Show Choir

A Show Choir (originally known as a "swing choir") is a group of people who combine choral singing with dance, sometimes within the context of a specific idea or story.

Show choir is primarily performed as a school activity in the USA. It is usually done as a co-curricular (as part of a class, as well as outside of the school day) or an extracurricular (completely outside of the school day) activity. In addition, some show choirs are formed in organizations outside of school. Though usually a high school activity, the art form has grown and expanded to all levels of school from elementary through the college/university level.

Outside of the United States, show choirs can be found in other countries, including Canada, Mexico, and Argentina.

While there is no standard requirement for the number of performers, show choirs typically contain between 30 and 60 singer/dancers, but it depends on the size of the school and the discretion of the director. Larger schools with a more advanced program may have more than one show choir. Unisex show choirs usually compete in a separate division, with the exception of an "open" division, during which unisex and mixed groups compete against each other.

Show choirs traditionally wear a costume, though the definition of what is considered a costume in show choir is very broad and ranges from jeans and a T-shirt to extravagant period costumes or flashy dance-wear. It can be very conservative (such as tuxedos and ball gowns) or very edgy (such as modern or revealing clothing). Additionally, many larger show choirs include two or more costumes in their show. Participants typically wear stage makeup and shoes conducive to dancing (often "character shoes"). In the Midwest and on the East Coast, woman participants will generally do their hair to look identical. Californian show choirs do not generally have identical hair. Otherwise, from the costumes to the stage makeup, show choir members often look uniform during most shows.

The choir usually has a backup band ("jazz" or "combo" if it includes a Horn Section) providing instrumental music to complement the voices. The instrumentation varies from song to song and choir to choir, but a common show choir band consists of guitar, bass, drums, trumpets, trombone, alto sax, tenor sax, piano, and synthesizer. Some bands include violins or even cellos. Many larger show choirs typically have a larger combo to accompany them. The band is usually out of sight, however the occasional show will have part of the band on stage at certain points.

A "Tech Crew" (or "Stage Crew") is standard with most show choirs, as they assist with and handle the lighting, sound, and stage setup. Show choir crew also help in the creation and management of costumes. During the show, the crew can do several things from helping performers change costumes, manage props, hand out microphones and other duties set out in the choreography and design of the show.

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