A cappella group performing on stage
The A Cappella Blog

Keep Your Secret Aca-Romance Vibrant

Absurdist A Cappella

This time we discuss how to keep your secret relationship within your mixed group vibrant.

Setting the Stage: One of the realities of co-ed a cappella is that there is the potential intragroup romance. What with all that rehearsal time, singing and dancing with one another there’s all kinds of potential for feelings to develop into touching, which develops into all sorts of deeds not fit for a family friendly blog such as this.

It’s important that an intra-group relationship remain vibrant. After all, who cares about a dull relationship with your group mate? That’s just boring. And you don’t want to split up, or else things are going to make an abrupt detour into Awkward City every time you set foot in rehearsal.

If the primetime sitcoms of our youth have taught us anything, it’s that secret romances are inherently more exciting, interesting, and ultimately hilarious than any other sort of coupling, and so it’s important to keep your relationship hidden. But how to do this, while maximizing your co-ed a cappella potential for sexual tension?

Song Selection: Those who master the secret romance recognize the importance of not just keeping a quiet secret, but of amplifying the tension, rumor and intrigue around yourself—well, that’s how you create a riveting subplot in the story of your group, and step out as the subject of awe and gossip (and who doesn’t want that?).

To capitalize on the potential unique to an a cappella group, consider, arranging a duet or two to put your hidden romance on display for not only your group mates, but an audience. Consider something along the lines of Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” or Heart’s “Alone”—classic, captivating, sexy and suggestive, these songs are all about letting the tension loose.

Setting: Part of the beauty of the hidden romance is that performances paying tribute to it are about equally effective in the intimacy of a rehearsal room as they are on stage, so just do what you can to get the most out of it in whatever setting.

Choreography: Use your imagination for this part, but don’t get too carried away. Sure, this performance is all about inspiring idle chatter, but you want to be careful to not let the cat all the way out of the bag, lest you cross the line from provocative and interesting to “yeah, the two of you ought to just get a room.” A good rule of thumb—partner up and make eyes, but never actually make physical contact on stage. That’ll keep ‘em guessing.

Other Notes: Aca-romances are a beautiful thing. If they last, they can’t stay secret forever, but you should try to get the most out of them while they are under cover, then shift your focus to the next big thing—you know, like making good music.

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