Show choirs prepare for competition

Clover Hill co-ed show choir New Dimensions and girls show choir Iridescence have already strapped on their dancing shoes for next spring’s competition in preparing for a show that leaves one’s heart racing with excitement. Last year, New Dimensions took home second place in national competition and are aiming this year for the title.

It’s not an easy goal, but nationally-renowned choreographer Antwon Chavis and school choral director Sandi Thomas are eager to see the final outcomes. “This year’s competition show in the spring, with costumes, and everything … it’s going to be a spectacle; he’s [Chavis] such a genius. It’s going to be crazy exciting,” Thomas said.

Thomas explained that Chavis, who has been Clover Hill’s choreographer for the past six years, has been working with the choirs for two weeks in teaching them all the dance moves for the upcoming spring competitions. The show choirs return to the classroom this week to continue learning the music. This weekend, the group will be performing with Glee star Brad Ellis at the closing ceremony of the Virginia Transplant Games, which are being held in Midlothian on Oct. 1

The choirs will also be performing a winter concert that will be a tribute to 9/11. “That’s where we take all these groups, the six choirs here at Clover Hill and each choir performs stand-still numbers. They’re doing traditional choral music and after December it’s back to this,” she said during rehearsals.

To offset attributed travel and performance costs for show choir, the CHHS Choral Boosters will be hosting an annual Community Silent Auction on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Clover Hill, which is the same evening as the school’s musical play.

For now, the excitement continues on stage as Chavis focuses on the details. His teaching method encourages the students to lock in the movement. “Probably the hardest part is trying to teach a kid how to effectively execute a movement and know why they need to execute it because they can’t see the whole picture. They just know what their body is doing, but they do not know how their body reacts into the grand scheme of things,” he said.

Chavis, who taught a layering choreography to the two groups, explained, “Show Choir is like a musical placed in a 20-minute show. It’s very draining, it’s non-stop. These kids get no break for 20-minutes of singing and dancing. In Broadway, you at least get breaks every five minutes when you stop singing and dancing and start acting. These kids don’t have that luxury. So, it’s everything you love in a Broadway play packed into a 20-minute show with a lot more glitz and just as much glam and special effects and everything.”

And Chavis knows show choir. The award-winning choreographer has worked with over 40 schools in 12 different states. His inspiration is drawn from choreographers Mike Weaver, author of “Sweat, Tears, and Jazz Hands” and the legendary Bob Fosse as well as working with choreographers Niesha Folks, Christopher Judd, and Brian Boitano “to hone my art of dance and try to do my best,” he said.

Thomas, who is in her 30th year of teaching, has seen a “phenomenal” change in the school’s show choir performances since Chavis came on board. She knows it’s a two-week workout camp on stage learning the moves. The groups run the auditorium while singing their show music to build stamina. “It’s initiation by fire. We do a lot of conditioning for them. It’s good crazy,” she said.