Some of you at Naperville North are aware that we hosted a show choir competition last weekend. Clash of the Sequins is a day where show choirs from across the country compete to see who is the best group. This year, we had 19 groups competing, many of which are known within the show choir community to be some of the best groups around. It was an amazing weekend that took the effort of hundreds of parent volunteers, students, and District 203 personnel to make the event run smoothly and support Naperville North Show Choir. So, you may be asking yourself, what exactly is Show Choir?
I always hear people say Show Choir is kind of like the television show “Glee”, right? Well, kind of. Show Choir at Naperville North is made up of two groups. High Heeled Harmony is an all female group that has about 60 members. Entourage is a mixed group of about 60 members. We also have an instrumental combo called “The Hot Brockets” that has about 20 members to accompany us. Show choirs, like the groups on the television show “Glee” sing and dance to a variety of pop and musical theater songs in a set that is approximately 20-30 minutes. Our sets typically include several up-tempo songs, a ballad, a boys feature, and a girls feature. We finish the set with our “closer” which is a very up-tempo, high energy song. We actually have someone arrange the songs for us and are lucky enough that our arranger is also the Director of the Hot Brockets. He is able to make changes to our arrangement as needed.
Throughout the year, we perform four different shows: a Fall Show, Halloween Show, Winter Show, and Contest Show. We also have a final performance called Vocal Pop at the end of the year in which we perform our Fall and Competition shows, as well as have solo and duet performances.
So, I am going to answer some questions you may have had about show choir.
What’s with the big hair and heavy make-up? Well, when we’re onstage, the lights tend to wash out our faces. We have to over-do our make-up, especially our eyes and lips in order to make sure that our features will show up from far away, even under the bright lights. By adding a poof and curls into our hair, we give our hair volume, which means it can be seen from far away. Again, with the bright lights and the far distance from the judges, it is hard to see the hair and our natural features, so we make up for that with bold make-up, curls, and a poof.
Why do you have such over-the-top costumes? In my four years in show choir, I have worn corsets, big fake fur jackets, pant suits, mini dresses, and faux leather jackets. The costumes are used to enhance the show and help tell the story with our music. We actually change costumes in the middle of the performance. It is called a quick change, and we usually have about a minute and a half to take off one outfit and put on another, sometimes with shoe changes. It is really frantic, but making a quick stage in time to get back on stage is a great feeling.
Being a part of show choir for the past four years has been an amazing opportunity for me. Show Choir is one big family and we support one another and try to help each member be the best they can be. It is an experience that I will definitely miss when I am in college next year. If you have never seen Naperville North’s Show Choirs perform, you should come see our Vocal Pop performance in May.
Who would have thought that a rap musical about our founding fathers would be such a hit that it would revamp the broadway musical industry? Yes, I am talking about 
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My favorite style of dance is tap dancing. I have been taking tap classes since I was three years old. Tap dancing is a dance performed wearing fitted leather shoes with metal taps on bottom of the toes and heels. It involves the rhythmical tapping of the toes and heels on the floor as a form of percussion. 
These two are arguably the most famous tap dancing duo on the planet. They were partnered together for a total of 10 films between 1933 and 1949. Their dances look completely effortless when you watch them, but their feet are so fast and precise. Rogers had to learn everything opposite of Astaire, yet she still does every move perfect. They are very entertaining, and their style and grace is still an inspiration for tap dancers all over the world today. 
Gene Kelly is just an amazing tap dancer. He is known for his appearance in many films but especially for his tapping in the movie/musical 
Savion Glover is my personal favorite of the tap dancers on this list. I don’t know how he is able to move his feet as quickly and precisely as he does. His rhythm and musicality are perfect. You may know him as the person who did the tap dancing in 
W. W. Jacobs was born September 8, 1863, in London, England and is best known for the English short-story “The Monkey’s Paw.” Although “The Monkey’s Paw” is considered a horror story, Jacobs is more humorous and his works are based on his father’s experience working as a dockhand and managing a wharf. Jacobs died in 1943.
Mr. White’s friend, Sergeant-Major Morris, tells him about this talisman he discovered in India called “The Monkey’s Paw.” A fakir put a spell on it that would grant 3 different men 3 wishes. He wanted to show them that by attempting to avoid their fate would do so to their sorrow. Already, this sounds like a classic “be careful what you wish for” story, but it is much more than that. This story is about the consequences of trying to cheat destiny. The men who used the monkey’s paw did not want to change their fate, they wanted it changed for them. The point of the talisman is to show these men that there is no magical cure to their problems, and if they want to change their fate, they should do it themselves.