Chapter Seven: Baby's First Competition Package

Before we took a break for the holidays had a holiday party, at the lovely home of Ms. Heather Collins, and a were given the music for our new competition package. Our two new songs were to be Yes Sir, That's My Baby and How Deep Is The Ocean - such amazing charts!

When we got back together after the break we starting working the uptune because the fabulous Ms. Gail Jensik was coming in to coach us and teach us the choreography plan she had designed for the song. As anyone who has ever had the pleasure of working with Gail can tell you, she has great energy! She is sassy and friendly, but she won't let you get away with anything less then what you are truly capable of.

As we got into learning the choreo it was decided that anyone who had interest in dancing in the front row would come down and learn the choreo and the line-up would be chosen later. Being the Dance & Theatre majors that we were, Steph, Sabrina and I all came down to learn it. The rest of the day went by in a flash of steps, turns, laughs and song. It was our first big coaching session with the chorus, and just one more thing to seal in the fact and this was a group of ladies that we wanted to sing with for a long time.

At the end of the day we helped take down the risers and load them back into the van. We went back in to get our things and hug people goodbye. On our way out we passed our director, Scott, and he said something like "I just wanted to thank you girls for your energy. Good rehearsal - see you Wednesday night." Well we just about floated to the car! A brilliant end to a very exciting rehearsal.

The next week at rehearsal most of the people who came down to the front row were still there and some others simply went up onto the risers. Did this is mean I had made it into the front row? Well the next week at rehearsal we were going to be voice placed. One by one Scott listened to each voice in the chorus and put us up on the risers and switched us all around until he had a configuration that sounded best. Steph ended up on the stage left side of the front row. Sabrina ended up on the 3rd or 4th row by Edie and Mary Jo - a sweet spot indeed. She was a lead who had "infiltrated the jungle. " And I came to get my second riser placement in the chorus splitting front row center with Ms. Sharon Guzi with Faith to my right - I was pleased as punch! The only thing I like better than singing is singing and dancing, and I was going to be doing just that.