Every seat in the Performing Arts Center was filled. Chatter filled the room. Then, the lights dimmed and the room fell silent. The first group of dancers took the stage. On May 16 and 17, the fourth annual Arts Fest took place in the Visual Arts classrooms and the PAC.
“Zombies” by The Cranberries began to play as the varsity contemporary dancers began to move. Their choppy movements matched the tone of the music, they truly sold their interpretive take of a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies.
The first solo dance of the evening, performed by Emi Kiyota (11) was a display of sleek, dark elegance. Her smooth, gliding movements across the stage were entrancing to watch. Her feet seemed to float as she moved continuously across the stage. Her midnight blue outfit only added to her polished performance.
The next dance was to “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. A group of dancers in all black executed incredible synchronization for the number of dancers on stage and their layered movements flowed beautifully through the song. Dancers moved on and off the stage, allowing different moves to be showcased separately and together. This dance was particularly special for Alex Flower (12), who is on the dance team and takes Advanced Dance.
“I got the opportunity to choreograph a piece this year, so me and my friend Maya Brewer did it for our Advanced Dance class,” Flower said. “That’s something special that I’m doing this year.”
Flower said that preparations for the dances in the Arts Fest began in March. The dance P.E. classes worked every class period since then and the dance team had weekly rehearsals leading up to the event.
The Visual Arts Department also put in significant time to prepare for the Arts Fest.
“It’s actually taken years of planning to have this show in our classrooms,” Jennifer Doerrer, who teaches Advanced Digital Art and Design, AP 2D Design and AP Drawing and Painting, said. “We’ve had the wood tech classes construct over 30 rolling gallery walls over the past couple of years. We just had the new visual arts building completed a year ago and we’ve had students painting all of the walls and students helping to move tables and displays around in order to get all of our classes ready to have the art show…There’s been lots of moving around of things, lots of hanging up artwork, labeling artwork … it’s been a pretty huge endeavor.”
Prior to the live performances, rooms 801-804 were open for viewers to appreciate the artwork of the students. A piece of toast, a three-tiered cake and a watermelon. A swan teapot, three stacked pumpkins and the most lifelike sandwich and fries. A whale shark, pancakes and a blue bird. The sheer amount of talent packed into just four rooms was almost overwhelming. Destiny Yan (10), who takes AP 2D Design and had her art displayed at the Arts Fest, said that viewers would most like the “use of colors and all different compositions.” She could not have been more right.
“[The Arts Fest] is special because the school is giving us a chance to show off our art works and our hidden talents,” Yan said.
In addition to the dance numbers, other students displayed a range of talents. Ariana Bertino (11) played the guitar and sang “It Ain’t Me Babe” by Bob Dylan in a full, rich voice, displaying her impressive vocal range. Joseph Kempf (11) put together the Lovesick Fashion show, featuring his own designs. Lauren Gong (10) wrote and performed “I’ve Grown to Hate White Sheets of Paper,” an original poem that was deeply profound. Her line, “I used to dream in color, now I just answer in ink,” was truly thought-provoking. Chrissy Cheng (11) performed an opera piece, impressing the room.
The night was finished out by a combined dance performance by JV and varsity hip hop to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” by Queen. It was a truly awesome finale with so much happening at once that one almost didn’t know where to look. The line “shivers down my spine” was altogether very accurate. Dressed in various tones of jean material, the overall effect of this performance was masterful.
All in all, the TPHS Arts Fest 2025 was a triumph.
“It’s an opportunity for other styles of art to be honored at this school,” Flower said. “[The Arts Fest] allows singers, painters, all the ceramics students to get involved and really be proud of what they’ve done this past year.”
