Colonia High School’s Show Choir is adding many new things to their set this year. With a new choreographer and fresh music this year is bound to be The Greatest Show.
New Changes
Co-stars Hugh Jackman and Keala Settle joke around at the premiere of The Greatest Showman in Japan.
The first change this year is a set with the same theme. Choir director, Alaine Bolton, chose music from the movie, The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, and Zendaya. “I love the movie, I’ve seen it three times already” she explained smiling. “I chose this because I feel like the songs are really inspirational and have lots of energy and I feel like this group of kids are perfect for that.” Choreographer Emily Anan says that because there is a theme they will be “telling a story.” The songs they will be performing are: The Greatest Show, Rewrite the Stars, and This is Me.
Another new addition this year is gymnastics. The Greatest Showman is centered around the famous P.T Barnum, founder of Barnum & Bailey Circus. There will be lots of tricks and stunts to give off the feeling of being in a circus.
Although the show choir will not be getting new costumes, they will be changing their appearance a bit. First, they are changing the classic character shoes to jazz shoes. ” It’s very difficult to do gymnastics in heels” says Bolton. Second, they will be adding makeup with the help of assistant show choir director, Miss Ragan, another teacher at Colonia High School. They’re adding makeup that will resemble stage makeup but a little more subtle.
Lastly, the show choir along with all the other choirs are going to Disney Land instead of Disney World. Bolton says that she’s never been to California and that she wants to do something different. This is her 20th year teaching and she wanted to do something special for this important year.
Anan performing at the Beyond the Stars competition.
New Choreographer
Another new change this year is the choreographer for the show choir. In the past the show choir has had two or three student choreographers choreography the entire set. This year Bolton chose one student choreographer: Emily Anan. Anan has been dancing at the Verne Fowler School of Dance and Theater Arts since she was 3 years old. She has danced tap, ballet, jazz, contemporary, and she is on their competition team. She has won many awards and some of her group dances have won national titles. Her solo has won a couple times at competitions. Anan is also one of the assistant dance captains for the school musical. Anan has never choreographed a whole entire show before but she says she is ready for it this year. She has choreographed some numbers for other performances. Last year when she choreographed a number to the song The World Was Wide Enough from the Tony award-winning musical Hamilton for ITS’s Broadway Gala. When Bolton told her that she wanted her to choreograph this year’s show she was “super excited”.
Choreography
With her choreography this year, Anan is trying to incorporate different dance styles. The first number, she says is jazzy, fast, upbeat, with a little hip-hop infused. She wants it to be contemporary at parts as well to show the “dynamics and take you through the movie”, she wants to show that the show choir can do both sides of dance, upbeat and slow.
Because there is a big show choir and because of the theme she says that there is going to be a lot of moving parts. She is also changing the pace of the dances, making them faster than other show choir dances in the past years.
” It is challenging because number one, I’ve had a lot of dance training. I do complicated dances. Not everyone in show choir has dance training and we’re also singing so I have to make things not as hard. But so far, everyone has been doing really well, more than I thought so I can make the dances a bit more complicated.”
She warned everyone at the beginning of the audition process that her choreography is different than past choreography. “I said that it’s not going to be easy and I want to show what we can do. I never want to put anyone on the stage that doesn’t know what they’re doing so I keep going over things and they’re picking it up pretty well. I’m happy about it.”
She says that working with the show choir is amazing, she admires the dedication and energy that the group brings in this year. There’s a sense of family with the show choir. “If someone forgets someone’s helping. It’s always good to go over things.”
Rehearsal Process
So far, the show choir rehearsal process has been going very well according to many members. They
have been handling this new choreography with no problems at all. The show choir officer Tyler Benson said, ” It is challenging but in the end, it looks really good, it’s going to be amazing.” Ryan Cambell, another member from the show choir, really likes Anan’s choreography. “She’s great. No other show choir choreographer has been able to create such original choreography like she has.”
Support
If you want to support the Colonia High School show choir there are many ways how. First off, there are fundraisers. As of right now, they’re doing a cookie fundraiser, find a choir member and buy some cookie dough from them until October 31. A tub of cookie dough is $10. In the future, they will be doing a popcorn fundraiser. There will also be a Chipotle Fundraiser on October 30 from 5-9PM at the Chipotle in Menlo Park. Apparel will be sold soon. Or see the show choir perform at their concert Thursday, December 6 at 6:30 PM. This concert is a combined concert with the band and other choirs as well.
