| {Jazz Combo} |
{From The Fantasticks} |
{Piano} |
Performing Arts
The performing arts at George Stevens Academy are active, alive and well! The performance curriculum includes class offerings in drama, dance, band, steel band, chamber music, music theory, and honors combo, as well as extracurricular activities in musical and dramatic works. Music is an integral part of the GSA performing arts tradition. Although there is an emphasis placed on jazz performance through the jazz band and various combos, there are also performance opportunities in classical ensembles, full band, jazz band, and steel drum programs. Every year there is a Holiday concert and a spring concert where all groups celebrate what they have been learning with parents and community members.
{From The Fantasticks} Students who wish to “perform” in front of a live audience have ample opportunities to do so during the school year. Starting in the fall, students audition for the first of two plays, the fall musical, which is usually performed in early November. It is an exciting time for new students to become involved in a large scale production, with a pit band, dance, and vocal performance and of course, the cast of characters! In the spring, there is the competition one act play, where students compete at the district level in order to qualify for the states. It is always inspiring to see what other schools bring to the festival and to meet students from area schools who have that like-minded passion for the stage.
In music there are many opportunities. Ensemble music encompasses the school band, the jazz band, the jazz combos, the steel bands and various chamber music groups. In addition, there are often seasonal performance opportunities such as the Christmas Angels, an instrumental group who play at the Blue Hill Hospital and later open for the Holiday concert in December. Three other special festivals that our students traditionally audition for are the High School Honors Music Festival in January and the All State Festivals for both classical and Jazz, which take place in March and May, respectively. In addition, the top jazz groups have traveled to Boston to take part in the nationally competitive Berklee High School Music Festival in which George Stevens {Jazz Combo} has placed within the top four schools in the country, two of the past four years that we have entered, taking away a “Best in Show” musicianship award in 2004. Finally, the centerpiece of the jazz program is the Maine State Jazz Festival with the Districts being held in late February and the State competition in March for qualifying schools. George Stevens has established a statewide reputation for excellence in music by placing in the top three at the states for the past 17 years and winning first place in both the Jazzband and combo categories for the past 4 years. Overall, the Jazzband has won the State Championship 10 times since 1989. There are many pennants that hang in our gym!
We are also proud to have a steel drum program at George Stevens where students, both accomplished musicians and those with no prior experience in music, can learn to play and enjoy the rhythms of the Caribbean. The steel drum students play in a number of venues, including the spring Arts Festival, and both school concerts. Accomplished students are often invited to become members of the advanced, high school community group, Planet Pan.
Dance, new to our curriculum as a regular class offering, has been a favorite activity of the Arts Festival for years. Through workshops, students have explored an array of dance styles and traditions from African, Greek and Middle Eastern Dance to Meringue, Bachata, Salsa, Banghra Beat and the more contemporary, Hip-Hop. The traditional styles of jazz, modern, and ballet are also featured along with the ever-popular ballroom dances such as Tango, Lindy, Cha-Cha and Rumba. The importance of dance as a vehicle of artistic expression is undeniable!
It is clear that George Stevens has a commitment to the performing arts and understands the joy that students can receive in the sharing of their talents with others through performance.
