There are three main logistic challenges that spring to mind, when I think about this project.

First of all, I normally have two weeks in a community to work with the local kids on my Festival Spectacle production and this time I have less than four days. I must be mad!

Secondly, I have never worked with so many kids that actually end up performing the final show. Many times when I work in schools, less than half of the pupils show actually up during the presentation at the local festival, because the actual performance is outside school hours and kids or parents might have other commitments on the day of the performance. It is difficult to get my head around the physics of 1,000+ kids actually performing this time.

Last but not least, I am unfamiliar with the performing space and besides only having a rough idea about its dimensions, the concept of performing on a circular road for an audience that sits and stands alongside the road (including the actual performing kids) is something that will force me to go to the drawing board.

We have 9 age groups (Baby through P7, 3 -14 years old) of which there are a total of 16 classes with their teachers. Then there are 14 volunteers in our group. I expect Sylvia to be occupied with the official VIP-guests, one person holding my digital video camera and myself orchestrating the overall production with at least Kristen as my production assistant. That leaves enough group members to assist the 9 different age-groups with their teachers in the expected 9 dance elements.

If Tony ends up composing or performing music with the kids on their guitars, I suggest we record their actual performance on Thursday, so we do not have the stress and/or production challenge of amplifying their music live.

I trust that the sound system of the school is adequate to amplify music on the desirable level for both performers and members of the audience.

I like to think that we can arrange things on Friday in such a manner that we have a Dress Rehearsal before the parents and other VIPs arrive.

Given the fact that I shall be visiting the school with Tony on the Friday prior to our official arrival, to go over the logistics of the production, I keep in mind that this day offeres also an opportunity of valuable rehearsal time.

I have been told that I should expect to achieve very little on Monday, as we are entertained the whole morning by the kids during their Welcome Ceremony. The fact that this is a moment where we have all the kids together in the auditorium, I suggest that we set some time apart to explain the Festival Spectacle to the kids and even use the opportunity to teach everyone the basics of our Finale Line Dance.

Let’s Do The Sums

Available rehearsal time:

- hours (to be announced) |Friday (26th)
2 hours |Monday (29th)
6 hours |Tuesday
6 hours | Wednesday
6 hours | Thursday
0 hours (not counting the Dress Rehearsal) | Friday

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20 hours total (1200 minutes) – an average of one hour and fifteen minutes per class(75 minutes).

I shall like to spend more time with the older kids (P2 and upwards) and less with the children younger than 7 years old.

6 x 50 minutes (Baby, Top and P1) = 300 minutes (preferably split in two meetings is 25 minutes per class)
10 x 90 minutes (P2 – P7) = 900 minutes (split in two meetings of 45 minutes per class)

Please note: The above calculation is based on work days from 8 am until 4 pm (minus a total of 2 hours of break time). This means we should start at 8am (as Sylvia initially told me) and not 8:30 am as mentioned in our recent conference call!

Rehearsal Space

This again needs some thought. Idealy, I would like to practice at least once with each group on the actual road, so that we can practice how they start from the location they are seated to making the full circle during their dance back to their ’seat’. However, besides the issue of weather (?), I wonder if using the sound system all week outside is too much of a distraction for the other classes?

Another location to practice with the students is in the auditorium. Here I have questions with regards to the availability as I assume this is also the school’s lunch room…

I suspect that the classrooms are to small to practice the dance, but maybe I am wrong.

Some  Questions

Is their power in each class room? Do I need to bring a boom-box or speakers for my lap-top to use for potential rehearsals in the class room. Should either work on battery power, particularly since there is not always power.

Should I be worried about not having power for the sound system during the actual performance on Friday and if so, how difficult is it to locally arrange a generator for back-up?

Is the sound system in the auditorium permanent and is this the same sound system we would use outside? In case I end up using the sound system outside all week, does this create a logistic problem for the school staff in the auditorium?

Any feedback, suggestions, etc. please post a comment below.

Thanks!

Jeroen Mourik