Cotton Eye Tom
the jazz square: with its small movements in a discrete area, is representative of plucking scrotal hair
partnered rotations: mimics how alcohol and chlorhexidine go hand-in-hand to clean and sanitize our surgical field in circular motions
slide: this sharp, smooth movement represents our incision, and the importance of being decisive in making our cut
side lunge-twists (×2): indicate the delicate balance of force and precision required for exteriorization of the testis and pulling of the scrotal cord
grapevine: represents the auto-ligation portion of the cat neuter; a step best learned from doing firsthand, rather than watching
Cat Neuter Tango
The 2 slow two-count steps steps of a traditional tango are performed to represent the scrotal incision and exteriorization of the testis
The dramatic movement of a dip then represents the pulling on the spermatic cord
The two dancers then spin, to represent auto-ligation
And finally, jazz hands are performed, because they are fun!
The Meowcracker
March
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
the simple plie as a starting position reminds us to choose a position with bent knees and comfortable footing for surgery
two pirouettes represent surgical scrub, with each pirouette representing one round of scrubbing (dirty, then clean)
the performer steps over to a kitchen knife and gracefully approaches the "surgical patient" and makes an incision, before tossing the testis to the cameraman
Significance of the dances:
Cotton Eye Tom: We chose to do a line dance because line dances are typically performed by many people simultaneously, and involve simple movements that are repeated over and over again. This reflects the environment that animal shelters or low cost spay-neuter clinics operate in, where many doctors perform multiple neuters over and over. Much like a line dance, the more experience you have, the more effortless the routine will become.
Cat Neuter Tango: The choice to do a modified version of a tango for this representation is twofold: First, the tango is a ballroom dance (pun intended) categorized by sharp, “catlike” movements -- a purrfect dance representation for a cat neuter! The second reason for choosing a tango comes from the phrase “it takes two to tango.” As veterinarians, it is our job to learn how to perform the steps and motions required to do surgery, but we are not alone when we do this -- we must also remember that we need our support staff to do our job well! This is why this particular dance involves a guest dancer, an LVT coworker of the Gryffindor student dancer/choreographer.
The Meowcracker: The Nutcracker is one of the most classic and well-known ballets, so it's an appropriate choice for an interpretive dance about neuters, which are one of the most commonly-performed surgical procedures on domestic animals in the U.S. Also, it's it's a ballet called The Nutcracker -- double puns! This interpretation of a neuter blends the graceful poise of classic ballet poses with the props and modernized movements to captivate the audience with a dramatic story.
