By Lauren Whelan’14, Arts & Entertainment Section Editor 

According to Newark Academy senior Jake Faber, “Some peoples’ boots are made for walkin’, but [his] were made for dancin’.” A newcomer to the Newark Academy stage, Jake has set an example for the entire Newark Academy community. A slightly unusual case, Jake found himself in need of an arts course in order to fulfill the arts requirement as he entered his senior year, as opposed to completing it during his freshman year. After choosing to pursue additional academic interests during his first three years of high school, Jake was faced with having to make a decision – which art course he would take to fulfill the requirement.  “I believe I just always had a natural connection to dance,” says Faber of his somewhat unorthodox decision. “I wanted to choose an art that was a little out of the ordinary and would keep me interested.”

Jake’s dance experience thus far has included an introduction to tap dancing in the Intro to Dance class with Ms. Lux. Tap instruction is notably difficult, and Jake pointed out that learning the exact techniques has been the most challenging part of his dance experience. “It’s a lot harder than it looks, in that each sound has to be precise and sometimes your feet have to do things that you never thought they could do,” he stated. However, the difficulty of such a well-known dance style has been overcome for the most part, he added, and through practice, the moves have become somewhat second nature. In the fall dance concert, Jake displayed his newfound tapping talent during his duet number with dance partner Peter Lu ’17.

Jake’s story is one that can serve as an example for the entire Newark Academy community. The arts requirement at Newark Academy is not a just a simple obligation that each student must fulfill; it encourages risk-taking, branching out, and becoming passionate about a form of creativity. It is one of many unique opportunities offered by our school that is often overlooked by many members of the community. Jake articulated this perfectly when he said, “I would recommend that unless you feel strongly about pursuing a particular art discipline, you should try one that seems a little uncomfortable and that you might never do again. I mean, when’s the next time I’ll have the opportunity to don my tapping shoes? Leave your comfort zone a little and have some fun.” So, in light of this advice, the Newark Academy community is encouraged to approach the arts in the same fashion as Jake –  have some fun!