ryan and Mark Chapman had suspension
upgrades recently (hip replacements) so keep them
in your thoughts. It’s just a matter of time until we
see them on the dance floor!
Thanks again to all who volunteer their time for
the good of the club! You make it happen!
Please attend our next business meeting. Al
Folkman has offered his place again on Arden
Way. Aug 9th, 2:30 p.m. Thanks, Al!!!! 

Dance thought: Remember to keep slotted
dances or rhythm dances in the center of the
floor if people are also dancing a traveling
dance. Seems like this happens just about every month. . .and during a social dance it is bad
form to correct your partner. Remember they
are doing the best they can. They didn’t pay
you for a lesson………… 
Wishing you happy heart and happy feet!
Mike
“No one is born a dancer. You have to want it more than anything.”
―Mikhail Baryshnikov, Baryshnikov at Work
August 2014
Page 1 of 7
Queen’s Message
Lou Reyes
“An Evening in Paris” was the theme of Fresno’s
coronation. It did indeed seem like an evening in
Paris, for the place
was elegantly decorated with the Eiffel
Tower, with elegant
swags of hanging
white sheen cloth material on the ceiling
and walls.
Classic
Parisian music was
played frequently during dinner.
The lovely new Queen, Angie Fae Garcia, was
escorted by instructor Dan Goss. They danced to a
beautiful Waltz. It seems as though Dan Goss is the
all-time
favorite
dance instructor for
some of our NSD
members. The honor
dance for the evening
was performed by
Kathy Page and Guy
Ashby. They did a
phenomenal job.
The brunch was at the Radisson Hotel. It was a
sumptuous breakfast. Several photos of past queens
were displayed, along with their memorabilia, all
compiled into a couple of albums. I could not help
but keep on leafing thru the pages of those albums;
the history of Fresno Smooth Dancers is artistically
revealed in the pages of those albums. A fitting legacy to the past, present and future honored Queens of
August 2014
Fresno Smooth Dancers. I say “future Queens” because the albums have open or blank pages ready to
be decorated by Fresno’s Queens yet to be selected.
I even saw a picture of our very own Patricia DiSessa, who seems to have maintained her youthful
appearance along with her girlish figure.
It always has been a tradition for Fresno’s outgoing
Queen to recite a poem regarding her reign. Queen Lorraine
Tilton wrote and recited a heart
-warming poem depicting her
own reign. I would like to
share with you her poem (with
her permission of course). You
yourself will enjoy it, just as we
Queens who have shared her
reign appreciated it.
I flew over the Rainbow
In a Waltz with Franco
I lost my plane Under the Stars
And I didn’t see Darlene in Palomar
In Visalia Out of Africa
Barbara crowned Barbara
Gee Gee Barden was one of the lucky ones
And Debbie Ku LA danced a hula fusion
Lou Reyes had a Star Wars Impossible Dream
And Dorothy Vaughan was the 50th Anniversary
Queen
Svetlana came from Russia With Love With
Ease
And Debbie Renfro Danced Across the Seven
Seas
Now it is time for Angie’s wish to come true
And I will miss all of you too
Before saying our goodbyes,
each Queen was given an Eiffel
tower earring holder and a pair
of lovely earrings. Truly, past
Queen Lynn Sanders and Queen
Mum Carla Hartunian did an
outstanding job for this memorable Fresno Coronation.
Queen Lou
(Photos by LA)
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SUNDAY NIGHT DANCE CLASS
the end of each lesson; many do this on a weekly
basis.
Chuck DiSessa
Practice time has been limited for a brief period
while the Paso Doble formation and those involved
in promoting our 2015 Convention theme rehearse
the skit created by Anthony Wood.
Class attendance remains high as Irina
Chalkevitch
continues
instruction through August with the American
Waltz at 5:00 p.m. and the
International Samba at
6:00 p.m.
2015 Convention Chairs Kay Ryan and Patricia
DiSessa try to attend all the rehearsals and they appear pleased with the overall production, which now
just needs some tweaking to become a well-polished
presentation.
The Waltz has a nice flow to it with some familiar moves embellished with some new choreography.
For example, adding a syncopated chasse prior to the
ladies’ outside turn and dèveloppé had the effect of
extending the movement down the line of dance
while adding some contrast with the syncopation.
The women really seem to enjoy the technique
and arm styling for both dances, particularly in the
Samba class at 6:00 p.m.
Irina’s competition experience and expertise
show up frequently as she explains the technique for
specific dance movements. Questions are welcome
and all get answered during the lesson.
The Samba choreography moves well around the
line of dance, and everybody seems to be doing it to
the best of their ability. Each move logically leads
into the next one, making the transitions from one
move into the next much easier to handle.
The Paso Doble formation performed at the Synergy Dance Zone on July 19th for the social dance
honoring the birthdays of both Lou and Amante
Reyes. The team performed very well and received
appreciative gifts from the organizers for their efforts.
We are so grateful that our summer classes are
well attended. Your faithfulness and commitment in
attending these classes allow us to garner some highly talented professional instructors, year in and year
out, to help meet your dancing needs and, as a result,
raise your own personal level of expertise as well.
It’s been a great summer so far, and we can look
forward to seeing our Paso Doble Formation perform
at the N.S.D. State Convention on Labor Day weekend. See you there!!
Sincerely Yours for Better Dancing,
Chuck DiSessa, Dance Class Chair
San Diego Smooth Dancers, Inc.
Class members are encouraged to take videos at
Thank You for all the Cards and Phone Calls
Mark and Kao
Mark’s surgery went very well, and he is recuperating now as a somewhat restless, rather impatient patient
while we wait for the muscles around his hip to heal and bond with the new titanium and porcelain joint. The
surgeon did a fantastic job of getting Mark’s new right hip to match the original left one, with the result that
his legs seem to be exactly the same length (which has really been one of his primary concerns). The original
pain is gone from his hip—which is wonderful!—and it’s just a matter now of letting the incision site and the
muscles heal cleanly so that there are no complications during the recovery process.
We both very much appreciate all the cards, phone calls and emails people have sent us wishing Mark a
speedy recovery and Kao plenty of patience as she gets Mark back on his feet (and out from under hers!).
Kao has been a wonderful, caring nurse, and Mark doesn’t know what he would do without her. Mark may
have been the patient, but Kao has been the one with all the patience as we have dealt with the interesting details of life immediately following hip replacement surgery. (When’s the last time you tried to put socks on
someone’s feet or had to push his legs up and over in order to get him into a car?)
August 2014
Page 3 of 7
orations
and
serving the food.
Social Chair’s Message
Amante Reyes
Every time I write my monthly social chairperson’s report I never tire of writing these words:
“To all the volunteers who support our club in a
thousand different ways—with no thought of any
reward in return—thank you so much.”
For the July 5th 2014 social event I would like to
express my thanks to the following people:

Alberta and Peter Valintini
for checking in the guests
and bringing the apple and
blueberry pies and macaroni
salad. One of the best macaroni salads I have ever tasted.

Al Folkman, Larry Plummer, Larry Knost, Mel
Mesa, Bob Churchill, Bill Mackenzie, for setting
up and cleaning.

Ann and Dave Saul for donating the potato salad.

Judy and Vern Miranda for helping with the dec-
The Show Will Go On!
Whenever Chuck DiSessa
is involved in a production,
you know it’s going to be a
good one. Guests at the
2014 Senior Follies greatly
enjoyed his contributions in
several pieces, especially the
two numbers he danced with
Cathy O’Harra. The first was a
creative Foxtrot to music from
“Beauty and the Beast”; the
second was an energetic and
August 2014

Lou Reyes, the
SDSD
Queen
and my wife,
who was everywhere setting up the studio, and preparing and
setting up the refreshments.

Ann V for her excellent playlists of music—a
combination of old and new songs.

Members, officers and Queen Darlene of Palomar Chapter who drove all the way from North
County.

Other members whom I may have missed but
who were there in the background, helping in
their own ways.
I announced at 8 p.m. that the dance floor was
open for dancing and the food area for dining. Ann
V played first-rate music. Just like the previous social events, the dance floor was still packed with
many dancers up to 11 pm. It was another successful social event: successful both regard to earnings
for the chapter and in providing a venue where
members and guests could enjoy an evening of excellent dance music, fine dining, and the simple
gathering of close friends,
partners and soul mates.
Members and officers of the
chapter were asked by Judy
to pose for a photo shoot for
the updated SDSD website.
You can view the picture on
(Continued on page 5)
upbeat rendition of “It
Had to be You” (both by
Mary Murphy).
If you recognize the
silhouette here in “Jail
House Rock,” then you
know right away that
Chuck’s version of “Blue
Suede Shoes” was not far
away from this number.
Congrats to Chuck and
Cathy for another great
Follies!
(Photos by CD)
Page 4 of 7
At the NSD convention at Palm Springs this August, this subject will be discussed at the meeting
of all chapter social chair-persons.
http://www.sdsdpics.com.
In my April report I listed some ways and means
to ease the difficult task of setting up and cleaning
the venue on every dance event. Those proposals are
always at the forefront of all my plans and are never
forgotten. I encourage every member and officer of
SDSD to come forward and present his or her own
ideas. To remind myself, these proposals are:

To hire outside help to set up and clean the studio for big events like Anniversary Day, Coronation Night, New Year’s Eve. SDSD’s contract
with the studio for these events is 6 to midnight.
There will be little time to prepare the studio.

To encourage more members and officers to volunteer to set up and clean the venue.

To find ways how to ease the transfer of kitchenware, decorations, bottles of sodas, juices, coffee
pots and accessories, etc. One method is the use
of dollies and carts.

To contact the social chairpersons of all NSD
chapters and inquire how they inspire their members to help before and after every social event.

To recognize those who untiringly help the association; set up a recognition night in one of the
social events.
As this report began with these words: “To all
the volunteers who support our club in a thousand
different ways—with no thought of any reward in
return—thank you so much,” I end it now with the
same words in humble gratitude.
Amante Reyes, Social Chair
(Photos by JV)
August General Meeting
The next General Membership Meeting will be held on Saturday August 9th at 2:30 p.m.
at Al Folkman’s home, located at 4107 Arden Way, San Diego 92107.
Be sure to bring a dish for the potluck afterwards!
Photo Credits
“Thank you” to those who contributed photos for
this month’s newsletter:
“CD”
“JV”
“LA”
Chuck DiSessa
Judy & Vern Miranda
Lou & Amante Reyes
Mark C. Chapman, editor (619) 213-9119
Smooth Talk is a members’ service and
resource: all NSD members are encouraged
to submit ballroom-related items for inclusion in the newsletter. Any articles not credited are by
the editor.
Please send proposed articles, photos, and suggestions for newsletter changes to:
mcchapman88@gmail.com.
August 2014
August Birthdays
Vicki Durham
8/3
Sandra Long
8/4
Shirley McCloskey
8/4
Michael Cowlishaw
8/12
Ione Bauman
8/15
Liliane Alberts
8/15
Bob Steele
8/17
Kathleen Courtney
8/17
Charles DiSessa
8/18
Marcia Rainey
8/18
Denise White
8/22
Ann Meador
8/25
Judy Miranda
8/25
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August 2014
Page 6 of 7
Remember that there will be no San Diego social in September:
Chapter activities will center on
Palomar’s Convention in Palm Springs!
August 2014
Page 7 of 7