I love Fall a lot, but if you really break it down, I mostly like Halloween. Fall is kind of like Summer with a terminal disease. All those red leaves? It's death, right? Wind through the trees is the sound of a death rattle and those crunchy leaves under your feet are literally corpses. It's a dying time. But not Halloween. Halloween is alive. I can't start Halloween stuff soon enough. Even as I type this I'm also carving a pumpkin.
Don't let this get out, but I am seriously contemplating doing a Fall dance recital some time next week. This is very hush hush, at least until I have everything rehearsed and my costumes all picked out. I'm going to admit right now that I am not the world's greatest dancer, but I have been practicing lately every chance I can get. I am also of the belief that if you can dream it you can do it, and I am really dreaming about doing a Fall dance recital.
I guess what really got me thinking about it is that I saw a billboard for Thriller, which is a Halloween dance concert put on by Darryl Yeager and the Odyssey dance troupe at Kingsbury Hall. My sister-in-law Lindsay used to do it. She was a zombie and some kind of skeleton. I've seen the show, and I really like it. That's not to say I don't have some critiques! I'm going to admit right now that I am not the world's greatest choreographer, but I think it would be better if they let me choreograph a few numbers - you know, for diversity.
Anyway, like that's going to happen. So I thought I could do a Thriller type Halloween dance concert of my own, in my own space (Probably on my back porch. Other suggestions?) Except mine wouldn't be called Thriller, it would be called Thrills! And the dancing would have a lot more diversity and different types of costumes. Here are some of the numbers I've come up with so far:
1. La Bamba. In Mexico they like to celebrate the day of the dead, so this song is perfect. I'm going to make some calacas, which are like paper mache heads on sticks. Watch out! I may shake a calacas at you while I'm dancing!
2. The Monster Mash. This is going to be an audience favorite, I bet. It was a graveyard smash! Except I'm going to play a really slowed down version, so it's gloomier. It's going to be really acoustic. Sort of unplugged. I'll be pretty tired after La Bamba, so this will be a chance for me to do some modern work. Kind of Martha Graham. Lots of breathing and crying (I hope!)
3. Bad Moon Rising/Scientology tribute. (I'm still working on this one. It's very stylized, but has a message. It's inspired by this Scientology book I read and couldn't stop thinking about. More details later.)
4. Put Your Records On, by Corrine Bailey Rae. Technically this isn't a Halloween song, but it sure is scary how romantic it is! This will be a slow dance for the audience to join in. Partners only, and NO BEAR HUGGING.
5. The Jurassic Park theme song. I don't want to ruin this for you, but it involves dinosaurs, dinosaurs, and more dinosaurs! Also, me dressed up like Jeff Goldblum.
6. Thriller. This is my final number. If I dance all night I won't have time to put out the treats! (Apples and caramel dip.) Instead of just doing the same moves that Michael Jackson did, I'm going to be doing some Brazilian capoeira (which is like a martial arts/dance mix.) I need some back-up dancers - volunteers? You will have to wear prosthetic arms and drop them at certain points in the number. Can anyone crawl out of a manhole? (Just wondering.)
OK. When I've finalized everything I will send out an invitation to people I know, and not to people who lurk and read other people's blogs and steal their ideas. And please don't come to Thrills! if you are just going to make fun of me. By that time I will have worked very hard. I wouldn't make fun of you at your dance recital. Oh, that's right. You probably don't even dare to have your own dance recital!
