Photo By Tim Hipps | A scene from the opening weekend of the 2015 U.S. Army Soldier Show "We Serve" at Fort...... read more read more
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By Laura Levering
Fort Gordon Public Affairs Office
FORT GORDON, Ga. - When Sgt. Darius Riggins won the 2009 Operation Rising Star at Fort Polk, Louisiana, he had no idea the competition would open doors to an even greater opportunity.
A colleague informed Riggins, a systems support specialist and writer/instructor assigned to 15th Regimental Signal Brigade, that Army Entertainment would be holding auditions at Fort Gordon for the 2015 U.S. Army Soldier Show.
Riggins took a chance, and made it to the next round: a final audition at Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
As a singer-song writer, Riggins is no stranger to the music industry. The song he performed to audition, “Fight for Love,” is one of several Riggins wrote himself. Given the complexity of the music and entertainment industry, music alone would not take him to the next level. If he wanted a chance at making the cut, Riggins knew he had to work on his moves, so he enlisted a close friend to help with choreography.
“I didn’t know any dances, and I was trying to incorporate that into my performance,” Riggins said.
His friend’s help paid off. After a week’s worth of being judged on areas including dance, vocals, personality and teamwork, Riggins received a phone call from the Soldier Show’s program manager informing him of his selection.
“I was overwhelmed that I made it,” Riggins said. “I was completely overwhelmed.”
According to a press release by Tim Hipps of U.S. Army Installation Management Command, “18 Soldierperformers, four technicians, three production assistants and two drivers made the cut for the 2015 U.S. Soldier Show.” The show’s tour, “We Serve,” will have the cast traveling to 38 locations worldwide for a total of 63 performances this year.
The show will open April 17 at the Fort Sam Houston Theatre and will wrap up toward the end of the year. Until then, Riggins is working seven days a week, with minimal down time, preparing for the tour. For him, days are packed from dawn until dusk.
Like many military units, a typical day begins with an hour of physical training, followed by an hour of personal hygiene. From there, the cast busses to the theater where they focus on dance rehearsals from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a short break in-between.
From about 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the cast works on vocal rehearsals. Sundays are less demanding. The cast begins work at 2 p.m., and typically finishes by 6 p.m.
“It’s strenuous,” Riggins said. “The job is very demanding, but it’s something I love to do, so I accept it, and I enjoy it.”
For Riggins, the biggest challenge has been learning to dance. He has improved overtime, but admitted it has not been easy.
“I’m coming from not dancing at all to dancing every day,” he said. “I’ve adjusted, but it was very difficult at first.”
About a month deep into rehearsals, Riggins said he is learning a lot about himself. As a solo performer, he was used to doing most things on his own. And although working as a team is not an entirely new concept to him, in the entertainment business, it does have its differences.
“I enjoy it a lot more,” Riggins said. “You depend on one another and people can assist with areas you’re not as familiar with.”
Riggins is taking a break from his passion of songwriting while he focuses on the tour, but said he will work on new material when it ends. For now, he’s putting most of his energy into the tour.
“I feel good about coming back to Fort Gordon [to perform],” Riggins said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the audience’s faces enjoying themselves.”
A complete list of tour destinations has not been released, but the public can keep up with the latest updates by visiting Army Entertainment’s Facebook page, or by visiting www.armymwr.com.
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2015 16:27 |
| Story ID: | 160735 |
| Location: | FORT GORDON, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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