Kim's end of the year concert... actually, it was dressed up as a "multicultural evening", celebrating all the different cultures represented in her school... apparently 42 languages are spoken and kids from lots of different countries and many many different religions happily attend the school (including 4 from our church, and that must be some sort of a record for a London school!)
Anyway... the first act of the evening was the most bizarre and to be frank embarrassing thing I have seen in a long time!
This gloriously camp guy accompanied by a slightly overweight black woman and someone that looked like a "scary bondage mistress" came on stage, all half naked in plumes and sequins, performing Brazilian, Indian and Egyptian dances... They were remarkably good, but a rather scary trio! (the costumes were amazing though, I decided that Andrew and I MUST get matching sequins tops one of these days... they look like lots of fun!). All the parents were very confused as we were under the impression that the night was all about the kids and their performances and those were far too old and "consumed" to be kids, so we figured that they must have been teachers, but that was somehow an even scarier prospect... anyway, as I said they definitely were very very good, so we sort of enjoyed the "Vegas" style show... (Well Lilly and I did... Kim had her "We are not amused victorian look on" and Andrew was at his sweetest... too embarrassed to even look at the stage where the gay man in tight hot pants and plumes, or the woman in skimpy bra and thongs were happily strutting their stuff in front of us, and tried to look everywhere else but on stage... eheheh he soooo reminded me of my dad!...) somehow though all the other man in the audience (including the 11-17 year old kids) didn't have that problem, and were more than dutiful in their support with the school, and gave the performance their undivided attention... ;-) !
...you had to be there to fully appreciate it!
Second act of the evening was a dance by some young girls (I must admit very well done) dancing at the rythm of "Roxanne" a song from Moulin Rouge, lovely song, lovely costumes and very well executed, but I am sure that in the history of music there are better songs than ones with lyrics like :
"Roxanne - You don't have to put on that red light, Walk the streets for money, You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right - Roxanne - You don't have to wear that dress tonight - Roxanne - You don't have to sell your body to the night..." maybe... juuuuust maybe not the most appropriate song for a bunch of 12 year old girls to dance to...
Act three, something that maybe wanted to represent the "rap culture" but to most parents in the audience appeared a glorified "gang culture" extravaganza with boys dancing (again very well) to rather inappropriate lyrics...
Those three acts left me somewhat drained and unwilling to draw my next breath...
But I have to admit that after that the evening really took off and there were some adorable performances, Irish, Greek, Bulgarian and Indian dances, a chinese dragon dance... a couple of band performing songs and then, the grand finale!
Kim, my Kimmy accompanying the whole of the teacher's body on the keyboard, singing "Let it be" (by the way... yes... we did see how you let things be... the first three acts were all about that!) but it was a magical moment! Her first public performance... She looked wonderful, totally in control and relaxed! The only annoying thing is that the choir was so loud and the kids screaming sooooo piercing that you could hardly hear her playing, but you still could, and she did wonderfully!
I was and am so proud of her! She is doing so well with her music and after Daddy's concert in the park last week, to go and have my baby perform yesterday , well... I can still feel tears coming up in my cheeks!
3 comments:
Wow! I can see why you would be a bit shocked and surprised. I agree with you that skimpy outfits and songs about the redlight district might not be the most appropriate for such young kids. Will you write a letter or complain at all or just "let it be?" Schools these days aren't like they were when I was growing up. I have heard of some awful things that happen here in our schools in Chicago as well. It doesn't make me look forward to when my girls are bigger. I just want to freeze them like they are now - nice and innocent! Oh well... what can you do. They have to live in the real world, we just have to teach them what is right and wrong and then hopefully they will make good choices.
I am surely tempted to write them a letter, Andrew said he'll write a draft and we'll take it from there...
But that evening apart it's an outstandingly good school, Kim loves it and is doing very well in it...
I just get overwhelmed when I am confronted with that kind of pressure that kids are under to grow "too quick too soon" here in England! anyway... You are right, the best thing we can do is teach them right, but they'll have to be strong... when at home they hear one thing and ALL around they hear something completely different and more often than not, contrasting it must be soooo hard for this generation... an example !?
check this article out.... my blood still boil...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1199132/NHS-recommends-pupils-orgasm-day-reduce-risk-heart-attack-stroke.html
Hope all is well with you, family and ... bump!
XXX Sara
Yikes! That is scary. TAlk about growing up before it is time. That is awful. Why can't kids just be kids these days? People are trying too hard to be so open and progressive and they push it too far. Crazy!
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