These are the notes from the remote shooter (see November 4th) for the Dance Rehearsal #2:
Almost everybody showed up on time to the Premier School of Dance. The girls carried their dancing shoes. The guys were neatly, though casually dressed. I think Mary Ellen's partner was late, and a brother and sister couple came late because they had been attending a funeral. I though that a strange juxtaposition. In another case, a boy who looked to be about 12 was serving as a stand-in marshal for his sister. That was charming... he even had braces and was a foot shorter than everyone else.
Everyone was surprised to learn that they would not just be doing the box step; this would be a choreographed event. Teresa, the instructor, has a fabulous drawl, an elegant manner and a loud voice like a drill instructor. She watches like a hawk and got the "girls and their guys" lined up right and stepping out. She's no nonsense and the kids respond first tentatively, then gregariously as she leads them through the basics. There is giggling, laughing, groaning and uncertainty on the floor. She has to do some individual tutoring, but over the two hours, she's got things humming like a Broadway rehearsal.
I was struck by how serious everyone seemed about learning what to do. There were no quitters in this crowd. They were indeed a handsome bunch intent on learning how to dance gracefully. It was fun to watch them hold each other, be told by Teresa to look into each other's eyes, and to respond to her orders as she kept adding more moves and "Let's take that from the top again!" There was one especially perky couple who responded to the Rocking Around the Christmas Tree Music like jitterbuggers from the 1950s.
By the end of the session, the kids were drilling like soldiers on parade. I was struck by how composed the girls and the guys were. I was impressed by a sense of family and investment in them.... especially set of by the younger brother and the kids coming from the funeral. They were there because they wanted to get something out of it. They wanted to learn how to do this successfully. They were remarkably focussed. It also was a chance for the girls and couples to bond a bit. After all, they are all in this together on stage, and they have got to make it work.
