The school held its fifth annual Arts Fest on Friday and Saturday, showcasing a variety of artistic expressions. The theme that the performances and visual exhibits followed was “Futuristic.”
The event took place in the Performing Arts Center (PAC), where the artwork was exhibited in the lobby, and the show took place in the theater. The artwork came from the various art classes, including student pieces featuring the teachings of Katie O’Brien, Advanced Placement (AP) Drawing teacher.
“For preparation, we had the kids roll their art up and hang it on the walls of the lobby a few days before,” O’Brien said. “Projects included collages, scratchboard art, abstract doodles and charcoal.”
AP Drawing student Sydney Gerber (11) displayed some of her pieces in the show.
“Each AP art student was given a wall to showcase their works from the class,” Gerber said. “I showcased my oil paintings, acrylic paintings, charcoal drawings, graphite drawings, chalk pastel and wool block prints, which were all part of my portfolio from the school year.”
Also featured in the lobby were digital photography pieces, drawings, clay pieces and wire sculptures from the Visual and Performing Arts classes. After browsing the art, attendees made their way to the theater for the singing, dancing and acting performances.
“Arts Fest is a great way to bring the school together,” Gerber said. “I liked how it highlights the different ways people express themselves.”
The majority of these forms of expression were later seen through dance performances. On the main PAC stage, the school’s contemporary and hip hop dance teams, along with the advanced, intermediate and standard dance PE classes showcased their talent. A few dances also featured some student choreography.
Cora Jackson (10) is on the varsity hip hop team and takes Intermediate dance PE, leading her to perform in three dances.
“I was in ‘Lady in Red,’ our class dance, ‘Power,’ the hip hop team dance and ‘Crowns Up,’ our student choreography group dance,” Jackson said. “I choreographed ‘Crowns Up’ and half of ‘Lady in Red,’ which was a great experience.”
The shows required “intense” preparation, with Jackson’s groups rehearsing “inside and outside of school,” and even “during classes.”
The show in the spring normally occurs after the hip-hop and contemporary competition season’s end, allowing the choreographers and performers to embrace unconventionality and focus on expression. One such creative piece was “Freakazoid,” in which dancers mimicked robots with a combination of jazz and contemporary techniques and movements.
“All the performances went really well,” Jackson said. “Arts Fest as a whole was a super fun experience where we got to inspire others and share our passions.”
