The Berthoud High School Bridge Between Show Choir performs Jan. 26, 2019, with the Kids in Red Camp following two days of singing and dancing lessons.
By Shelley Widhalm
The Surveyor
The BHS Bridge Between Show Choir wants to pass along what they do behind the scenes before they take the stage.
To do this, the Berthoud High School choir will lead the 13th annual Kids in Red Show Choir Camp to give elementary and middle school students a taste of all that goes into preparing for a show. The camp will be Jan. 31 and continue Feb. 1 with a performance that evening.
“We want to enhance the music program within the school district, and we want to promote kids coming into high school to try out for show choir,” said Genia Babyak, Spartan music booster co-president. “This will give them a taste of what it will be like, and hopefully it will pique their interest.”
The show choir, under the direction of Berthoud High School music director Sean Hedding, will teach the students a set of songs and dances related to this year’s theme of All Around the World. The students will be divided into two groups, Kids in Red for grades 2-5 and Kids in Blue for grades 6-8, and the students will get either a red T-shirt or a blue T-shirt to wear at the performance.
“The show choir students pick the songs, they choreograph the dances, and they run the whole camp themselves,” Babyak said.
The two groups will perform what they learn during a one-hour performance that will be open to the public. Kids in Red will perform, followed by Kids in Blue with a performance by the show choir in between, and then the groups will all perform together.
The show choir, which has 21 students in grades 9-12, is an auditioned choir.
“A lot of kids in show choir now took the camp … so it’s really helpful,” Babyak said. “This is an opportunity for kids to learn what it is like to perform songs and dance with the high school show choir.”
The camp costs $40 per student and includes a T-shirt, a snack and a free ticket. Tickets to the show cost $5. The camp and show serve as a fundraiser for the show choir. Last year, 27 students participated in the camp and performed in the show, which raised $910.
Average attendance at the camp is 30 students with a maximum of 50 students.
The camp will be 5-8 p.m. Jan. 31 and 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 1. The show will be 6 p.m. Feb. 1 at Berthoud High School. To register for the camp, visit https://13th-annual-kids-in-red-camp.cheddarup.com. Tickets for the show will be available at the door.
“It’s so refreshing to see these teenagers and also these young children singing and dancing,” Babyak said. “It’s joyous. It’s beautiful. They are dressed up in costume. You can see the joy in their faces.”
The show choir also has several upcoming performances, including traveling singing valentines on Valentine’s Day and the BHS Spring Choir Concert at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at Berthoud High School. Singing valentines are on sale at https://a-singing-valentine.cheddarup.com. The concert is free and open to the public
