Bailey Burke

Title: Bailey Burke

General Information:

  • Pre-Performance Folklore—American
  • Bailey Burke
  • Student, American
  • English
  • Westchester, NY
  • May 16, 2019

Text:

The informant performs a “shakeout” with her acapella group prior to performance. The members of the group gather before their performance and stand together in a circle. They begin counting down from ten all together in unison. While doing this, they shake out each part of their body one by one, starting from their feet and legs and moving up to their arms.

Context:

Bailey is a member of the Dartmouth Subtleties, an all female acapella group at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. The group was founded in 1998. They describe themselves as a unique, tight-knit, and talented group of women dedicated to using acapella as a way to bond and share music with the world. The “shakeout” is performed ten minutes before every Subtleties performance. Bailey noted that the environment is usually chaotic right before a show, as everyone has been running around getting ready for the show. The shakeout occurs in the side room wherever the group happens to be performing. They perform this ritual ten minutes before every show, regardless of where it is being held. Bailey wasn’t aware of this tradition until her first show, when the seniors of the group demonstrated the shakeout. Since then, she has not gone a show without doing this.

Meaning and Interpretation (Informant):

The informant called this an extremely special within her group. It would be very weird if they did not perform this prior to going on stage. She noted that it does not help them perform vocally in anyway, so the main function of this folklore is to give everyone a “We got this!” mentality right before the show to relieve some stress. She also commented on how, once she learned the shakeout routine, she truly felt like a member of the Subtleties.

Meaning and Interpretation (Collector):

This piece of folklore was passed orally/aurally between members of the group. Learning the tradition represents being fully encompassed as a member of the group and can be interpreted as an unofficial form of Subtleties culture because no one learns about the tradition until their first show. I think the actual action of the shakeout exemplifies homeopathic magic. The shaking of the limbs mimics the release of negative and chaotic energy that group members want to alleviate before the show begins.

Collector’s Name: Justin Fowler

Tags/Keywords:

  • Acappella
  • Performance
  • Art
  • Pre-performance rituals
  • Shakeout

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