SHALL WE DANCE?: "Destination Groove Dance Hawaii," a dance competition with a television component, will be taped here this summer for broadcast starting in September on KHNL 8. Created by Christine Yasunaga as a showcase for Islanders in the dance groove, the show is in the spirit of "So You Think You Can Dance." Co-hosts are Jordan Segundo and Yasmin Dar. Auditions will begin May 19. Yasunaga is looking for dance candidates 14 and older. The 12-segment series will air at 7 p.m. Sundays and repeat at 5 p.m. Saturdays. Yasunaga, a dance teacher at 'Iolani School, is a former Broadway performer who appeared in such shows as "The Lion King," "The King and I" and "Flower Drum Song." She also has credits with Ricky Martin, Bernadette Peters and Nike. Segundo, of course, is Hawai'i's first "American Idol" contestant, and Dar is an actress-model.

Contestants should be able to showcase a variety of styles, including jazz, hip-hop, modern Polynesian, Broadway, ballroom, Latin and more. Judges are expected to include Gil Duldulao, Carrie Ann Inaba, Mia Michaels, John Rampage, Peter Rockford Espiritu and Andrew Sakaguchi, with the top prize offering cash, a dance scholarship with a studio in New York or Los Angeles and potential performing opportunities. ...

HERE 'N' THERE: Hawaiian music permeated Cinegrill at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles when the Island contingent convened for a pre-Grammy Awards to-do at a party sponsored by the Outrigger Hotels, Hawaiian Air and Taylor Guitars. Host Kimo Kahoano greeted guests, which included Sue Raymer, an account manager with the Hollywood Reporter; and actress-singer Tia Carrere, who sang while nominee (and winner) Daniel Ho played piano. The Slack Key Star martini, concocted by Bob Melton of Chuck's Steakhouse at the Outrigger Waikiki, was served. Entertainer Michael Ka'awa, who drove 90 minutes from Anaheim to attend, said he now has more appreciation for Hawai'i's not-quite-as-clogged streets. ...

Isle musician Ken Emerson was sitting next to Grammy nominee Jackson Browne at the awards when Donald Fagen's "Morph the Cat" won best surround sound laurels. Emerson played guitar on the session and has also performed with Fagen. Emerson also played at the Hawai'i nominees' party. ...

Chriss Heyd of Koa Entertainment, which books Island acts, has passed on chores to pal Jan Brenner to oversee the operations because she's been tending to her mom and family in Ohio. But last month, Heyd and Brenner met in Las Vegas to catch shows, taking in stuff like "Mamma Mia!" and Celine Dion. Brenner came across a flier promoting a show by The Scintas at the Sahara, and the pair scooted there — Brenner had toured with brothers Frankie and Joey Scinta and Madeline Press in the 1970s, when they played the Ala Moana Hotel as an act dubbed Topp Banana. ...

RANDOM NOTES: Encouraging update from Martin Charlot, who had health issues last year — but is recovering. Last May, neighbors found him slumped over at home and summoned an ambulance; he had spinal meningitis and nearly died. "I lost my right eye and all my strength in my legs," he said in an e-mail to friends. "Seven months in the hospital, fighting to get my life back." The good news is that he's back in his Burbank apartment and exercising daily to restore his strength. "Walking with a walker, with the prognosis that as my nerves grow back, my legs will be recovering 100 percent." He wants his Island friends to know of his progress (you can check his Web site, www.mart incharlot.com) and he expects to have two books published here this year, "one using my proverb mural and one using my paintings on Hawaiian fishing methods." Great news. ...

Kamehameha Schools students have a valuable work-study opportunity — as interns on ABC's "Lost." It's the second year for that arrangement. ...

And that's Show Biz. ...

Show Biz is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8055.