Go Ask Dad: Bravo! Give a bow
The day was sunny and in the low 70s, which evoked praise and thanksgiving from all those gathered outside to watch the young performers at my children’s elementary school talent show.
Glory be, we had the delight of watching solos, duets, and trios on the ukulele or the keyboard as students performed songs from Taylor Swift, Beethoven, and Disney (going old school with “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid). Members of the audience were also treated to martial arts demonstrations and traditional Japanese fan dancing mixed with the griddy dance move – a combination that might be original in human history. Who says there is nothing new under the sun?!
What I loved most were the bows after each act. Some performers had the flair of a Spanish matador; the martial arts kids were quick and formal. Still others were more reserved, with a quick bend at the waist. Yet, in their own way, each student soaked up the applause like sunshine.
Curious about the origins of the practice of bowing after a performance, I learned that it dates back to the ancient Greek theater. One actor on Reddit begged to differ with the usual phrase “take a bow,” suggesting that “take” implied self-aggrandizement. Instead, we might say “give a bow,” offering an expression of thanks to the audience not only for their applause but also for their precious attention. I applaud this interpretation. There is an enormous difference between saying “take” or “give.” As surely as the sun shines, words create worlds.
After the talent show, the younger siblings ran to the grass that had served as the stage, each one giving their bows before the others. The gentle breeze carried their applause across the school grounds, which was a gift to all of us.
Andrew Taylor-Troutman is the author of Little Big Moments, a collection of mini-essays about parenting, and Tigers, Mice & Strawberries: Poems. Both titles are available most anywhere books are sold online. Taylor-Troutman lives in Chapel Hill where he serves as pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church and occasionally stumbles upon the wondrous while in search of his next cup of coffee.
