Booty anda Best

For each week of the camp we all must monitor a group project. The first week had us charting dance moves and drilling lyrics for a 'song contest' held last Sunday for parents and various Korea suits. This week we are supposed to conduct some sort of role play, which has manifested itself as the kids recreating scenes from various Disney classics.

My group stumbled upon Beauty and the Beast. It's probably no better or worse than anything else they could have been assigned. I work with the lowest level students, so their comprehension of these stories is essentially nil. That said, the show must go on, and so they are still forced to script read and drill scenes. Last night my Korean co teacher sequestered the girls in a sort of tryout for the Belle character, and I was left to run a 4-page section with the boys. What ensued in this dudes' session was easily the most hilarious thing I've been a part of at camp.

Now, don't take this as me knocking these kids because they couldn't comprehend the scene. That's hardly the case. Most of them actually did grasp the arc of things. What got me going was how they suddenly broke out of their shell and gave Beauty everything they had. The narrarrator adopted a faux deep voice, the Prince/Beast was rife with passion, Belle (as played by an 11 year old boy) exhibited moments of real anguish. As funny as this whole thing was, I'd say it was equally fascinating. I was witnessing boys teetering on the precipice of all-consuming self-consciousness (teenagerdom). The equation was simply perfect. Any older and they would not have attacked such an effeminate piece with such gusto, for fear of seeming uncool. I don't know. Maybe it's not worth all this thought.

As frustrating as this camp can be/is, moments like that remind me that I'm right where I need to be.