Scream – Devil Training Session
┝┈┈───╼⊳⊰ 𖤍 ⊱⊲╾───┈┈┥
I just wanna make you scream
(Devil, eyes, come)
┝┈┈───╼⊳⊰ 𖤍 ⊱⊲╾───┈┈┥
Click on our channel and you’ll see a burst of color. We like to go outside for our covers and somehow manage to always wear crop tops during winter and leather jackets during summer (at this point, it’s part of our brand).
For our group project “Scream” by Dreamcatcher, however, we decided to film a dance practice cover instead. We shot a few medleys at our regular dance studio but never a group cover. Meaning, instead of throwing on elaborate outfits, we slipped into sweatpants and t-shirts.
We usually start with a basic lesson. Our members alternate at organizing a training session in their specialty and introduce the other crew members to new styles every two weeks, ranging from Shuffling to Modern Dance to Lady’s Style and many more. But we had a tight schedule that day, so we delayed Sayeh’s session in Hip Hop and Dance Hall. Mel and Domi took the lead in positioning us. Coordinating 13 people can tumble into a mess so easily but they managed us well.
We split into two groups: the main cast and the background dancers. We adjusted the hand and arm movements–suddenly forgetting the difference between right and left–and picked each and every step apart.
So while the background dancers were mopping the floor with their backs, the main cast tried to figure out how to walk again (Alexa, play Seventeen’s “Left and Right”).
Mel guided the dance break. She morphed into a sound mixer and sang gibberish to show us the timing. Because obviously, counting or putting on the soundtrack was not an option. (Among experts, you’d call it dance language.)
And as you do, we started questioning every step. Even rolling your head in the right direction was a challenge. See, there’s a core difference between rotating your head from the point you stopped or adding a little momentum. And that opened another can of struggles (to quote Selina, “Wait… how do you even add momentum?”).
Since the dance break is tiring, we tried not to pour our whole energy into the practice time. But after a while, we needed a break, our heads fuming, our shirts soaked in sweat, our lungs burning. It didn’t help that it was hot. Really hot.
We set up the camera and adjusted our outfits. All background dancers were wearing all black, a cap, and a mask. Of course, the outfit decision didn’t cause any trouble. The background dancers didn’t struggle with breathing through the mask and didn’t lose their caps from headbanging the whole time. I also only slipped once on Mel’s cap (a good quote). The fact that Mel tripped over Selina’s foot and landed on her back also speaks for how smoothly the shoot went.
In one take, Kathi spinned around and froze like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. “Did somebody yell ‘Stop’?”
We shook our heads, some mumbled “No” or “Well, I didn’t hear anything.”
“But I heard a voice saying ‘Stop’. I really did.” Kathi folded her hands over her chest (I feared she’d suffer from a heart attack any second), her eyes widening. “Oh my god, I’m starting to hallucinate–”
Just two takes later, multiple people interrupted the take.
“Somebody yelled ‘Stop’, right?”
“I heard it too.”
“Great, now we’re all hallucinating.”
Despite all of us hallucinating, we managed to pump a few more takes out of our muscles. At the end of the last take everybody collapsed on the floor. It was a massacre. Outside of the studio, we coiled up on the sofa and reviewed the takes.
A huge weight had been lifted off of our shoulders.
Mel said, “Hey, guys, I know we’re all exhausted but I’m really grateful for the vibe we had. And I’m glad we pushed through.”
This was arguably the most exhausting training session I’ve ever participated in. But I’m happy I got to stick through it with my crew members. I can always count on them. So if you’r lucky to be a part of a dance crew, I hope you guys cherish each other too.
Written by 🔗Sindy
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Thank you for sharing, Sindy! Really interesting to read! I sounds like you had a great workout. 😉