Enter the Opium Den

Ok, so Guys & Dolls is coming along just swimmingly. Nothing overly amusing to recount right now.

However, I am also choreographing a number for a high school musical right now. The scene takes place in an Opium Den, and the music was definitely written by someone high on SOMETHING.

I use the term "music" lightly. It took me quite a while to actually GET a copy of the song, because for a few months, their piano player wasn't even able to PLAY this music. Possibly because it sounds like random noise. You know when you go to the theatre, or the ballet or something, and the orchestra is all warming up? Yeah, sounded a lot like that.

Now try to picture choreographing a dance to that. And then teaching it to a bunch of teenagers. Right.

So, let's see, creative juices, creative juices. An opium high. I'm pretty naive as far as the drugs go, so I'm hoping that an opium high is something like an ice cream headache.

Now, let's see. Read on in the script. Out come the writhing succubae. Quick dictionary check.



Main Entry: suc·cu·bus
Pronunciation: 's&k-y&-b&s
an imaginary demon assuming female form and formerly held to have sexual intercourse with men in their sleep

Umm...yikes. What kind of show is this? Sexual intercourse AND ice cream headaches? Pshaw, the things you can get away with in high school!

Anyhow, I put something together that will either make people think I'm a master of modern dance, or that I've lost my mind. I'm not so sure there's a huge difference, and if you've ever had to sit through a modern dance recital, you'll know what I'm talking about.

I had asked the director to check with the students how many had previous dance experience, specifically ballet. There were a handful. Great. They shall be my balletic succubae.

Unfortunately, most of that handful of girls apparently consider watching "Dancing With the Stars" as dance experience.

At one point, I told the group, "Ok, I want you to do three chené turns". For those who missed Dancing with the Stars last week, chené turns are very basic dance turns, done on two feet.

One girl actually fell over, saying "whoa, haven't done this in a while." I wasn't sure if she meant chené turns or basic gravity defiance.

I like seeing my name down in the theatre program, I really do. However, there are some shows that I choreograph, that I'd rather my name not be associated with at all. We'll see how it turns out, and I still have great hope, but I may be praying for an "unfortunate omission" of the choreographer's name on this one.