boys

So back in the day when I used to actually teach dance instead of just choreograph, I would take little girls and basket toss them, and whip them around, and spot backhandsprings and tucks, and generally make arial warriors out of any ten-year old who was willing. I had a fully sprung gymnastics floor, both knees intact, and the willingness/stupidity to take a fall for any kid who needed rescuing. Even with all of that on my side I still wound up with three broken toes, two bloody noses, a knocked out tooth, two sprained ankles a broken jaw and one concussion.

Fast forward 10 years: I am older, lamer, smarter, and standing barefoot on a grassy backyard with a 30º pitch. I'm still pretty brave - convincing kids that they cannot hurt me - I've done these stunts a thousand times. But still, there are 20 kids over the age of 12 - half of them boys - most of them taller than me.

And while boys are usually better at these types of stunts - sheer leg power, coupled with machismo - they have absolutely no desire to actually learn the finer points of the skill. The girls want a full-scale demonstration, and a verbal breadown of each individual movement, but the boys are completely different. They don't care HOW it's done - they just want to do it - NOW.

Before I can even finish a demonstration I have six guys attempting to vault over each other's heads. Three of them are positive they can pull off a 360º - round-the-world partner flip - with no spotter, and no solid base. Two more knock each other to the ground in a failed attempt at something I didn't even see the start of.

The good news is that we have some sweet flyers in the show. The better news is that nobody got hurt. The best news is that Punk and Kooka will not be in that scene.