Students prepare to ‘rock the gym’ at annual Fine Arts Assembly

Senior+Caroline+Hall+and+her+Advanced+Guitar+classmates+practice+their+set+for+the+Fine+Arts+Assembly+

Staff Photo

Senior Caroline Hall and her Advanced Guitar classmates practice their set for the Fine Arts Assembly

This Friday at an all-school assembly, the St. Pius X Fine Arts community will showcase their incredible talents to the student body.

The Dance Company will perform a routine that is set to music made from the sounds of power tools.

“It’s unlike some of the stuff we’ve done in previous years,” senior Sophie Alarcon said. “It’s a hard dance, very fast and technical.”

The girls have been practicing for the assembly every day in class for weeks.

“We go through every step, making corrections and being sure that every movement is correct,” Alarcon said. “It is important for everyone to look identical.”

The Advanced Guitar Program’s performance is always a highlight. Senior guitar player Emily Foster said it’s hard to pick out what songs they’re going to play.

“We always have a pretty good set for the Fine Arts Assembly,” she said. “We try to top ourselves every year.”

The class uses a program to create a mashup of songs, and then practices the set in the weeks leading up to the performance.

“This year is something we’ve been wanting to do for a while,” she said. “Be ready to sing along!”

The Pius Players will feature a number from the upcoming spring musical, “Newsies.” Drama teacher Mrs. Bonnie Spark said the performance is different from last year’s.

“They are performing an ensemble number that packs a huge punch,” she said. “It should be very fun to watch.”  

Mrs. Spark gushed over her talented group of kids.

“The cast is very enthusiastic and hardworking, as you will see at the assembly,” she said. “We especially have a good group of 9th graders this year.”

The assembly performance is just a preview of the entire show, which will run March 7-10.

“It is a terrifically gymnastic dance show. The scenes are nice visually and the music is humable,” Spark noted. “[Newsies] is entertainment for the entire family.”

There will also be performances from the men and women’s vocal ensembles, the concert band, and music technology program. Overall, fine arts students said they look forward to performing in front of the whole school.

“It can be nerve-wracking,” Foster said, “but it ends up being really fun when everyone else is into it.”

Alarcon agreed that dancing in front of all of her classmates can be very scary.

“It’s absolutely terrifying,” she said. “I’m always afraid of messing up or falling on my face.”

However, she believes the assembly is a rewarding experience.

“Afterwards, it feels amazing,” Alarcon said. “We practice so much, and everyone gets to see how much work we put in. It makes all the hard work that we do count.”