Performing Arts Assembly shows off the talent of current and future students
Written by Katelyn Duim, Former Student on Monday, May 21, 2012
Four time national champions, Future Panther Erik Linder and his partner Rickie Taylor got a standing ovation from SHS after dancing the samba and the jive at this year’s Fine and Performing Arts Assembly on Thursday May 10. Linder and Taylor have been dance partners since they were four years old. Now at only age eleven they have danced on Oprah, Dancing with the Stars, semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent, and on the youth USA dance team. Senior Mackenzie Lande said “[her] favorite part of the assembly were the little dancers, they were very good, and so cute.”
Senior Alex Baier said he “is very jealous of Linder’s dancing moves.”
Senior Diana Zakaryan, a foreign exchange student from Armenia, is a dancer herself. Zakaryan has preformed both the dances that Linder and Taylor preformed. Zakaryan said she “is very proud of how well they can dance for being so young.”
The visiting Centennial eighth grade class also got the chance to be a part of the assembly to get a sneak peek on their future high school. The seventh grade class had MSP testing, so they couldn’t attend. The Centennial Middle School choir danced and sang to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
The Hipsters, with lead singer and senior, Josiah Perron, preformed their song, “Kick Drum Heart” by the by the Avett Brothers. This is the same song that earned them a first place tie in the SHS Variety Show. The other members of the band, Kacey Flitsch, Kelsie Cooper, and Jacob Proffit met and formed their band while at church. Perron said that “this was our first performance in front of an audience as a band; Casey and I usually just play for our church.”
Junior Kendall Morgan also got the student’s to their feet with his drum solo. Morgan tied for first at this year’s Variety Show. Morgan has been playing the drums since he was only four years old. He said that “both [his] songs were improvised; [he] totally made them up as he went along.” Morgan is inspired by drummers Mike Mangini and Mike Portnoy, drummers from the progressive metal band Dream Theater.
The jazz band led by our band director Pete Wilson, played as the gym filled with students and also played another piece with solos from Senior Andrew Schaffer-McConnell and Junior Karyssa Ness.
Choir teacher Jaci Cummings led three of her choirs in songs and dance throughout the assembly. First the Women’s Ensemble sang the national anthem as the Color Guard waved the American Flag. Then the Concert Choir sang and danced to a fun song called, “Ob-La-Di”, it’s a song by the Beatles that Cummings describes as, “basically nonsense syllables that express joy and happiness.” Then the Crimson Singers, who recently just won seven awards in New York, sang a scatting song called “Walkin’.”
The SHS fashion class and FCCLA also held a fashion show during the assembly. Many students displayed clothing that they designed themselves.
