Short day, dancing and SHOPPING!

Rehearsal was short today. We had to be out of the church by 4:00 (generally, we rehearse 10-6, Mon-Sat) as they have a function or something tomorrow so we spent the day learning one new song and going over all the others we had already learned before packing everything up. I know this is going to sound a little pretentious...maybe – but it is so nice to work with girls who are not only dancers, but better dancers than me. Mainly because everyone can pick up choreography quickly and actually remember it. It’s really frustrating doing community theatre musicals (or any show involving any sort of dancing whatsoever) with non-dancers because it takes FOREVER to get through anything. But with this show, we’re actually working at a good pace. We can choreograph more than one number a day and the choreography can be challenging but we can all do it. I feel like I’m finally working at the level I should be at. Of course, there are added challenges when we add our character feet and heads and your vision is suddenly severely limited and you have zero flexibility in your feet…but I see now why they need dancers for these shows. You need people who can handle challenging choreography and still make it look good with a huge, physically constricting costume on. It’s a hell of a work-out and by far one of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to do onstage. Pirouettes in over-sized solid flat shoes are not the easiest things in the world. But I’m learning.

I’m actually learning a lot from everyone. Everyone in the cast but me has done one of these shows before, so I’m really trying to watch how they move and what works and what doesn’t in terms of my physical acting. It’s totally different having to act to a pre-recorded voice and convey what you’re trying to say with no use of your face. Or other parts of your body shrouded in huge costume pieces. Plus, you only get 4 fingers. You’d be surprised how many more challenges that creates.

But it’s fun. So so fun. I feel like I’m at this magical summer camp everyday – it doesn’t feel like work. Plus I’ve been so busy every day at rehearsal and then at home going over everything that I haven’t really had time to get too homesick yet. I know it’ll probably come – I haven’t even been here a full week – but for now the busy-ness is helping.

After rehearsal, I hopped the bus to Polo Park Mall to pick up some stuff. I needed another pair of sneakers as I play 2 characters in the show, each with different feet and my quick-changes are too fast to switch my sneakers between the feet. I got lucky and found a pair at payless for $12. I also finally bought a new water bottle as well as a scarf and hat as I really wasn’t anticipating how cold it would be here and the hat I did bring just isn’t cutting it. The mall was really nice though – I have a day off on Sunday so I may go back for a bit. I might even see a movie too. By myself. Which I’ve never done before…but I figure there’s no better time to start.