Exercise

Koraphus is the “leader.” He must lead the chorus of 7 people across the stage in a dance. He must make every chorus member feel they are part of the dance, the pleasure, that he loves them. They all must share this with the audience.

I go first. Koraphus. Shit. Well, think Marcella Harlan. Think Marcella.

He tells us to let him know if we do not like the music.

Prof starts the music. Big band music. Ok! I turn to Prof and give him thumbs up. He stops the music.

“WHY IS THE FUCKING YOUNG KID FROM AMERICA TURNING AROUND AND TELLING ME YES YES LIKE AN IDIOT? NO! NO! YOU MUST LOOK AT YOUR CHORUS AND FIND OUT IF THEY LIKE IT. START AGAIN.”


We start again. I make sure to look at everyone. I make fucking sure.

We move across the floor. We finish.

Prof: “Not so bad. I am disappointed. I don’t like you, young kid from America. I was really hoping I could say to you that you were terrible, that you thought you were in Iraq and you were destroying everything. But no. It was not too bad. But some times you looked like a gym teacher. Leading the class in exercises. This is very bad. This could get you a zero in the class. A red zero. Bon. Thank you.”

Another boy goes. They begin. They are stopped after just a few moments.

Prof: “Absoloutely terrible. You look like a bunch of hippies coming out of a vegetarian restaurant in India. You all just smoked too much hashish. Bon. And you, the leader, you still look like a pedophile. A pedophile leading a bunch of children back to his house. Come children! Come play! This way! Alors. You are a pedophile leading a bunch of hippie children out of a vegetarian restaurant, back to your house after smoking too much hashish. Bon.”