WDV Performing Arts Celebrates A Sensational Fall Semester With 400+ Performers at Four “Full-House” Events!
WDV Performing Arts concluded its most successful and busiest fall season to date, featuring 400+ performers at four “full house” events highlighting the diverse talent and commitment of students across all our schools.
The “Fam Jam”: presented by the “Voices of Da Vinci” Choir (Dec. 5th)
The high school “Voices of Da Vinci” Choir hosted its first-ever first semester concert in the Blackbox Theater. With wrapped giant holiday gifts, snowflake decorations, and a video projection of a fireplace burning as a backdrop throughout the entire event, the Blackbox was transformed into a cozy living room on a winter’s night. This intimate, first-of-its-kind event opened the performance stage not just to the 35 choir members, but to their friends and family, too, resulting in a welcoming evening that celebrated community and the holiday spirit through song.
Sydney P. sang a vibrant holiday medley with her parents and brother; Mel S. performed a beautiful rendition of Tick Tick Boom’s “Come to Your Senses” with her cousin, Allie; and Emma M. was joined by her mom and some fellow choir members for the Christmas classic, “Silver Bells.” The night also highlighted many first-time soloists, providing students a positive and encouraging setting in which to face their performance nerves, and it concluded with hot chocolate and cookies to cap off the holiday theme!
“Voices of Da Vinci” Choir is directed by Mr. Paraschos and meets on Mondays and Tuesdays from 4-6pm. It is open for enrollment for all Da Vinci high school students at the beginning of each semester.
Seminar Night (Dec. 10th)
The Performing Arts embody shared experiences. In our first-ever High School Seminar Night, 65 students who participated in Performing Arts seminars (elective classes that meet during the school day), had an opportunity to share their work with each other, family members, and community friends.
Drum Ensemble, taught by Josh Thomas, kicked off the night with a mock presentation about Da Vinci’s highly acclaimed Robotics Program. Interrupting a speech due to “technical difficulties” (wink-wink), the Drum Ensemble walked out to “Robotic” by Fedde Le Gand, Jewelz, and Sparks and played their set utilizing buckets and scrap metal from Da Vinci’s Robotics program – a salute to the program and the unique way to repurpose their materials!
Students In Stagecraft, taught by Angelica Alvarez and Will Schneider, showcased the work they did over the semester, utilizing sets, costumes, lights, and sound to make an underwater scene about a whale and shark come to life. Music Production teachers Alex Ritchie and Dan “Dilemma” Thomas played their students’ music and discussed the creation process. Acting (On-Screen), taught by Anich D’Jae, shared a 5-minute highlight reel of students’ work bringing various scripts to life.
The night concluded with two Acting (Stage) classes, taught by Diane Feldman, one of which showcased content and context using a simple one-word prompt to generate 38 quick, one-act scenes (in only 10 minutes!), while the other class utilized the effect of “tableaux” and improvisation to create, write and tell a story. A number of first-time performers were showcased throughout the event, providing students a night of encouragement on the stage!
Da Vinci’s Performing Arts seminar classes (Drum Ensemble, Acting, Music Production, Stagecraft, Studio Orchestra) are offered across all five Da Vinci high schools during the seminar period and are taught by highly acclaimed working professionals within the performing arts industry. Seminars are available for enrollment at the beginning of each semester.
WDV Studio Orchestra Winter Concert (Dec. 11th)
Dec. 11th marked the inaugural hosting of the Wiseburn Da Vinci Winter Concert in the Da Vinci Black Box Theater! The show featured our WDV Studio Orchestra and several student groups, performing works by a diverse roster of artists, ranging from Sergio Mendes, Selena, and Antonio Carlos Jobim, to Laufey, Green Day, and Ozzy Osbourne. Also included was a rousing set of pop and rock tunes, performed by 36 Wiseburn Middle School musicians from the Wiseburn Unified Symphonic Band. In total, there were close to 100 WDV performers at the concert! Many families and community members had a hand in producing and supporting the event, contributing to its resounding success.
Studio Orchestra is directed by Toby Harwell and meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:40-3:55pm. It is open to all Da Vinci high school students (with one year of experience on instrument preferred.)
WDV Performing Arts Winter Showcase (Dec. 13th)
More than 260 performers spanning the entire grade range of TK-12 at Da Vinci Schools participated in the seasonal Performing Arts Showcase!
Under the theme of “Possibility,” the night began with all choirs (TK-2, Grades 3-8, and “Voices of Da Vinci” high school choir) uniting to sing Earth, Wind, and Fire’s classic, “Fantasy.” Each choir then sang individual selections, which highlighted soloists (including some even as young as age five!), providing the audience with some contemporary songs (like Moana’s “How Far I’ll Go), and concluded with Bill Withers’, “Lean On Me,” to unite everyone as one Wiseburn Da Vinci community and get everyone singing, clapping, and standing on their feet. All choirs are under the direction of Performing Arts Coordinator, Alexi Paraschos.
After intermission, over 150 theatre students re-energized the audience with a Disney medley that embodied the theme of Possibility. Each grade level performed a piece, and all voices came together for a harmonious finale. The students then transported the audience through various musicals and time periods, including “You’ve Got Possibilities” from It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman! (TK-2), “Oh, the Thinks You Can Think” and “It’s Possible” from Seussical (3rd-5th), and “Summer Nights” from the upcoming GREASE (choreography by our high school choreographer Lindsey Rei). A standout moment was a powerful family performance of “A New World” from Songs from a New World, showcasing the talent passed down through generations, including Caitlyn (our very own theatre production coordinator and Diane’s daughter). Connect student AmirahLee Chea also shared an original piece again this year. The night ended with a dynamic performance of “Seize the Day” from Newsies by the 6th-8th grade students, featuring acting, singing, and choreography by our new 3rd-8th grade choreographer Calvin Martin. The crowd erupted in applause – on their feet and ready to join the newsboys strike themselves, energized by the performance! All TK – 12 grade Theatre classes and productions are directed/musical directed by Theatre Coordinator, Diane Feldman.
We are truly grateful to our Wiseburn Da Vinci community inside and outside of school for all your support, and for providing us with an opportunity to have a powerful impact on all our students and their families! The showcase was a joyful celebration of WDV’s diverse and talented Performing Arts community.
