No doubt, the pandemic had us locked down against our will in the first few months of 2020, when we all thought that it would only last a few weeks. There’s also no denying that as soon as it seemed we’d be in it for a longer haul, many of our thoughts probably raced forward to summer and how much we’d be missing out on- beach days, BBQs, maybe trips to Disney World- but for us at The ROXY, this prolonged stay-at-home situation meant a much more dire reality, an interrupted competition season. Fortunately, when creative minds collaborate, great ideas can take to the stage, like when the first dance competitions made it possible for virtual performances to be submitted.
Their inspired thinking inspired us to combine our years of experience into a new competition & performance experience for The ROXY Dance Teams, and “Summer Vibin’” was born! After much creative scheduling and taking the appropriate precautions necessary in the midst of a pandemic, ROXY dance team members were ready for a few weeks of intensive rehearsals, which included everything from a kiddie pool and beach ball to super quick dance shoe changes and some behind-the-scenes mayhem. With the aid of a massive LED screen and killer synchronized video for a backdrop, the competition number was ready for filming.
Although everyone was happy with the final product (after many many takes), there was still one more thing to do- make a BTS (behind the scenes) video to show all the madness that it takes to make an amazing performance like Summer Vibin’ come to life. Check out the original submission on this post, then try to keep up with the four-camera version in the BTS video. If this doesn’t give you an appreciation for the arts or make you just want to jump into the number, it’s time to get out of quarantine. Special thanks go to the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs for making it possible to mount something as technically complex and artistically enriching as this. Enjoy!