Gathered in the Assembly Room on two days last week, the Class 9 students were eager, and maybe a little nervous, for their moments in the spotlight. Whispers and rustling papers could be heard as Luc Hotaling, Head of the Drama Department, called up the first group.
A dancer walked to center stage. As the song "Wage Rap Gap" played, she interpreted the powerful words through her graceful movements, while her four classmates spoke and projected imagery on the screen. It was immediately clear that this was a performance with a message about pay equity. The subsequent groups came up to perform their pieces, each with an important story to tell.
For the culmination of their InterArts rotation, all Class 9 students were asked to make an artistic statement about a meaningful issue. The specific assignment called for them to create an original, interdisciplinary work of art informed by ethical, moral, political or social themes. Working in groups of five to six, the girls were otherwise free to develop an art piece of their choosing as long as it incorporated at least two of the four disciplines they studied in the InterArts class: art, music, drama or dance.
A tight timeline intensified the challenge. The students had just four classes to move their project from an enthusiastic idea to a polished piece. Quickly, they needed to join together as a productive and imaginative unit, while keeping in mind that each presentation could not exceed three minutes.
What did the students want their art to say? How would they accomplish this? How would their chosen disciplines interconnect in a compelling way? How would the audience react? These questions helped lay the groundwork for an intensive, four-class brainstorming and planning process.
With Mr. Hotaling introducing the groups and the other teachers – Duane Neil, Head of the Drama Department; Patricia Norchi, Head of the Music Department; and Sarah Rutledge, Head of the Drama Department – offering support, the students presented pieces that explored a wide variety of provocative and timely topics, from the international refugee crisis to the depiction of women in advertising to the consequences of rape.
One group created a performance piece that featured students holding paperback copies of "Things Fall Apart," the heralded book about pre- and post-colonial life in Nigeria, combined with a series of choreographed movements.
Another group, commenting on race and identity, performed a ballet duet using portraits of Chapin community members. Another tackled the representation of non-white actors in mainstream American movies in a sophisticated work that used different music styles to captivating effect. A number of groups projected images and words on the large screen to accompany the action on the floor and at the podium. One group built a three-dimensional sculpture. As the students performed, their classmates watched intently, applauding energetically for each presentation.
The students, who were assessed on their originality, craftsmanship and coherence, devoted careful thought to making their three minutes on stage exceptional and memorable. The results were impressive. Not only did the students demonstrate passion about their particular area of activism, they also embraced the artistic disciplines with talent, gusto and a seriousness of purpose.
At the conclusion of each day's presentations, Class 9 came together to share their experiences with this assignment, which the InterArt teachers developed for the first time this year. Overall, the responses were affirming. Despite initial nervousness, many of the girls enjoyed the opportunity to perform in front of their class and to make a valuable artistic statement (although some pointed out that more time to prepare would have been helpful).
"It was really interesting to see the different ways of interpreting the issues," remarked one student.
"I liked collaborating in a group about something we all believe in," added another.
Throughout this informative project, Class 9 learned vital lessons about art's impact on life. Perhaps the students also acquired a deeper understanding of themselves as artists, activists and global citizens.