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Published
in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 12:05 AM MDT
Students pull it together in 3 days
A traveling group showed Carey students the ropes in quick-study performance.
By Becky Orr
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| GREGORY HOENIG/WTE
Young American Bobby Chris leads Tracie Narvais, 14, through dance steps while practicing in the halls of Carey Junior High Tuesday.
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rep6@wyomingnews.com
CHEYENNE - Students crowded the stage Monday afternoon at Carey Junior High.
They listened carefully to director Charlie Murphy yell out instructions from the middle of the auditorium.
"We'll take this from the top of 'Ghostbusters,'" Murphy said. The music from the song carried from tall speakers set up near the stage.
Students then moved to the music and sang out strong.
"You guys need to rock out. 5, 6, 7, 8 ... ," Murphy said, his voice a blend of opening night excitement and getting down to business.
The energetic rehearsal - which happened again on Tuesday - is all part of a visit from the Young Americans.
The Young Americans is a troupe of performers from 18 to 24 years old. They are based in California and travel around the United States as well as foreign countries to teach students about dance, music and theater.
"We build it (the show) around the kids," Murphy said.
These are tools to help achieve the purpose of their visit, which is to develop self-confidence in young people, said Larry Boye, a tour associate director.
The group has been at Carey Junior High for three days now. Its members are working with 170 Cheyenne students from grades 4 through 12.
Most of the students are from Carey Junior High. The event is part of the activities marking the 50th anniversary of the school.
During the upbeat rehearsals, masses of students who appeared to be having a lot of fun moved on and off stage quickly. They worked to master the dance moves to songs like "I Love Rock and Roll," "I Will Survive," "Staying Alive" and "In the Mood."
Students from Cheyenne are learning a whole new show in three days.
They met with Young Americans in different sessions on Tuesday, where they focused on vocal techniques, dance and comedic improvisation.
"The motto is that if you can talk, you can sing, and if you can walk, you can dance," said tour manager Don Strom.
There are three casts of Young Americans. One cast tours the country to work with students, while another is a resident cast in California, and the third is performing in Germany.
The group was formed in 1962 by Milton Anderson, who wanted to show what young people really are, Strom said. The casts also tour in countries that include Japan, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England.
The group and the students will put on a concert tonight to show what they've learned. The proceeds from the concert will help with the costs of the tour.
Jay Temaat is a fifth-grader at Davis Elementary. During Tuesday's rehearsal, he played the bass while others sang. "It's awesome," he said. "You're having fun and singing."
Carey Junior High student Ashleigh Wilson, 14, practiced Tuesday with Melissa Jackson, one of the Young Americans.
The two went over the music to "Hound Dog," which Wilson will sing as a solo.
"It's exciting," Wilson said. And it's especially important to her because she said she wants to be a singer when she grows up.
Lance Pruitt, a ninth-grader at Carey Junior High, got involved in the program because of the enthusiasm of his teacher, Kathy Lee Montgomery. She is the choral teacher at Carey and coordinated the group's visit.
Pruitt said taking part in the program is more fun than he thought.
"I didn't even really know how to dance before I got here," he said, adding that he's learning new dances.
The favorite song that he's singing is "Get Your Head in the Game," from "High School Musical."
"We're doing dancing, singing and just going wild," he said. "We're moving. No stopping."
Bringing the Young Americans to town gives young people a chance to enjoy music, Montgomery said. And it can strengthen their character and build self-confidence.
There's a "you can do it" message about the program, she said. |
