A cappella, dance groups feed on notorious competition

At a university full of students driven to do their best and, perhaps, beat the rest, it's not surprising that competition exists among the many student performing groups on campus.

"You'd like to be the best and say you're the best, but there's an attitude that you need to constantly prove that," said Ernie Mitchell '06, a member of the Tigertones. "It's very progress-oriented. There's always a drive to move forward."

Competition between groups peaks around audition times, when each simultaneously tries to acquire the most talented performers available.

"It's a simple function of the fact that there are only so many singers and a disproportionate number of a cappella groups for a student body of this size," said Steve Lauritano '05, who recently completed a term as president of the Katzenjammers.

Efforts to encourage students to audition for groups can involve a degree of "mudslinging without mudslinging," according to Dave Marcovitz '06, a member of the Roaring 20.

One group won't insult another, but it will promote its comparative strengths. And while many a cappella groups ask students to list the other groups for which they are trying out on their audition forms, there is no "behind-the-scenes bargaining," according to Mitchell. "Groups don't say, 'We'll take this guy if you take that guy,' " he said.

Tension stemming from an 11-year-old conflict has been the source of some competition between Shere Khan and other a cappella groups. When the latter was first created, it was denied membership in the arch rotation, the conglomeration of a cappella groups that coordinate arch sings. Shere Khan has since declined to join the arch rotation and performs independently beneath the campus's arches.

"I think some people see our choice to remain independent as indicative of disdain for the other groups when really it's just that our interests are better served by not being in the arch rotation," said Dorian Needham '05, music director of Shere Khan. "You'd think we'd be able to set our differences aside for the greater goal of making music, but people will invent competition when there is very little."

Needham said that recent disputes between groups have been resolved quickly, indicating improvements in their relationships.

Just as the old grudge between Shere Khan and the arch rotation groups might be dying out, a long history of competition in the dance community has recently given way to a rise in intergroup collaboration.

"In the past, the relationship between the [dance] groups has been nonexistent if not bitter," BodyHype artistic director Kristen Arnold '06 said.

"Three's Company," BodyHype, DiSiac and Expressions's joint show that took place last month marked a major development in the collaboration between companies.

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"The point of the show was bringing us together and looking to each other for support instead of turning away," said Mara Weinstein '05, president of DiSiac.

The companies each chose a few of their favorite pieces to perform, and the rest of the show featured pieces with dancers and choreographers from a mix of companies.

While the joint show was "definitely a revolutionary idea" according to Elena Olivi '06 of Expressions, the huge time commitment involved and the show's lack of financial success makes it unlikely that this will become a yearly tradition.

Olivi cited the event's low attendance as evidence that competition between the companies spurs each to work hard at publicizing its shows. She thinks the good-natured competition between the companies has had a positive effect on the quality of each company's performances.

Maybe rivalry among student performing groups on campus isn't so bad after all.