“For those of us from the old Jive Junction crowd who never cared as deeply about contests and prize money as some of our Hollywood brethren, Hal’s philosophy on dancing was a breath of fresh air. We were people who were doing this crazy thing not because it was popular or because it was lucrative or a gateway to stardom, but only because the music just made you go POW… that’s what old Memories used to be about back in JJ’s heyday. Hal was the epitome of that kind of dancer, not just in his philosophy but in his attitude, the way he treated others, the way he was so open about his knowledge of the dance and the things he had brought to it. This hobby was supposed to be fun. Hal made sure he was having fun wherever he went, and he never stopped having fun.”

—from Hal Takier: 1917–2012 on Jive Junction (by dear friend Marcelo Teson)