By Teresa Annas
The Virginian-Pilot
NORFOLK
Like wrens pausing in a spring migration, teens alighted in dense clusters around the entrance to TRDance Center, where a rehearsal for a show none had seen in its entirety was about to begin.
The show, called “Zo,” is the 25th anniversary gala for The Governor’s School for the Arts, a magnet school for the gifted in this region. Participating teens, and there are 355 this year, go to their home schools in the morning and head to The Governor’s School for afternoon classes in vocal music, instrumental music, musical theater, theater, visual arts and dance.
Nearly all of those students are involved in “Zo,” which, ready or not, will be performed today at Chrysler Hall.
Just before the Monday rehearsal, three girls were sprawled in front of the dance center, relaxing in the sunshine.
“We’re backstage. We’re techies,” said Devin Roman, a junior at Maury High School in Nor-folk. She said one of the trio’s contributions was crafting props.
“We made the piano,” said Mabertine Pierre, a junior at I.C. Norcom in Portsmouth.
“It’s like a fake piano,” said Eden Guill, a sophomore at Cox High School in Virginia Beach.
“A piano to stuff someone in,” Devin said, adding that they also will be helping with “the flying system.”
Eden: “We’re doing a flying trick that hasn’t been done before.”
Mabertine: “Basically, we’re strapping an actor in so he can go up in the air and do a couple of flips.”
Eden: “While sitting on a chair.”
Minutes later, a swarm of teens entered the center and found their way to a studio large enough to hold the cast of more than 120 performers, plus an array of directors, assistants and techies.
“Today, I need each and every one of you to focus,” began Todd Rosenlieb, the dance instructor and studio owner who was choreographing the dance elements for “Zo.”
“For my dancers in the tango, do not stand on chairs! We don’t need a sprained ankle four days before the show.”
He reminded them that they were about to rehearse the entire performance but that there was a video component, too. They would hopefully see how that worked the next day.
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