Broadway Baby Read Online Free
Author: Samantha-Ellen Bound
throat-swelling, stomach-clenching, shaky fingers and brain-muddling that auditions do.
The only person I know who hates auditions more than me is Paige. I just donât think itâsfair that everything youâve worked and studied for can come down to a five-minute audition. I bet if I had to hand in a video montage of all my best performances instead of doing an audition, I would get the part each time.
For the Mary Poppins auditions, we started off learning the jazz-based musical theatre dance, which Billie was in charge of. Having Billie there made me feel a little more at home and took some of the tightness out of my shoulders.
She began by getting us to do some floor work: turns, kicks, travelling steps. I had to smother a giggle when the adults tried some of them. Iâve seen better performances from an emu.
Next, Billie taught us a routine so that she could get an idea of everyoneâs dance ability.
The choreography was fairly simple with a four-count beat. I could have done it inmy sleep, but I still made sure I was at the front, and on my best Ellie-is-a-good-student behaviour. Because I found the routine so easy I tried to up my energy and flair. The simplicity of the dance sequence also gave me a good chance to watch everyone else and suss out the competition, especially Cadence. Sure, she got all the steps, but she wasnât that great.
Billie let the adults sit down after that, because next she had choreographed a piece to teach the kids who wanted to be in the main dance troupe. The adults who didnât get a main part would be in the chorus, singing and doing all the background stuff, while the main dance troupe would be front and centre, doing the bulk of the choreography.
This musical theatre routine was more complicated, with some turns and jumps and showy steps. I nailed it, of course, and I felt a beam of pride when I saw Cadence watching me.
Billie also got us to do a short contemporary sequence.
â Mary Poppins has room for many styles of dance,â she called out after we were all done and standing around with our hands on our knees, catching our breaths. âSo weâll be doing some jazzy, musical-theatre based pieces, as well as more lyrical pieces to the slower songs. And then, of course, good olâ tap.â
At this a lot of people cheered, and I felt my stomach sink. I casually moved back to the second row so I would have someone to copy from if worse came to worst, even if that someone was Cadence, who I noticed pushed her way to the front almost immediately.
Billie made a fake sad face and clutched her chest. âAnd this is where I will now leave you, my lovelies â and pass the baton to tap extraordinaire Damon Periwinkle.â
Damon who ? I covered my laugh with my hand and looked around to see if anyone else found it funny. No one. They were all staring at Mr Periwinkle with pleasant faces. I rolled my eyes. Ash, Riley and Paige would have shared my secret smile.
Periwinkle jumped to his feet when Billie called out his name. He was at least sixty, with long lanky legs, but he moved with so much grace, effortlessly jumping over some chairs that were in his way, swinging himself around a pot plant, and tapping his way to the front.
He had thick black hair brushed back neatly and the darkest, twinkliest eyes turned up at the edges with crinkles. His mouth looked as if he was always in the middle of sharing a joke with you.
Despite his silly name, I liked him straight away. He reminded me of an old movie star,and I imagined that when he was on stage you couldnât take your eyes off him.
âWelcome, my hoofers,â he said with a very British accent, bowing to us theatrically. âIâve been watching all of you dance your little hearts out. Now itâs time for you to watch me. Who wants to do some tapping?â
âMe!â trilled Cadence.
âNot me!â I muttered under my breath.
âWho said ânot
The only person I know who hates auditions more than me is Paige. I just donât think itâsfair that everything youâve worked and studied for can come down to a five-minute audition. I bet if I had to hand in a video montage of all my best performances instead of doing an audition, I would get the part each time.
For the Mary Poppins auditions, we started off learning the jazz-based musical theatre dance, which Billie was in charge of. Having Billie there made me feel a little more at home and took some of the tightness out of my shoulders.
She began by getting us to do some floor work: turns, kicks, travelling steps. I had to smother a giggle when the adults tried some of them. Iâve seen better performances from an emu.
Next, Billie taught us a routine so that she could get an idea of everyoneâs dance ability.
The choreography was fairly simple with a four-count beat. I could have done it inmy sleep, but I still made sure I was at the front, and on my best Ellie-is-a-good-student behaviour. Because I found the routine so easy I tried to up my energy and flair. The simplicity of the dance sequence also gave me a good chance to watch everyone else and suss out the competition, especially Cadence. Sure, she got all the steps, but she wasnât that great.
Billie let the adults sit down after that, because next she had choreographed a piece to teach the kids who wanted to be in the main dance troupe. The adults who didnât get a main part would be in the chorus, singing and doing all the background stuff, while the main dance troupe would be front and centre, doing the bulk of the choreography.
This musical theatre routine was more complicated, with some turns and jumps and showy steps. I nailed it, of course, and I felt a beam of pride when I saw Cadence watching me.
Billie also got us to do a short contemporary sequence.
â Mary Poppins has room for many styles of dance,â she called out after we were all done and standing around with our hands on our knees, catching our breaths. âSo weâll be doing some jazzy, musical-theatre based pieces, as well as more lyrical pieces to the slower songs. And then, of course, good olâ tap.â
At this a lot of people cheered, and I felt my stomach sink. I casually moved back to the second row so I would have someone to copy from if worse came to worst, even if that someone was Cadence, who I noticed pushed her way to the front almost immediately.
Billie made a fake sad face and clutched her chest. âAnd this is where I will now leave you, my lovelies â and pass the baton to tap extraordinaire Damon Periwinkle.â
Damon who ? I covered my laugh with my hand and looked around to see if anyone else found it funny. No one. They were all staring at Mr Periwinkle with pleasant faces. I rolled my eyes. Ash, Riley and Paige would have shared my secret smile.
Periwinkle jumped to his feet when Billie called out his name. He was at least sixty, with long lanky legs, but he moved with so much grace, effortlessly jumping over some chairs that were in his way, swinging himself around a pot plant, and tapping his way to the front.
He had thick black hair brushed back neatly and the darkest, twinkliest eyes turned up at the edges with crinkles. His mouth looked as if he was always in the middle of sharing a joke with you.
Despite his silly name, I liked him straight away. He reminded me of an old movie star,and I imagined that when he was on stage you couldnât take your eyes off him.
âWelcome, my hoofers,â he said with a very British accent, bowing to us theatrically. âIâve been watching all of you dance your little hearts out. Now itâs time for you to watch me. Who wants to do some tapping?â
âMe!â trilled Cadence.
âNot me!â I muttered under my breath.
âWho said ânot