"Wednesday nights are pretty hard," says Steve Porter '04, a member of the Tigertones and one of BodyHype's newest. "I have rehearsals from 6:30 to midnight". After a pause he adds, "I don't really have time to sleep, or eat or work but it's so much fun".
Porter, a premed anthropology major has been a member of the Tigertones since the fall of his freshman year. He began singing in high school and came to Princeton knowing he wanted to join one of the groups on campus. Tigertones, the all male a cappella group which his father sang in, seemed like the obvious choice. Porter, however, had no experience or plans for dance. "Dance is a much more recent development," says Porter smiling, "probably inspired by nights out at the street."
The idea of dancing beyond Prospect Street first occurred to Porter sophomore year when a roommate convinced him to attend the BodyHype audition "for fun". Porter went with no expectations; however, a call back changed his mind: " it was totally random when I got called back. For the first time I thought, maybe I actually could do this."
It wasn't until this fall that Porter reconsidered auditioning for a dance company. Once again he went in with few expectations and this time came out with an offer to join BodyHype. "Getting into BodyHype was totally different" he says, "I've never done anything like this before".
Porter has only been in BodyHype for a little over a month now, yet he is finding that juggling the two groups makes for a dynamic combination and a busy schedule. "With Tigertones I know the rep, I'm so much more confident," says Porter, "In Bodyhype I'm a lot more self-conscious, I have so much to learn".
Although he has yet to perform with BodyHype, Porter also anticipates differences in the performing experience. While the Tigertones perform almost every other weekend and tour frequently with a fairly consistent repertory, BodyHype appears only twice a year with an entirely new show each time. "BodyHype will be a very different kind of performance" says Porter "the kind that makes a whole semester's work worth it". After a pause he adds, "I love performing, I can't wait".
Despite their differences both groups maintain regular and rigorous rehearsal schedules that work around each other. "It has been a busy semester" says Porter "but it's surprising how smoothly its worked out so far". Porter finds that discipline makes it all possible. "If I can make it though this semester I can make it through anything" he adds.
For Porter, being a member of both groups isn't all about practicing time management skills. "Its such a release from school" he says. "The talent in both groups is also so humbling," Porter adds. In both the Tigertones and in Body Hype Porter has found an important balance, "both groups have a lot of fun but also produce quality work".
When asked if he would recommend such an intense activities schedule to others, Porter pauses then says: "when else are you going to be able to do stuff like this. Only in college."
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