Idol Bootcamp : Choreography Workshop

Let's Dance!

There are two kinds of people in the world : People who have rhythm, and people who don't. There's really no in-between. The only in-betweens are those who have no rhythm but think they do (worst kind of delusion especially if you're about to go on National TV).

If you've signed up for a show like Singapore Idol, you cannot complain if you're the no-rhythm type. You just gotta suck it up and hope that after a while, producers will REQUEST that you be placed at the back for every 'dance' routine (which they will do eventually once your ungainly swaying gets enough attention from everyone from HDB aunty to New Paper reporter) .

Ok, maybe I'm being a tad dramatic. Actually no real need to break out in hives if you can't dance. Like Zaki says - what they do on Singapore Idol is really BLOCKING, not dancing like So You Think You Can Dance. Thats wicked awesome dancing!

Nobody is asking you to be Jolin Tsai or Usher here. Just memorise the steps and your start/end positions and you should be alright. Its all about rotating from one formation to the next in time with the music. Easy right? NOT.

INTERRUPT...

Btw, since I couldn't take pics of the Top24's faces (shhh still secret mah!).... I took pics of their shoes....their 'dancing' shoes (what they wore to this choreo session). Some choices a bit dubious. So I'll pepper the pics all over the post for a less sleep-inducing read! Click on the pics to see full size if you can't read the captions.

BACK TO THE POST....

Straight away, Zaki splits the boys and girls up. First up, ladieeessss...

Like a shepperd herding sheep, Mr Z herded them through a 'simple' routine that made MY head spin. Once they learned the 'routine' on their spots, it was time to change it up and 'exchange' places.

Wahliao that one made me give up trying to follow the steps! And to think I did ballet for 5 years! (no sniggering. OI Pendehos! I was young and...ish I don't need to explain myself to you young'uns! :P)

Anyway, I thought the girls did pretty well, aced most of the steps. But when I asked Zaki later he just said, 'Ok lah! Eh, so, lunch is Burger King ah?'

Next up, The Zaki (I like this nick, I will call him this from now on), puts the boys through the same wringer. They did pretty well too.

BIG SIGH OF RELIEF from The Zaki. No Slys (can't be Slies right?) or Olis this season! I recall back in season 1, you'd see a really ashen-looking Zaki holding his shaking, be-capped head, wondering how to make the choreo EVEN easier so that Sly would go in the right direction and Oli wouldn't look so stiff. (Oli, Sly, if you are reading this, much love to you guys, :) but you KNOW you couldn't dance right? and that every week you have Zaki big big headache right? :))

So who's The Zaki again? My bad, shoulda said it up top.....Zaki Ahmad is the best choreographer at Mediacorp (he's done so many shows I don't have space to list) and this will be his THIRD Idol outing (he's even outlasted producers k!). I think only he and Gurmit have been with Singapore Idol from Day One!

Apart from being a fab choreographer <-- aiyo this word so hard to type, The Zaki is ridiculously funny! He had me in stitches throughout his almost 3 hour session with the Top24. The stuff he says are said so matter-of-factly, it was all I could do to keep from ROTFL.

"Don't Look Dead."

I mean WHO SAYS THAT??

After the group blocking demo, each Idol took turns to show The Zaki their stage presence by performing for the rest (who sat on the floor). Those in the front row added to the energy by pretending to be groupies :) nice.

Some took to the 'stage' with gusto. Some whispered because they had no more voice thanks to the strain of the Theatre Auditions. Some ingenious ones used their phones to belt out tunes while they lip-synced.

But over each and every one, The Zaki presided. Most common feedback - "never use the whole stage" and "never plan your movements".

Stage Presence 101.

Know your space.

Always PLAN your movements (from start to end of song, know what you're gonna do and where you're gonna go)

Don't advertise your mistakes (almost everyone who messed up either rolled their eyes or stuck out their tongue, when in fact, most audiences would not have noticed the mistake without that telltale action!)

aiya, there are more tips, but are YOU in the top24? No right? And if you were, you would already know cos you paid attention at choreo right? :) Don't be comin' here for a refresher - I ain't your cliff's notes version of Bootcamp :P

"Don't just EMO your face" - The Zaki

He was commenting on how contestants only had one type of expression - emo (as in emotional).

Just what is emo? To me it looked like he was referring to the 'pang sai' face. Also can be called 'kek sai' face.

*pangsai = poo poo

*keksai = pushing out the poo poo

His parting word of advice..... "Remember, your mirror is your best friend." And then adds, "I'm sure you're all reserving - all got secret weapon!"

I'm sure the Top24 will be fine being bestfriends with their mirrors, after all, they ARE part of Generation Camwhore.

As for the latter - it IS possible that they are holding back on some of their talents (vocal/performance) so as not to 'alert' the competition :). What I want to know Mr Z, is who do YOU think is reserving their secret weapons? :)

I must track down The Zaki for an interview :) .....SI Producer! Make it happen *snap*

Next post - underwater vocal training woot!

xoxo, s.

ps. Choreography can be a bitch if you have two left feet. I believe my right has grown significantly similar to my left as the years rolls by.

SIngapore Idol Top 24

Just One More Post for the night!

After a rejuvenating bite of half a piece of chocolate swirly bread (YUM! From Provence @ ionOrchard! <-- first day open and I'm there already!) and a few gulps of cold water (thank gawd for fridges with dispensers), I'm once again flooded with ideas for a post!

But first, gotta check on the household :

Children still asleep? Yes. Wait.. i hear mumbling. Ah its The Daughter - she talks in her sleep just like The Husband and The Godma (the Singaporean one, yes she has more than one).

The Husband still asleep? Yes. Snoring.

The Helper asleep? No, yakking on the phone - who the heck is yakking with her at 4am?

Note to self : remind The Helper -sleep more talk less, no wonder the sugar was in the fridge and the margarine was in the cupboard!

So...for my last post of the night....here's what I want to do...

I'm gonna predict who's gonna win Idol this year, with my Predict-o-meter. Just flutter fingers, roll eyes and the answer will come to me.

Oh but since y'alls don't know the names of the Top 24 yet, I can't share the prediction....hrm what a predicament. Didn't think this one through enough.....

I know...I SHALL NICKNAME THEM! Muahahahahhaha. Top 24 if you are reading this, don't bother guessing, I nicknamed you all, then shuffled it two to the left and 5 to the front then 9 to the left. When the names of the Top24 are revealed, I shall reveal which nickname belongs to who ok?

(ok Einsteins, even if you all figure it out, dun la let the cat out of the bag k? No fun for viewers!)

Set.

Singapore! Let's meet your Idol Top 24!

GIRLS (in no particular order)

1 Cackles

2 Dazed

3 Nurse

4 Pet

5 Bellydancer

6 Pussycatdoll

7 Ebony

8 Ivory

9 Goodgirl

10 Badgirl

11 Diva

12 Turtle

GUYS (in no particular order)

1 Teeth

2 Badboy

3 Ben

4 Worrymuch

5 Guitarhero

6 Colgate

7 Shimmer

8 Homeboy

9 Goodboy

10 Momma's boy

11 Glamourboy

12 Grammarboy

I almost named you all after LOTR characters, then decided aiya, so difficult to remember the spelling ...ish! Don't take the nicks personal, like I said it may not be who you think anyway!)

So from now til probably end August, I shall refer to the Top 24 using their nicknames. Lots more info to be revealed in the coming weeks...BFFs, Hook-ups, drama etc.

As of now, my predict-o-meter says *flutter fingers, roll eyes*......

And the winner is ....

....COLGATE! woot!

Here's what I got on COLGATE :

His favourite Idol Judge is Florence and he loves Perfect 10 98.7FM.

He's a Sexy Sagittarius *there are 3 in Top24* and from what I see, he definitely has the chops to sing it and WIN it!

Stay tuned for more updates and info on your newly nick-ed Top 24.

xoxo, s.

ps. 4.24am gotta haul-ass to bed if i'm gonna make it for their wardrobe fittings later today - see what I'm willing to sacrifice for all things Idol? I gotta get the kids up and ready for school in like...damn...less than 3 hours!

pps. oops in my excitement to get this post out, I forgot to do the post on Zaki! sorry Zaki, you next, promise!

Singapore Idol Bootcamp!

Thursday, 16th July 2009

12.43am : Producers to super elated, newly crowned Singapore Idol 2009's Top 24....

Boys and Girls! Oi, listen here! (I'd like you to imagine a very tired, sian-looking, slightly grumpy producer holding a loudhailer - producers reading this, guess who I'm picturing!)

Congratulations Top 24 for making it this far.

After making you suffer for 4 days straight with sleep deprivation, stressful situations, singing 24/7 and saying goodbye to your friends, tsk, oh boo hoo, ...we are now going to put you through Idol Bootcamp for another 4 days!

Everybody say yeah! Why nobody respond? Stop laughing at the back ah, *kok* you on the head later. Woi. Quiet, I'm not done! Too much! I move your morning wake up call to 530am ah!

*immediate silence*

Your Bootcamp schedule will include the following workshops...

1. Vocal training

2. Performance reviews

3. Dance training/Choreography

4. In-studio/Recording tips

5. More vocal training

6. Yoga sessions

7. Media training (how to talk to media and not look stoopid!)

8. Styling tips

9. Did I already say Vocal training?

10. Speech training - Check your 'LAHs' and 'LEHs' at the door.

11. Confidence/Motivational talk

12. And last but not least, Vocal training - very important, must have a few sessions to teach you all different techniques.

Oh, and we'll start your day, every day, bright and early with an exercise session! Get ready to do them JUMPING JACKS guys and girls! Woi, no moaning or groaning. I move your call time to 5am ah!

Meals courtesy of our lovely sponsor Burger King :)

AND if you need to suck on anything, let it be Strepsils. No Ricola please. We want to be Sponsor-friendly (lesson #1 love your sponsors). Thanks.

I imagine the briefing went something like that :)

Not to worry, now that the 'competition' stage

is over for a while, the contestants will get to enjoy the amazing facilities that are available at the Bootcamp locale (look at the room! newly refurbished sumore!!).

Apparently the pool and tennis courts are open for their use any time. But then again, I doubt they'll have much free time anyway, with all the different sessions organised, plus filming to be done in between (for trailers and for the show), they won't even have time to smell a random fart, much less the roses.

Next post - Zaki, why we love him! (Choreo day! say it with a skip and a clap!)

Xoxo, s.

Singapore Idol Theatre Auditions, Day Four - The Last Mile

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Day 4 : Will the real performers please stand up!

Ok, so I know this post is a little late in coming, but I didnt actually get to attend the final theatre auditions session, so I got the next best thing, I watched the footage raw (unedited).

But I don't have any pics from the tv theatre cos I wasn't there. So you'll have to make do with just text and I'll try to keep it short! keyword - try!

They've sung they're way through rounds and rounds of preliminary auditions and beaten thousands of competitors to get this far. In just 3 days, the numbers have more than halved, as the final 40 face the judges one last time to hopefully make it into the Top24 of Singapore Idol 2009.

Today will be the toughest day yet.

1. Gone is the little room they first auditioned in, they now stand in a large hollow auditorium, on a big stage with flood lights glaring in their faces.

2. Gone are the days of singing mic-less and Acapella, they now have to deal with accompaniment (and you don't have friends to back you up when you slip up!)

3. No more group or duet outings. You're totally on your own on this one. No buddy energy to feed off or someone to share the jitters with. OR someone to blame if you f**kup!

4. Top that off with the pressure that this is your one last chance to make it to the next round, where the REAL competition starts (ie public voting!)

Scared not?

Stress not?

(say it the Ah Lian way k, not the Angmoh way, otherwise it doesn't work!)

Am sure if there were any contestants who told producers they weren't worried or stressed, either they don't take the competition seriously (in which case hopefully they don't make it) or are bluffing to save face.

NOT A GOOD DAY TO SCREW UP.

Usually by this final day of the Theatre Auditions, if you hang around the idol contestants enough, you'll hear a lot of whispering, because they're saving their voices for that last burst.

Many are weary and bleary-eyed from lack of rest, and I'm sure they held back on the complaining (with so many seasons of Idol behind us, we ALL know having a sore throat, feeling sick etc are all excuses the judges don't buy).

The Idol competition is not for the weak and whiny.

(Seriously, there were instances in season 1 when Taufik was so sick, but no one could tell. You couldn't tell he was so sick he actually threw up twice right before he had to go on and perform. He walked on stage and beamed a smile like he was on top of the world, and got some of the best comments from the judges to boot!)

Last night, those still in the running were given a list of 10 songs to choose 1 from :

1. If Ain't Got You - Alicia Keys

2. You And I Both - Jason Mraz

3. Heaven - Bryan Adams

4. The Man Who Can't Be Moved - The Script

5. Killing Me Softly - Aretha Franklin version

6. Love Song - Sara Bareilles

7. I'll Be There - Michael Jackson

8. Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis

9. Unwell - Matchbox 20

10. Stop And Stare - One Republic

Top 2 choices were If I Ain't Got You and Killing Me Softly. Watching the tape, I was so impressed. There were some really awesome renditions.

There was one performance of Killing Me Softly, played on the guitar. It was the contestant's own take on the song and for the first time, I saw that person come out of their shell (as a performer). That is WITHOUT A DOUBT, MY favourite performance to date! Imho, this person is definitely a dark horse to be reckoned with if they make it through to the Top24.

In fact, quite a few contestants who weren't as 'stand out' as before seemed to come out of their shell when the guitars were whipped out.

I'm so glad producers changed it up this year and allowed them to play instruments. I love it because it makes them more confident performers, like they seem to feel more at ease and assured. My guitar will shield me from the judges' comments!

(Sometimes people just need a comfort item to give them that little confidence boost. I, for one, am totally comfortable being a bitch if I've got my big Gucci sunglasses on :), but take my sunglasses away and I'm the resident doormat again!)

And somehow, watching an 'artiste' in their element, its magical, especially when they're all emo and caught up in the song/performance. Think Matt Giraud at the piano and Kris Allen on the guitar. Its a part of them, and every time they performed with, they gave better performances.

Random info : Least fave song choices were Unwell and Stop & Stare. Wonder why? Pretty good songs wat!

I heard from producers that it was the most gruelling day for everyone because the hours were long and the way they delivered the results was very emotional. Apparently the judges were totally drained at the end of the night (but happy). Also, apparently almost everyone cried! Get out those tissues people! Another exciting episode to watch! Can't wait!!

I'm guessing they probably delivered the news to each contestant individually, whether they got through or not. Perhaps like this season's American Idol where they had to walk like A MILE from one end of a mansion/building to the other end. Or maybe they did the simpler thing like Season 7 of AI, where contestants just walked across a large (VERY LARGE) room (after taking a crazy long lift ride). Either way, quite scary stuff la, walking in silence with 3 pairs of eyes looking at you expectantly ('is my fly up? should I smile? damn, shouldn't have had that Oreo, now my teeth could be black! Can they see me shaking?' <-- A long walk allows too much time to entertain thoughts like that!)

Hrm, which one.... recession right? MUST be the lift scenario <--- No one will tell me its so SECRET!! (In fact, I have no idea how results are delivered on each of the Theatre Audition days, so PRODUCERS - it better be good when I watch it in August!)

OH one more thing, I hope (sorry, this is evil, but I love it, good for drama mah!) judges did the 'Sing Off' thing.

You know, where they call two contestants in and ask them to sing right there, in front of them, to see who's worthy of that ONE spot. Evil. I know. And usually, they pick two contestants who are friends to up the emo quotient! EVIL-ER! (And then, send one packing - EVIL-EST!!!) (Kids if you are reading this, Mommy's just joking, EVILer and EVILest are NOT real words :))

To those that made it through - CONGRATULATIONS you guys!

You're the Top 24 of Singapore Idol 2009 (give yourselves and each other a pat on the back - well done!

"Enjoy" the next four days of Bootcamp! Hopefully you're all not too zombied from the last four days and can still function like a human being!

Next post - Welcome to the Singapore Idol Bootcamp!

Xoxo, s.

SINGAPORE IDOL DIGS

Singapore Idol 2009 :

From plastic chairs on Caldecott Hill to plush digs at SSssshh!!

(secret location, cannot tell)

---- we interrupt scheduled reading for this important announcement ----

update 17/7/09, 11.30pm : Sorry, a boo boo occurred. I just got a call from the powers that be (how'd they get my number, which one-a-yous outed me?) and said please do not reveal Bootcamp location. Thus some adjustments have been made to this entry. For those of you who read it before said adjustments, please shhhh!

For those of you who are reading it now for the first time, aiya, small thing oni laaa...you can still enjoy the pics and the post, and then find out later on the show where it was all shot. Not like you want to stalk the idols right?? So low class lor to stalk!

ok....moving on..... (was blogging bout Bachelorette then suddenly kena CALLED - hello my kids sleeping laaaa. My office closes at 8.45pm k! Chewah, like got awfis..ok sorry yes please do read on below)

---------end of bulletin-------

Its an empty foyer outside the Tv Theatre @ Caldecott Hill as each day at the Theatre Auditions, idol hopefuls get the boot.

What was once a busy bustling atmosphere with the almost constant sounds of singing,....

.....is now something of a ghost town just 3 days in.

The once packed to brim luggage area is now left with only a few pieces of luggage.

Each day, the contestants, who have been spending their nights at a lavish secret location (tucked away somewhere on the sunny island of Singapore), have to pack up all their belongings and assume it may be their last day on the Idol Path.

(So mar faan right? but all the better for drama right? Doncha just love those shots of dejected forlorn silhouettes retreating into the sunset, head hanging down, wondering how come his hopes got dashed so prematurely? tsk, we all do, go on admit it!)

Some contestants I spoke to said the this year's accommodations were awesome, like living in a suite! A repeat contestant (she joined last year, but didn't make it this far previously) said this year's digs are topnotch, waaay better than last year's <-- good job MediaCorp! next season - MANSION next door to the studio (hey what you save on transport to/fro for so many people can go to the mansion's rent?)

These pics were taken at 6something am!

Don't you even DARE come near me at anything before 8am, yeesh. But then again, I'm not competing my pants off to be the next Singapore Idol nor am I on a reality show to do that.

Eh boys, your room messy much?

Lucky nothing incriminating peeking out from anywhere!

Check out the yummylicious spread they get! How not to have a hearty start to the day right? I'm hungry...its 3.40am right now, and suddenly I want to eat fried rice. Dammit!

After breakkie, its ONE LAST rehearsal before heading out to Caldecott.

Check out this pic with the Gazebo. No they are not dating (at least I haven't heard any goss that they are).

Isn't the setting just right though, for a dating show? Producers, Bachelorette Singapore?

Another Idol 'couple' practicing their duet (lil bit of bromance goin on here maybe?)

This pic just takes the cake, taken at 8.51am, Singapore Idol contestants CHILLIN' OUT by the pool! Hello, slacking much? Wah kena scolding by judges already still don't wanna haul ass ah? Oh wait, I know, sometimes need to relax and rest those precious vocal chords right? Right right....

Whoopeee, Roll Call, everyone and their trolley bags out....its time to hit the grind...ALL ABOARD! Bus leaves for Caldecott Hill in 5 minutes!

Next Idol post - Bootcamp details!

Xoxo, s.