18 May 2005

FAME!

I've been thinking so much about ava and her first dance performance. it got me to thinking about my first show. said reminiscing led to digging and the result: this little gem of a photo. I am eleven years old here (summer of 1982) and had just finished doing my fame (fame!) solo. please note the woven headband. the lavender leotard with coordinating pink and white baseball shirt and socks. and oh how I loved those nike tennis shoes. my mom sold mary kay and I remember how exciting it was to have her do my stage makeup. lots of burgundy and wine shades, lots of brown. and friends, how much do you love for the dark brown pantyhose?

the performance (ahem, recital) took place at a band shell in the park and there were maybe thirty people sitting out in the audience. a microphone propped up next to the speaker of a tape player (aka jambox, y'all) functioned as the sound system. the rest of the details are fuzzy. though I do remember being so nervous I was sick to my stomach. I remember wondering why I'd even wanted to do this thing in the first place. and I experienced such an immediate sense of relief when it was all over it's a wonder I even continued to take dance classes. fortunately, I have the photograph (in all dorky gloriousness) because the precious video footage was accidentally taped over with a 76ers game. sorry, dad. you know I think you are the greatest man in the whole wide world, but I'm afraid you will never live this down. I'll tell you, I would gladly give up my left thumb (any appendage or limb, for that matter) to see this dance again.

must stop writing now, must dig out my  fame record album. I will be playing it loud, singing along, driving everyone in my family crazy. and man just wait til they get a load of my solo.

13 comments:

  1. Oh! Andy! What memories! Cute as 'a button'... What does Ava think of that photo? You are something special! Thanks for sharing this memory and another look at this picture! Thank you, Lord,for this girl!

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  2. You WILL live forever. Just commenting here because all these foes at 'buck's dont know me (whatever that means). How can this place put up with all the peoples that just sit and sift through their handtrucks draped with another man's trash, and the asian laborers have absolutely no shame in their sleep game. Sometimes I think the barmaids/ misters just shout out the drinks made just to wake these fools up, probably just to wake themselves from the dreamy, insured, 10.50 per, apron positions. Its probably just caff in the air.
    And, oh yeah, I remember seeing your calfs in the air, I was at that show, playing with joes, bored to tears, with the joes, not the recital. What a great thing for a kid... to get out there and dance for all of thirty folks (probably just killing time until a certain Babe Ruth game started). Praise the creation of legs and feet, huh? For they enable foes like us to jet away. Not all small towns are bad only the small ones, the only large things in those towns is the # of group thinkers- Well, here is to making the most of it there andy. Lord knows we have reasons for such spite. You made the world for your those around you much larger, Ill never quite be able to repay such a favor, you are truly a life sender. Come on now, the 82 Sixers had Erving, Cheeks, Toney, Jones, Malone- you really cant blame Jimmy Joe.

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  3. i remember wanting to be that girl on fame and watching those shows on tv - wanting to be them....lucky for you - you did! maybe now it looks a little dorky - but at the time - i know you were coooooool! fun foto!

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  4. I love love LOVE LOVE LOVE this! I did a song to "Maniac" in my high school talent show. We're kindred spirits on this one! Thanks for sharing. I look forward to your blogs every day, especially when I can walk down your memory lane :)

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  5. I mean, I did a DANCE to Maniac, not a song :)

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  6. Hi! I came across your blog via superherodesigns. Just wanted to say thanks for introducing me to DeepSpace5 (I ordered the cd today and am very excited as i consider myself a hip hop head and am always looking for fresh sounds.) Thanks for sharing- Love the outfit by the way. Weird that 80s are back, yeah?

    Jackie

    www.moeyyo.com

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  7. Andy! Any idea who anonymous is?

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  8. fame another fabulous 80's movie! my friend and i watched it recently and loved it. so dramatic. makes me wish i had gone to an arts high school. love the photo!

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  9. Wow that was fun to read! You know every few years there is a fight to keep the band shell from being torn down. Now I will have a reason to join the fight next time it rolls around.

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  10. anonymous- I KNOW WHO YOU ARE and it's nice to see you up in here.

    lora- funny you should bring up the leg warmers. I wanted to wear mine and my dance teacher wouldn't allow it. they were great, too. pink capezio leg warmers. the sacrilege!

    jan- yes, I thought I was SO COOL at the time.

    amy- I can totally see you doing a dance to 'maniac'. I bet you were AWESOME. any photos to share...?

    jackie- so glad you found your way here... and your way to deepspace5! I've heard the album and I love it. there are some amazing cuts on it (dust!) and I'm hoping you enjoy it. yeah, it's so weird that the 80s are back (knew it was coming, though)...

    meridith- man, I love that movie. I was (and still am) ga-ga over leroy. love me some leroy. how can you not love leroy?

    nancila- that is hilarious. next time they try to tear down that sad, sweet little band shell, you call me up, sister. we'll throw a little benefit where I can perform my solo! a reprise of 'FAME!"!

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  11. I LOVED FAME AND WAS SUCH A WANNA BE. But i din't have the skills! :) You looks great. How adorable. It is funny to hear you say "a thing we called a jambox" Please tell me people still know what a jambox is? IT seems weird things have chaned so much since then. Thanks for sharing!

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  12. Andrea, I bet you were so COOL!!! Ah, the 80's. When I was living as a teenager in the 80's, I thought for sure that we were living in the greatest decade ever. I literally thought that when I have kids, that they would question me incessantly about what it was like to live during that time. I really did. What was I thinking?

    Jambox. Man. What a blast from the past.

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