The song “Snow” by Ty Defoe and Tidtaya Sinutoke, from their piece titled “Clouds are Pillows for the Moon,” is about how two girls, one an exchange student from Thailand and the other from New York, are complete opposites. From their personalities to their upbringings. This can be seen through their singing and movement while performing these songs. The girl from Thailand has a brighter tone, with bubbly and energetic body movements, while also showcasing her strong desire of wanting to see snow. The girl from New York has a deeper voice and moves more stoically and seriously while also mocking the girl from Thailand’s attitude about the snow. They come together through the girl from Thailand’s excitement about the snow, even reminding the girl from New York of a core memory she had with the snow. In the end, they were able to share their love of snow, even if it took some warming up for the girl from New York, and were able to form a friendship.
While performing “Snow,” the girl from Thailand in the beginning explains to the girl from New York why she chose to be an exchange student, which was because she wanted to experience snow since she was never able to due to the hot climate of her country. When describing what she’d do in the snow, she says, “So I bring out my umbrella, and pretend I’m Cindrella, waiting for a blizzard to come by!” While saying this, she gestures as if she’s actually bringing out an umbrella and holding it above her head with a big smile on her face. Not only does she showcase her excitement for the snow, but also her curious nature. Moreover, her reference to Cindrella, a storybook/fantasy princess, gives her description of the snow (which she’s never seen or felt before) a magical feel to the whole experience. While singing this line, she has a bright tone that stays in a higher pitch and upbeat throughout, like she was spreading her joy to the audience. In response to this, the girl from New York calls her “weird” and states matter-of-factly, “You don’t wait, it just comes.” The girl from New York has a deeper tone to her voice, one that is the complete opposite of how the girl from Thailand was singing just a moment ago. While singing this part, the girl from New York looks at the girl from Thailand in disbelief, smiling, and moves her arms and hands at the fact that she could be so naive and not know a thing about snow. This interaction gives the audience a sense of the girls’ relationship throughout the song.
Throughout the rest of the song, the girl from Thailand talks about how excited she is to see the snow and actually experience it. The girl from Thailand makes big movements when she describes what she would like to do in the snow, like dancing in it, licking it, and throwing it. The girl from New York maintains a tone and smile of disbelief in what the girl from Thailand is saying about the snow and tells her the harsh truth about the snow. The girl from Thailand always replies with the word “Awesome” after each time she learns something new, even if the way she is told the information is rude and cold. This repetition demonstrates the genuine love the girl from Thailand has for the snow and also how desperate to see it because she doesn’t let the girl from New York change her love for the snow, but instead takes it as a learning opportunity.
Near the end of the song, the girl from Thailand asks a question about the girl from New York being “Do you like the snow?” This question makes the girl from New York hesitate a bit, but she responds with, “Sure.” The girl from Thailand is persistent, asking her what she likes about the snow while grabbing her hand, which persuades the girl from New York to answer more specifically. “It’s, I don’t know, one time my nina and I poured maple syrup on the snow.” While saying this line, she fiddles with her hands a bit anxiously, seeming like she’s a bit nervous to tell someone else about such a private memory of hers. She goes on to say how it was the best experience and thing she’s ever tasted, and how she and her nina carved their names into the snow. These are all fond memories that the girl from New York has not only based on what she is saying, but how she’s delivering those lines with such passion and emphasis, like it’s coming straight from her heart. Speaking about these experiences warms the girl from New York more to the girl from Thailand, even if she brings up if they can build igloos. The girl from New York mentions that they could also play ice hockey, something that she would have never mentioned or even thought about saying before.
The girl from Thailand’s bright and positive attitude was able to help the girl from New York come out of her shell, and out of this cold and stoic attitude she had before. Through the body movements to their singing, it was very clear to see how the characters were supposed to be portrayed and how, even though they are complete opposites, they were still able to find something in common, which was their love of snow.
