If you're a dancer, you know how important rhythmic noises are to keeping count or knowing when to come in. This is especially true when you need to sing and dance at the same time and aren't quite sure what the words are yet. This was definitely indicative of today's rehearsal for Orpheus Musical Theatre Society's upcoming production of A Chorus Line. I'm so excited for the opportunity to brush off my dancing shoes and revisit styles that I've been out of touch with for up to 15 years! What they say about getting back on the bicycle is true though and I feel as though I'm settling in quite nicely to my dance chorus role. You really should think about getting tickets. The show is beautifully cast and rumour has it that the show is already half sold, and it doesn't run until March (casual insertion of ticket purchase link here)!
But back to this "noises keeping count" thing. It's got to sound really absurd to people on the outside who aren't used to making noises in everyday life (just more proof that I do really strange things for my job). Nevertheless it totally helps to have "Doo-bi-dee-doo"s and "Ya-ba-da-da"s and "Buh-di-di-duh-di-di-duh"s on hand when a piece of music has turmpet flares and crazy drum solos that are too difficult to count. Plus, it really is a lot more fun! Just think what you could do with a few carefully placed noise rhythms in your everyday life! "Good morning" to your neighbour could become, "Good MOR-ning! (bah-di-li-dah)". Or wishing your cashier well at the grocery store could sound like, "Thank you (brah-ba-pa-pa). Good bye!"
You probably think I'm going a little bit loopy, and perhaps you're right (I mean, it is past my bedtime). But think about it: if we were all a little more willing to appear silly in public and do some of those things that seem second-nature to those of us in the theatre/dance world, maybe we'd be able to find a more childlike joy, a less inhibited joy, a joy that allows us to break free of our adult strongholds.
Or maybe we'd all just understand what the heck the arts kids are doing when they're reciting "buh-di-di-duh-di-di-duh"s under their breath.
Joyanne :D