Where exactly is Oahu Danzventure Hustle taking place?
Oahu Danzventure Hustle is taking place in the state of Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, in the city of Honolulu, within the “tourist section” known as Waikiki.
Is everything taking place at the Queen Kapiolani Hotel?
Queen Kapiolani Hotel will be home base for our stay and the Grand Leahi Ballroom will be one of our venues for dancing on Friday, Aug. 11. Hotels in Waikiki are smaller and can’t stay up late night enough for us Hustle dancers so we have arranged 3-4 other venues for your dancing enjoyment! Kapiolani Park Bandstand will be our outdoor dance venue. The Ala Wai Golf Course “Palladium” is our 12,000sq. ft. ballroom and The Hawaii Convention Center Ball Room is our host for Saturday’s Gala Dinner, Show, & Late Night Dancing.
How do we get to Oahu, Hawaii & Queen Kapiolani Hotel?
Unless you are a true adventurer and like really long boat rides, we recommend you fly in. United, Hawaiian Airlines, Alaskan Airlines, Delta, American, & others, all fly into Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (Honolulu) Airport code is HNL. It is a 11 hour flight from New York non stop. Airport is a 20 min ride from the hotel. Shuttles & Ride Shares are available and run about $40. No promises, but if you let us know when you get in, we may be in the area and would be happy to offer you a ride.
Do we need to rent a car?
Absolutely not! Everything will be easily accessible for your extended Danzventure and for the instances that require some travel, we will provide shuttles. Waikiki is about 2 miles long (3.25 km for our Canadian dancers) which is about half the length of the strip in Las Vegas or the distance from Time Square to Washington Square Park in New York. You can find everything within walking distance…great food & drink, live music, shopping, and of course, great beaches collectively known as Waikiki Beach.
What time zone is Hawaii in & when should we look to get in?
Hawaii is in Hawaii Standard Time (HST) and is 6 hours behind Eastern Standard Time (NYC) and 3 hours behind Pacific Standard Time (LA). Hawaii does not observe Daylight Savings Time. Sunrise will be 6:08 AM & Sunset is 7:04 PM. We suggest getting in a day or two, or even three days before the event start. It will give you a head start on finding your favorite Mai Tai, Happy Hour, & part of Waikiki Beach.
What is the weather like on Oahu?
Weather is most like San Diego and temperatures are consistently comfortable (Mid 70’s-80′ F.) Not a dry heat like Arizona or Las Vegas or humid like Florida. Do bring a light jacket for your hikes into altitude or late evening strolls on the beach. It rains somewhere on the island every day…but usually wait just 10 minutes and it is sunny again. That’s how we get so many rainbows.
How much luggage do I need for my wardrobe & what else should I pack?
Pack light. Even though we are having a “Gala Dinner” we are very casual here so no need for suits or ties. You’ll need more bathing suits, board shorts, & T-Shirts. We do wear black here but we’ll know you are visiting if all you wear is black. For shoes, of course your dance shoes but other than that, flip flops (slippahs), water shoes, casual shoes, & sneakers for hiking is plenty. Bring sun screen but make sure it’s reef safe. Snorkelers, although you can rent or purchase here, we suggest you bring your own snorkel & mask. Forget something, you can literally find an “ABC” store on every corner. It’s our version of Walgreen’s or CVS that also carries touristy souvenirs.
What is the food like?
Food is eclectic, with a mix of Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Italian, Vietnamese, Thai & more. Local must tries are Malasadas, Loco Mocos, Poke, and Shave Ice. Call it Shaved Ice and you may not get served! Just kidding! We do have big restaurant chains like Cheesecake Factory…they are the same as the one on the mainland (I think…never been) but probably more expensive. If you go to Duke’s or Hula Grill, get the Hula Pie for dessert.
How much social dancing will you have and how late can we dance?
Our Saturday night Gala at the Hawaii Convention Center will go until 2am. The nights at the other venues will end earlier (still to be determined and pending any after hour arrangements we make) but we will definitely get in the same amount (if not more) of social dancing. To do that, we will start social dancing a lot earlier than typical events. In fact, you could dance all day long on all 3 days simply by leap frogging to one of our 3 daily venues. We will be dancing on proper dance floors, but you will be in Hawaii so why confine yourself to an indoor ballroom for all of your stay? We invite you to dance on grass, sand, water, & more.
What are some of the "Danzventures" you have planned?
Friday & Saturday morning we have morning hikes to atop of Diamond Head and 1 hr. Catamaran Sails before the dance activities start. On Monday, we have our excursion to Polynesian Cultural Center. On Tuesday we have our excursion to Kualoa Ranch. Stay tuned for more details…
Never been to Hawaii...any other tips?
In general, we will be in a safe area, but always exercise common sense. Don’t leave your belongings on the beach unattended. Pedestrians, follow the crosswalk signs. Interesting tidbit, it is illegal to cross the street while talking or looking at your phone. Chances are good that you may encounter seals & turtles on your adventures . Enjoy, but keep your distance and admire from afar.