Rock Paper Conga Concert

Anna has been really excited for us to attend her second grade concert this evening.

On the way into the auditorium, we bumped into Anna's friend Dhruthi.  What are the odds of two classmates both wearing bright yellow shirts to a concert?  Pretty high, actually, because each of the six classes was assigned to wear its own color.

We chose some seats near the front, and found ourselves sitting next to one of Todd's friends from preschool.  Now that WAS a coincidence. :)

Up on stage, the second graders played on the risers while they waited for the concert to start.

At the beginning of the show, Anna's music teacher explained that each class would be showcased in one of the songs the group performed.  For example, one class performed a folk dance while the other students sang.  Another class rang chimes in the final song.

Anna's class's turn in the spotlight came during an Asian song, which paused periodically so her class could play Rock Paper Scissors (did you know that game originated in China?).  If a student lost, they had to put their hands on the victor's shoulders and walk behind them for the rest of the song.  At the next pause, each victor would find another victor to challenge, and anyone who lost (plus the person behind them) joined their victor's train and snaked around behind them until the music paused again and the leader found someone new to challenge.

At the end of the song, two semi-finalists (each with a long train of shoulder-holding classmates behind them) played one last game of Rock Paper Scissors, then the trains dissolved and the kids performed the song a second time. 

The first time they performed the song, Anna lost her first match and had to be somebody's caboose for the whole song.  The second time they performed it, she actually made it to the quarter finals, with her family quietly cheering her on.