Want to See Some Talent?

This week’s theme is “Doublecreek’s Got Talent.”  Boy, do we have talent!  Want to hear singing?  Come to Doublecreek.  Want to see dancing?  Come to Doublecreek.  Want to see tumbling and gymnastics?  Come to Doublecreek.  Want to see magic?  Wait for the next David Copperfield special.

We have a building called The Dance Barn.  It’s where we have Sing-Song.  It is also where we have an activity called “dance party.”  This is place for 4-Square, sitting and chilling, and listening to music.  Listening is not the right word.  Counselors act as DJs while campers and counselors sing and dance to the music.  I often wander through the area to take in the sights and sounds. What strikes me the most is to listen to campers take the microphone and belt out songs that range from “Let It Go” to 1980’s rock ballads.

This week at Sing-Song you will see campers singing, dancing, and doing handstands, cartwheels, round-offs, and splits.  I believe some intrepid campers will also do impressions.  We held “try-outs” Monday afternoon during second snack time.  Maybe try-out is not the right word.  Campers told us what they wanted to do; we asked for a short demo; and then told them to practice really hard because they were in the show.  We are not looking for jaw-dropping talent – we are looking for campers who want to express themselves.  All the acts are special on a certain level because when campers take the stage, they are taking a huge risk.  I’m always surprised by who wants to perform.

I still remember one talent show from the early 1970’s.  We had a camper who did a split into a handstand on a balance beam (yes, we had balance beams and tumbling tables at one point).  Another camper juggled eggs, but not very well – all were broken within 10 seconds.  Fortunately, Uncle Carter stopped him before he destroyed the entire carton.  One boy solemnly came to the stage, opened a book, and began singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”  We all looked uncertain about what to do until Uncle Carter stood and placed his hand over his heart.  We all followed his lead.

But the last act was . . . well, let me give you some background.  A shy girl came to camp.  She was staying with her grandparents while her parents were moving to New York.  She was to fly up to meet them when they were settled.  I was the 11-14 year-old group counselor then.  She kept to herself and seemed disinterested in every aspect of camp.  I was surprised when she told me she wanted to represent our group in the talent show.  Since the only other act was a boy who could make squeaking noises by placing his hand under his armpit, I told her she was on.

On the day of the talent show, she showed up at the pickup point with a guitar case.  So after the eggs on the floor and a very squeaky rendition of our National Anthem, a girl who up to this point had hardly said a complete sentence since she came to Doublecreek took the stage.  After adjusting her guitar, she began to play and sing “The Night They Drove OldDixie Down.”  It was beautiful; it was perfect.  While she played, not a sound was heard.  When she finished, she waited. For two, maybe three long seconds, there was absolute silence.  Then we came out of our trance and the crowd erupted into applause.  I’ve forgotten the girl’s name, but I’ll never forget the smile on her face after her performance and for the rest of the week.

Because of a talent show, a camper was willing to embrace and be embraced by the Doublecreek Family. 

-- Joe Ray