By Yuri Choi and Marcella Soewignjo, Staff Writers
One of S!NG’s major features is its dances—the two shows are well-known for their unique choreography and implementation of popular songs. Every year, dance directors are chosen to lead and create these vital aspects of SING, spending their afternoons rehearsing and teaching dances they choreographed in preparation for opening night. This year, the Freshior directors were juniors Givon Carter, Christy Han, and Valys Maloney, and the Semore directors were seniors Ashley Facey, Isabelle Guillaume, Angelina Jimenez, Faye Shemper, and Annlin Su.
Givon said, “All choreography was a group effort between me and my fellow dance directors… we met up at Queens College to choreograph. We [would] spend hours listening to songs while thinking of moves and confirming it with one another.”
As for the Semore team, Annlin added that she and her co-directors also worked together during the summer. “For every dance I choreographed, I always listened to the song on repeat for hours to catch the most important accents and lyrics… to feel the song and create a character or vision for it.”
With the responsibility of leading and teaching such large groups of people over a span of a few months, the dance directors experienced several difficulties during the preparation. Ashley explained, “Managing time is probably the most difficult challenge with a team of our size. Scheduling rehearsals alone is a lot more time consuming than many would imagine . . . we have to schedule around the directors and participants, making sure everything fits in the time slot we are given.”
Despite these difficulties, all the dance directors have enjoyed the process of preparing for the play, including the bonds formed while everyone spent time together working towards their common goal. Christy commented, “My favorite part of S!NG has been getting to meet new freshmen. I loved that we were able to create a new family with the current juniors and freshmen.”
“My favorite part was choreographing the dances,” Annlin said. “S!NG is one of the few opportunities I have to create a dance of my own and see the vision I have for it come to life. When that happens, I am truly touched and extremely proud of all my dancers.”
Ashley agreed, adding, “I watched as the entire S!NG team danced and laughed next to the friends they’ve only gotten closer to over the past couple of months. Seeing everyone enjoying the environment you helped to create brings me the utmost satisfaction. I wouldn’t trade that feeling for all the riches in the world.”
Despite the competition among the two teams, all directors agreed on one thing: they’ve enjoyed the time spent with their members and cherish the memories that have come from it.
“I love our show so much,” Givon said. He looked forward to the “energy on the night of the show because there [are so many] heightened emotions.”
Christy was also “very excited to see the product of what [she] and [her] fellow directors worked for months on.” She hoped “that everyone will leave their hearts out on the stage, and… that everyone [will have] a good experience whether we win or lose.”
“I can’t even pin-point what I’m looking forward to,” Ashley said before the show. “Literally every moment, from the official dress rehearsal to when they announce the winners, is precious. I’m excited for our long makeup process and all the pictures we’re going to take. I’m excited to give the pep talk we give to the performers before we go out. I’m excited to feel the pre-show jitters. I’m excited to chant ‘Semores’ one last time…and [to feel] the love and energy that constantly radiates from our team.”
Photos by Jason Bacalla and Sharon Li.
