What the heck is that? *Jazz hands* Show choir is a type of theatre performance that combines choral singing and choreographed dancing, which is accompanied by a small band. A show choir group normally consists of 30+ high schoolers; in order to make the group one must complete a dancing and singing tryout that meets a certain level of satisfaction. Of course, the tryouts are judged by the music instructors who organize the whole set up of the choir.
Once all the members have been selected it's time to get to work! A few choreographers come in to teach the members each full dance. A total of 4 to 6 songs are choreographed. Besides the dancing, the songs must also be chorally memorized. Plenty of class time is usually allotted for the music instructor to teach the members their individual parts for each song.
It's a long process, usually taking months to finalize and nearly perfect. In the end, everyone in the group will have learned a full 25-minute, non-stop performance including song and dance. As a show choir group, the members will then compete with other show choirs by performing the performance they have learned.
Alrighty, we've got the songs and dances down. Now, it's time to get ready. Just as it is with any other dance performance, the way each group styles their hair and applies their makeup will vary.
From experience, i'd say that tight curls take the most amount of time. When I was a member of a show choir group, the girls had to curl every inch of their hair into tight, banana curls and add a bump at the top where one's bangs are. Seeing as the curls themselves were only a half inch in width, it was a long process. It could take 1 to 3 hours to curl your whole head. Once everything is curled, you'd add the bump to the top of your head using numerous bobby pins. Oh, and don't forget to hairspray the shit out of your hair when you're done.
Moving on to makeup, it was just the same as the hair. It had to be over the top so that the lights from on stage wouldn't pale out the performers. The simplest way to describe it is putting on a ton of makeup. If you question whether you've put enough makeup on, you need more. I remember globing on foundation until my face and neck were two different colors. On the eyes, the girls would have to blend blue, gray, and black eye shadow. Again, the darker, the better. Black eyeliner and mascara were necessary along with a rose shaded lipstick.
~ Getting my hair did, excuse the awkward face and the bump process
Finally, we've made it to the part that really matters. Show Choir Invitationals are generally held at high schools that are affiliated with a show choir. A show choir group holds a competition at their school in which they invite many other show choir groups to compete for the grand champion trophy.
The hair and makeup is great, you've got on your overly bedazzled outfit, and you're ready to work it. Each group that performs has around 30 minutes to set up the stage, perform their songs, and take down the stage. Some groups may take longer to set up depending on their different props or special affects. The performance is the best part. You get to express yourself within the performance by singing and dancing to the best of your ability. I can't really explain the feeling after performing. It's just a rush that leaves you super excited mentally even though you're physically exhausted at the same time.
~ pics from some of my show choir performances last year
When a group is done performing, they are whisked off into another room for critique by the judges. After being critiqued and hanging out for a few hours, the awards are then given out. All the competing groups pack into a gym and await their fate. Awards for best choreography, best vocals, and best soloist are among a few of the group awards given. Then the moment everyone is waiting for is in our presence. The top show choir group of the day is awarded the grand champion trophy. Receiving that trophy makes it all worthwhile. All your hard work has paid off and you couldn't be happier because you've worked to achieve something. I'm speaking from experience when I say it truly is an unbelievable experience. Maybe I'm just a show choir geek, but that feeling of accomplishment is like no other.
~ awarded grand champions at the last performance my senior year
the seniors celebrating their last victory
all the lovely seniors at their last performance ever (bonus points for finding me)
I may have rambled on, but I enjoyed writing about this topic and sharing my experience.
A huge thank you goes out to Simone (Unashamed) for the layout.
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