Performing is a Distinctive Way of Life

What I Do

Life as a performer is bizarre. On top of the usual, like forgetting to pay rent and cooking extra for lunch the next day (only to finish it in one sitting anyway), I spend days doing ridiculous vocal warm-ups, testing air pressure by blowing bubbles in my water bottle, doing a bout of yoga before saying a speech that I had written a day ago. It's exciting, it's fresh and new. Now I know I don't need to be a performer for things to be new (the right outlook on life can do wonders), but there's a feeling of exhilaration that I haven't recreated elsewhere. 

What We've Done

This past week has been a God-send. Our group is sounding and looking superb. We've established some really awesome choreography and backing vocals, and our solo items are gold. From Carol King to Disney, we're covering it all.

Even the dreaded Lloyd Webber. And guess who's doing it?

Coran.

Joking, it's me!

Today

Just to amp up the bizarre nature of our degree, we spent an afternoon watching circus artists experimenting with their craft while saying scripts and singing. They used their different swinging motions to expel the breath and the words with force, they coupled significant passages with difficult twists and turns, all done over our heads. Performed by No Fit State Circus in an old Church hall, we were presented with the most intimate circus experience I've had to date. Some of the flips and yells made me jump in my seat, as the trapeze artists looked as though they would drop right above our heads! 

After three hours there, our group headed to the Cardiff city centre, singing our showcase songs aloud as an exercise. Then we plonked down on a set of benches and sang, one by one, to an adoring crowd (of 5 people including salespersons and children). The experience was sobering for some, but on the whole we left there feeling doubly confident in our abilities. If we can sing our songs a cappella for the public (who feel free to compliment and jeer as they please), we can definitely do it in a theatre for paying customers and friends! 

Standing on our bench, I sang "Rainbow High" with surprising ease and vigour (I may have put it down a few tones), I eyed passers-by, raising my arms in triumph as the key change amped my excitement and theirs. Outdoors or not, it was truly theatrical.

Oh, and some lady said mine was a "distinction" performance. Thanks, lady!

Laura's Rendition of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"

What to Do

Relax and enjoy the weekend. Ballet Cymru is coming to the Wales Millennium Centre tomorrow to give some free performances, and Linh (who I lived with in Oz) is coming to Cardiff on Sunday! Of course, I'll be hanging out with Tommy, as he mentioned a Mexican restaurant. Other than that, it's revision of our choreography and music, plus I need to make some tweaks to my speeches before presenting them on Monday. I wrote a new one that highlights Ate Van's accent and favourite phrases.

It's so fun to be Ate Van in a speech.

Peace Out.