Celebrating Spring Performing Arts

GDS Jazz

Jazz and Creative Music Director Brad Linde has been making up for lost months due to COVID with a blitz of concerts, special engagements, and masterclasses. Students performed in a spring concert at the end of April, played a set at Blues Alley at the start of May, hosted Wadada Leo Smith for masterclasses and a world premiere concert, learned from visiting pros, and just last week, from atop the spring musical stage, jammed some avant garde tunes for assembled community members.

Theater

Dancing around a bit of COVID-case mayhem, the cast, crew, directors, and designers of Footloose finally got their time in the spotlight in early May. The four rescheduled shows delivered the right balance of fun, good humor, and some more serious consideration of weightier topics—such as misogyny and censorship. Congratulations to the whole team for getting to curtain close!

Fata Morgana

Those who didn't get their fill of dancing at the musical had the chance to attend the student-led, -choreographed, and -performed Fata Morgana. In 13 performances across two acts, Fata showcased the talents of twenty GDS dancers with songs from artists such as James Bay, Blackpink, Rihanna, and Destiny’s Child.