I haven't been writing, because I feel like I ought to write about last week's show, but I really don't want to. (That post url is insane. I need to remember not to save drafts in Typepad before I have chosen a title)
Anyway, the show. It went off fine. Speaking as a "salsa dancer" - we did our part, we were cute, and I think our sparkly shoes and flowers in our hair were adorable. But I still don't like the fact that we were doing fusion at a show where I feel like we should have been showcasing middle eastern dance. Especially since the kind of fusion that really chaps my hide is when the dancer doing the fusing doesn't really know one of the dances they are combining. That was us. Yikes.
We spent the whole afternoon backstage rehearsing. I wish we could have been ready before the day of, so we would have had time to watch some of the show. I hate pushing things until the last minute. But we had never managed a dress rehearsal with everyone together, so there was still a lot to work out, I guess. I feel like as a group we were capable of so much more if we had had the time before hand to polish things up.
I think by the time we got on stage, we had all finally learned the drum solo (how stressful does that sound?!) I was confident with it, since I had learned it early on so I could teach it to one of the other dancers who had to miss class for a few weeks. Because there ended up being an even number of oriental dancers, an even number of "hip hop" dancers, and an odd number of "salsa" dancers, as the center salsa dancer, I was front-and-center in the final group staging. Ooof. Because I was there, our teacher instructed everyone that if they forgot what to do in the drum solo, to look over at me...
I was no the strongest dancer on that stage, not by a long shot. I really feel like there were people up there who were way more qualified to be front-and-center than me. I know that I knew the choreography and could do it confidently without panicing or freezing up... but my part in the choreo was to be a backup dancer with a flower in her hair there to acknowledge a flavor in the music, not to be all up in the action! I have been dancing for less than 5 years, there were pros on stage. I feel I am a decent intermediate student, but that's all, you know?
On a warmer note, Cora Camile was *amazing* - she really has a beautiful voice, and I think she really made the performance. She's sweet as can be and great to work with as well. I hope we find more excuses to dance to her singing.
Overall, I think it was fine, not a real train wreck or anything. I just hope that next year we go back to a combination of folk and oriental instead of going all fusiony.
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