Callbacks aren't always a walk in the park. Mine…well, it depends on how you look at it.
When I saw my name on the list, I think my main thought was: "Okay, this is your chance kid. Take it." I had callbacks for dancing… a lot of us did.
So we all went into the little black box theatre (which was not where we were having the play, thank goodness!) and waited for instructions. We were given a quick tutorial on how to salsa by our choreographer. I was thinking, Huh? This is the 1930s! Did the salsa even exist yet?
But the dance proved to be very fun. And then the awkward moment emerged.
We had to dance with a partner. So what do I do? I ran to the side of my friend and…*cough*previouscrush*cough* and asked him to dance with me.
Can you say awkward?
So the choreographer started the music and…. Let's call him Georg ('cuz it eventually turns out the way it did anyway). Georg and I started dancing, with the creative team watching from the catwalk.
Even more awkward, right?
The movement was fluid, but also a little stoic. I guess it was because we were a little uncomfortable dancing together. He never thought of us being together… and to be honest I did, but I never made that intention clear. We were kinda forced to make eye contact, because we were told it helps us in our dancing. Now I kinda wonder if they made us do that just so they can see whether or not there were good couples in the room.
I'm just kidding, of course. But you can't help but think about these things, right?
But I guess I felt so distracted that he actually had to count out the steps to help me. I felt so embarrased! Me, the one with dancing experience, was being schooled by the one that didn't have any at all. It was helpful though, I can't deny that. It made the situation less awkward for the both of us I guess.
We had to shift partners sometimes and I got to dance with guys that I never thought would be good dancers. Some were a bit more… ahem, friendly than others. When I say that, I mean that they really got into it to the point where I was struggling to match their speed.
I had mixed emotions when it ended. Was I tired? Kinda, but I wanted to just keep dancing. Would I want to dance with Georg again? At the time, yes. As of now? If we absolutely had to, we'd probably just bust some random moves, no pairing or formality intended.
Some time passed and soon enough it was after finals and the day before the beginning of winter break. So my choir teacher announced the cast list to everyone.
Me and… Well, let's just call her Maria, got the lead role of, well, Maria. I admit, when I found out that I got it… I didn't get that jitter-jump of excitement that I was expecting. I guess I was just surprised, 'cuz I remember smiling. The real excitement didn't come, I think, until I told my best friend. But that's another story….
And Georg got the role of Captain von Trapp, the father of the seven kids I eventually had to babysit. Yeah, I know that sounds bad, but If you think about it, it's kinda true. He ended up sharing this role with…. Meh, let's call him the Captain, 'cuz it makes sense.
And according to the teacher, Georg and I were going to be working together. Yeah…. There's not much to say to that, in my opinion. I guess the creative team saw some chemistry between us that we didn't.
All I can say now is what I was thinking after…. Let Broadway Bootcamp begin.
