"Have you ever heard the expression, 'It's not over 'til the fat lady sings?' Well, the era of big, fat opera singers might be over, or at least ending. The trend now is to combine rigorous physical exercise with vocal training. And there's an Opera Boot Camp this summer in Boyne City. Singer Kira Dills-Desurra is from California. She's one of 20 students enrolled. Dills-Desurra says, 'Every morning we get up with a person who's a nutritionist and, sort of, a fitness trainer. And it's really great, especially for singers because we need to build our core and, you know, be sort of fit because what we do is so physical.' It's a 4-week program, Mondays through Fridays with public performances on Fridays and Saturdays. Each day the singers do aerobics, Pilates, yoga and strength training. They study career management and audition strategies. And they're trained to fully understand what they're singing. They're drilled in a variety of languages. Matthew Chellis is the director of Opera Boot Camp. He grew up in Horton Bay and loves to come back often. He says opera singers have long ignored their physical condition. Chellis says, 'Many times singers get wrapped up in, kind of, all these other strange technical ideas that become inhibited by bad physical habits, bad alignment, physical injuries they might have had when they a child.' Opera Boot Camp is held at the Boyne City Performing Arts Center. The aspiring opera stars perform in free public recitals through the month of July. More information here." [Source]
