If the Van is Rockin…

in Behind the Camera by Kevin Railsback — March 21, 2010 at 11:38 am | 2 comments

You’ve probably seen the CR Spirit van traveling down the highway at some time and wondered what was going on inside.

On March 20th, 2010, I was granted exclusive access inside the Spirit van as it travelled to Central City for a performance.

Now, I can only tell you a little of what went on as I’m under a non-disclosure agreement not to divulge everything that goes on inside the Spirit van. The penalty I’ve been told for breaking a Spirit NDA is you have to get up and dance in front of the Spirits. So it’s safe to say some of the Spirits secrets will be going to my grave with me! Believe me, it’s better for everyone involved not to see the chunk ‘o funk dance.

One thing I did learn was the the Spirit van contains some pretty wild technology. Operating the CD player is a two person job due to it’s complexity. Tiffany said it was something about bit rates and data sampling.
Sometimes Tiffany talks over my head about this stuff. When asked about the two person loading system and why not just get a “normal” CD player Tiffany said:

“The S-670 uses the latest in super linear PSD technology, wireless communication and innovative design to offer the most feature-rich, accurate and reasonably priced system on the market today. The S-670 is up to 3 times faster and up to 10 times more accurate than laser transits and theodolites! The S-670 can easily be used by the most inexperienced music lover but is also highly advanced for the most experienced users.”

So I asked her what happens when you’re in the van by yourself? She just gave me one of those signature Tiffany looks and said ” You listen to the radio.”

The Spirit van draws a lot of attention wherever it goes. Tiffany and the Spirits are always happy to meet fans. Some more than others.

There’s a lot of ritual that takes place inside the Spirit van. After everyone has all their gear stowed away and is safely buckled in, the team says a prayer that Tiffany will…

keep her hands on the wheel,

keep her eyes on the road,

and not dance while the van is in motion.

I think that’s still a work in progress.

When the Spirit van reaches its destination the team is excited and fired up when they exit the van. There’s a lot of kissing the ground and other arrival rituals that Tiffany explained to me is all for having a good performance.

But no matter what goes on inside the Spirit van, rest assured that when the music starts it’s all about dance. And dance is what the Spirits do best!!

Tags: Cedar Rapids CR Spirits Dance Studio Dance Team Escape to the Music Iowa Kuehl Professional Dance Team Spirit Van Tiffany