By: Ainsley Northrop

People Editor

Over the past year, I have had the delightful experience of choreographing three children’s musicals. Although this is one of my favorite things to do, it definitely takes a lot of strength, energy, and dedication. One of the most entertaining aspects of working with kids is the perceptions that they form about the staff, so below you will find a series of my fake diary entries according to how the kids I have worked with perceive me.

December 1, 2023

Brrring! Bringgg! What was that? Oh, it was my alarm. What a beautiful day to wake up at 6:30 AM. I sprang out of bed, ready to start the day. It was my birthday and I was so happy to be turning the ripe age of 64. I gathered my things and hopped into the car, excited for school, and even more excited for my first day as a choreographer. 

After school, I headed straight to Willy Wonka auditions. The kids thought it would be hilarious to ignore me and make me talk super loud. Boy were they right. I simply loved losing my voice! The highlight of my birthday was when a kid whom I affectionately refer to as “ketchup kid” decided it would be hilarious to snap open a packet of the cafeteria’s ketchup and squirt it along the dance floor. What a creative way to decorate the room!

April 7, 2023

Today was a successful day at Lion King rehearsal. As kids came pouring in from their half-hour dinner break, they greeted me kindly and we got to work on Hakuna Matata. Five minutes into rehearsal, a kid asks me: “we have a break in what? five, six minutes?” Five minutes of standing in their spots for the number must have been rough. 

June 15, 2023

The other day, a girl at Aristocats camp told me that my future was that I would be proposed to on a dog walk, and guess what? She was RIGHT. Here is how it all went down. It was a typical Tuesday, but I wanted to shake things up. I tracked down my three unathletic dogs and got walking. Trekking up my mountain of a driveway was hard enough, but I had the feeling that this walk was going to be special. 

As I continued forward, my dogs trailing behind me, something caught my eye. It was a run-away dog! I quickly caught the scared dog, searching for the owner, and there he was. It was love at first sight. I handed the mysterious man the dog that I had just caught, and he thanked me profusely. Taken aback by my beauty, the gorgeous, random man whipped out the most stunning diamond ring in the world and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes! The girl at Aristocats had really predicted the future, and now I have a mystery dog walk fiance. What a day!

June 19, 2023

Today was a glorious day of choreographing. Now ranking as my number one favorite song is Everybody Wants to Be a Cat. After a good 5 billion run throughs, all with me dancing, I think it is safe to say we are in good shape for the performance. 

Today I discovered that the most efficient way to teach dances is to have a child latched onto my leg! You may be thinking: “doesn’t having a kid attached to your leg weigh you down, or disrupt your dancing?” Nope. It allows me to maintain the utmost amount of mobility!

Thank you to each and every kid that I have worked with. You have given me not only the opportunity to teach, but also a plethora of entertaining stories to tell.