The Choate Arts Concentration (Arts Con) signature program is an immersing and rigorous opportunity for students with passion and talent for the visual or performing arts to further their expertise. It provides students with enrichment opportunities in music, theatre, visual arts, and dance. Students are given the freedom to choose and focus on a specific field within the program. Here are a few students and their experience in Arts Concentration:
Lara Stone ’22,
Theatre
Lara Stone ’22 specializes in technical theater and production. Last year, she had the opportunity to stage manage the spring musical, Urinetown. She recalled that it was a rewarding learning experience. This school year, Stone looks forward to a Covid-free theatre experience, including in-person shows. “This is extremely exciting for me because the thrilling, hands-on work of live theater is the reason why I devote so much time behind-the-scenes,” she said.
Jarett JeanJacques ’22,
Music
Despite the challenge many artists faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, Jarett Jean Jacques ’22 found ways to use the drastic changes from last year to his benefit. Unable to perform in person, he decided to pursue musical engineering and recording. Over the summer, he studied at the Eastman School of Music with members of the Rochester Philharmonic. As a third-year Arts Con student, Jean Jacques said, “My overall goal in Arts Con is to not only improve as a musician but also build meaningful relationships with those I might one day work with in the world of music.”
ToMino Sun ’22,
Music
As a voice and composition artist in the music program, ToMino Sun ’22 spends most of his time rehearsing, composing, and producing songs. “Arts Con provides me the freedom, time, and resources to thrive as a musician,” he said. “I feel so fortunate for joining this program.” This past summer, Sun composed a song called “Puer ā Dolore Cruciatur” and performed his piece in the U19 High School Musician Original Music Festival, which was live streamed on Youku, a video hosting service based in Beijing, China. This year, he is excited to return to in-person rehearsals and singing without a mask.
Macie Simmons ’22,
Visual Arts
Last year, Macie Simmons ’22 produced a glass panel piece by pasting newspaper and magazine cutouts on painted glass. “Last year was really suffocating for a lot of creative people,” said Simmons. “[This year,] things are definitely looking up.” Simmons is excited to return to a more normal year of Arts Con. “I have a lot of ideas for projects and the senior showcase I’ll make this spring, and I’m excited to see how they all turn out.”
Alexis Lien ’23,
Music
Alexis Lien ’23 concentrates on the cello in the Music Arts Con program. For the coming school year, Lien looks forward to participating in workshops with Mr. Matt McLean and Mr. Gene Wie. She also hopes to incorporate more interdisciplinary work with the other sections in her projects. “I would obviously love to collaborate with the dancers because of my dance background, but I think having the opportunity to work with Theater Con or Visual Arts Con [students] too would be so valuable and a really rewarding experience,” said Lien.
Nina Kulkarni ’23,
Dance
Nina Kulkarni ’23 joined Dance Arts Con in her sophomore year and has been choreographing every year for Arts Con: from Student Choreograph Shows (SCS) in December to dance company performances in the spring to clubs such as Hip Hop, STEP Squad, and Choate Taps. Recalling the piece she choreographed for SCS last year, which centered around the theme of balance between oneself and the outside world, she said, “It was difficult choreographing and rehearsing online, but the final product made it worth it.” This year, Kulkarni is most looking forward to incorporating what she learns in the Dance Composition class to her current pieces and her future works.
