Student Blog: What Happens When a Dancer Tries to Sing

I’m a dancer first. While I’ve sung in all sorts of choirs and musicals for as long as I can remember, singing terrifies me. So naturally, I started a college a cappella group.

I was the Dance Captain in all four of my high school musicals. One of my best kept secrets throughout my first three years of high school was that I lip synced during a lot of the musical numbers so that I could focus on my dancing. I didn’t have any confidence in my voice, and I assumed that no one would be missing my sound. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school when I played Minnie Fay in Hello, Dolly that my secret was exposed. During one of the rehearsals, the student controlling the microphones asked me why, despite turning up my microphone at the end of “Motherhood March,” there wasn’t any sound coming out. I wasn’t proud of my lipsyncing secret, and from that day forward I made a conscious effort to sing out in future productions.

I didn’t lip sync because I didn’t like to sing. I was in the honors choir for three years of high school and even auditioned for regional choir festivals. Throughout countless auditions I had determined that I was not meant to be the singer, rather I was the dancer and on occasion the character actress. For two summers in a row I played a role that didn’t sing or dance: in Willy Wonka jr. I played Grandma Josephine who sat in a bed for the entirety of Act 1, and in The Wizard of Oz I was the Wicked Witch. Not only did I have minimal faith in my voice, I wholeheartedly believed that I was a terrible singer who lacked technique and ability.

I continued with musical theater at Villanova University, and dabbled in an all-female choir. I slowly began to find my voice in these groups. I also auditioned for a cappella multiple times, and despite making it to the next round of callbacks, was met with rejection. With each round of auditions I saw the number of girls that were getting cut, and I became aware of the demand for a cappella that was not being fully met. In the fall of this year, I decided to take a risk and propose the idea of forming a new a cappella group. The idea was met with instant hesitation by the other a cappella groups, as it had been many years since a new group was created, and they didn’t think that there was room for an addition. However, I wanted more girls to be able to pursue their passion for music, and I knew that I had the ability to create this outlet for them. I joined forces with a friend of mine, quieted the doubts spinning through my mind, and went through the process of starting an all-treble group. After a few months, The Villanova Belles were brought to life. But, don’t forget, I’m a dancer first.

I was suddenly the President of a group of twelve girls eager to start singing, and I was terrified. Thankfully, a few of our girls are very skilled when it comes to arranging music, but truthfully I had no clue where to begin. I asked for advice from some trusted members of the other groups and got to work finding songs, planning events, and designing shirts. 

To make matters scarier, we were working towards a deadline: March 20th. Every year Villanova holds A Cappella Palooza in which all of the groups get 10 minutes to perform a fully choreographed, sung-through set. When we talked to the other groups about performing at Palooza, they all told us it was a bad idea; we would be throwing ourselves into the largest a cappella event of the year after only singing together for 3 months. Despite feeling anxious about the singing component, I saw the opportunity to put my dance background to use. While the group worked quickly to learn the skills required to sing a cappella, over the course of a month I choreographed our 10-minute set. I’ve choreographed many productions before, but Palooza presented an entirely new set of challenges. Almost every girl in the group would be singing a different part including different vowels and different entrances. Somehow I had to ensure that the choreography would be adaptable to every part while also taking into consideration the handheld mics that we would each be holding. I used a notebook to draw out every single formation in our set including where people stand and where they travel to. Then, I got to teaching.

As March 20th grew closer, I was filled with dread. I had full faith in the group’s ability to succeed, but the thought of having to hold my own part in a song, while dancing and performing in front of hundreds of people, was petrifying. I made a conscious effort to not share my worries with any of the girls- I wanted them to believe that their President only felt excitement and confidence. My roommate on the other hand, who also does a cappella, had to listen to my concerns every night. (Margaux, if you’re reading this, thanks for keeping me sane!)

March 20th came, and I am thrilled that the Belles are officially on the map. Our set went better than I ever could have hoped for. I truly cannot put into words how proud I am of the girls who got up on stage in front of all of the other groups who doubted them and gave it their all. 

I still consider myself to be a dancer first, but slowly I’m overcoming my fear of singing. I’m even soloing one of our songs at our concert in April. If there’s one thing the Belles have taught me, it’s to rely on the support of those who root for you and to not let anyone dictate how far you can dream.