Sunday, June 30, 2013

Tap Pups - all-cast rehearsals and the show as seen from backstage


What, the show is over?
Now what?

As much as I feel like THIS the day of the show, all butterflies, nerves, adrenaline, and anticipation, afterwards I inevitably feel at loose ends.
But here are some moments and quotes and thoughts...

We'll get the official DVDs when they're ready... but they're always a work of art, so it will doubtless be months before they come out.  Props to Brian and his team also for the graphics work and videos that separated the dances -- interviews and dance clips of each of us.  It's a huge step up from my first show with Vicki, when we had a specific order (that year, by age) to come out between dances and pass the mic to say our name, age, and occupation. 


Quoteable moments:
  • Do I throw coal over my near shoulder or my far shoulder?
  • The whole shovel!
  • Does he dance this way when he's dressed as a pistachio?  (about Psy)
  • There's no music for this one?  Yes, acapella means no music.
  • I dance by sound.  -Andrea, who helped us review One by dancing along and voicing dah-duh-duh-las instead of ball-change-steps
  • Who dances up there?  -Franz, via FB about the scissor lift installing lights in the flies.

And my personal favorite:
  • There are no mistakes, just unexpected solos.  -"Not dead yet" Mary


Tech is always fun. Always always always be nice to your techies. I wouldn't want their job! And with a husband and a dad who run sound at a church level, I have utmost respect for the crew. But here's a moment of SAT prep, Tap Pups style.


ONE
For me, this is THE dance.  And when opportunity arose to learn-slash-review it this past winter, a number of "new intermediates" (those that moved up this year or were new to the Tap Pups at Int), jumped at the chance. And then we were told that it was "just for fun", that it wouldn't be in the show, no pressure. And over the course of a month of Saturdays, extra classes, those that knew the dance had brushed it up, and those that were new to it had at least seen every part once. And then it was tabled because there's always so much else to do.

When we got to all-level rehearsals1 we saw the first posting of tentative show order. And One was on the list.

1Not full cast; by all-level I mean everyone at a given level. There are multiple B3 classes during a week, multiple Int classes, etc, and we need the all-level rehearsals to work out who dances where, etc.)

Some of us (read: I) hadn't practiced One since January.
But it's ONE.
Some chose to brush up on it from what they knew from last year and reviewed in January.
Some figured they hadn't locked it in from new in January and chose not to dance it in the show.
Some danced it last year but hadn't reviewed it enough to be confident in it.
But for three of us, the opportunity to dance in ONE was worth all the work.
It was glorious. And I don't mind telling you, I was emotional to the point of tears at the tail end of it during the show.

It's One.

Assorted 50s/60s Dances
It should be noted that at least EIGHT assorted dances were CUT from the choreography! Before that we were "requesting" that the video feed of which dance was next be projected to the rear of the auditorium, for our own memory's sake. The way Vicki put this dance together as performed was just fantastic -- and in the show we didn't use a "show shirt", we each put together an outfit, from cat's eye glasses to lettermen's jackets to a Harley jacket to poodle skirts and color, motion, and JOY! Daniel (our photographer this week, but who also has given us Broadway masterclasses) says that the only reason for dance is joy.


Anticipation... "You should be here!"


And finally, Brian taped a bit of the show opening, Wings... you can never bring back the experience, just some of the data from it... but this tiny clip of an all-consuming day was enough to tear me up again.
Official Wings video http://tinyurl.com/TapPupsLiveOpen

EDIT: Some video clips removed from blog post.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Waze - traffic/mapping app

Sure do wish I knew about Waze BEFORE our 1600-mile Atlanta roadtrip, specifically before taking I-81 at 25mph all the way thru Virginia on the return trip!  (P-a-i-n-f-u-l-!)

Link to GeekMom's full post; what a great resource!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Computing Power

Mom working towards her 15min of fame

My mom, the luddite of luddites, has made it onto YouTube.

She was present at the announcement of Ken Ulman, the current Howard County Executive, being named the running mate to Maryland gubernatorial candidate Anthony Brown. My parents have been involved in local and state-level politics ever since some of their PTA friends (yay for involved parents!) started running for offices. And although mom and dad get the occasional, "What's ___ doing at your networking social? They're a Republican!", what it boils down to is that all these people are my parents' friends, regardless of party lines.

Anthony Brown, Governor 2014 | Anthony Brown’s Running Mate will be Howard County Executive Ken Ulman
Mom sat about four rows back of the podium and appears at the top left of the screen during the announcement.
so on the Youtube clip, she appears at 0:26, 0:41, 0:50, and 1:25.


(I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. My family and friends are super supportive and consistently make it into commemoration of significant events in my life. My mom is in a photo in my college freshman yearbook. The whole family made it into crowd scans on at least two of my tap DVDs. And when the Tap Pups were on CBS Sunday Morning, I was onscreen for a single frame, and my then-4yo buddy C was onscreen for about 5 seconds of a 6min nationally televised clip.)

Calvin & Hobbes + 26 years = Hobbes & Bacon

Calvin & Hobbes + 26 years = Hobbes & Bacon

This is absolutely priceless! There are four strips, the first of which is below. Click the link above to get all four and an ongoing discussion.


source: PantsAreOverrated

I miss Calvin & Hobbes, but I am delighted that they still appear on FB on Daily Calvin & Hobbes.

And people reference them in unexpected places, like in describing the card game Fluxx as Tabletop Calvinball.

BTW, remembering that Calvin and Hobbes are named for theologians John Calvin and Thomas Hobbes, Bacon is ostensibly named for Francis Bacon.

Calvin & Hobbes + 26 years = Hobbes & Bacon

Convention bullet points, part 2


close of Addison's opening speech
  • This can happen for me and my family.
    Stop talkin' about what you're gonna do and GO DO IT.
    Not the Future, the NOW.
    At some point, gotta snap! Gotta quit sticking a toe in and JUMP IN and MAKE IT HAPPEN!



source: primerica.com

SatAM
  • How would my life be different now if i were free?
    Either design a life of freedom or live a life of bondage -Chris Koob



Women's
  • We gon' throw you in a jersey, gon' put you in the game, and see what you're made of. -Mary Walker
  • Don't think for a minute that the dream inside you, as yet unseen, is not making a difference.
    You are going for something... or you are going nowhere -Kara Dower
  • Where we are is not the definition of who we are, it's where we're going...
    "You wait 'til you see my next six months!" -Cindy Kicklighter
  • When you're born you look like your parents, but when you die, you look like your choices. -Lisa Jones
  • As long as you don't quit, you'll beat everybody out there -Susan Carreon


Sat Closing Session
  • Asking myself: for the set-your-head: If we went RVP and could choose our Jimmy-school intro music, what would you like?




Wall of Fame
  • H!!!!!!!!!!!
    May need a whole 'nother H post!
  • Always go up whenever you have a chance. The whole team (Not really. But why would you not go up front??) went up for the Naylors' promotion but worked their way back to their seats. Why wouldn't you stay up front once you put the effort in to get up there?
  • Later on, for the next recognition, I was poking people to go up front and a teammate directly asked, "Is there anyone related to us?" They're all related to us! If I were stranded anywhere and could get to a phonebook, I would call the nearest Primerica office and I know I would be welcomed and aided! That's what family does.