By Kaya Patel ‘22, Arts and Entertainment Editor

The events and activities in the arts that typically connect the Newark Academy community have been presented with new challenges this year in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Despite all the obstacles that the arts have faced throughout this year so far, the resilience of the art programs deserves to be praised and supported. Yet, NA artists have received far less support and attention from the community this year due to the virtual or disrupted nature of many activities in the arts. 

The choral program is one example of this. Claire Waskow ‘23, who participates in both Academy Voices and LumeNAtion and played field hockey during the fall, talked about some of the obstacles that are unique to the arts: “Our practices remained basically the same for field hockey since it is an outdoor sport. On the other hand, choir has gone through a lot of changes since last year. It is difficult to sing outside since it is hard to hear one another, especially with masks. We’ve also held rehearsals in both the rain and the snow. I do not think we would have been able to handle these difficulties without each other.” Concert Choir put together a virtual concert playlist with 8 songs even with the numerous challenges that the program faced this past semester. Each singer recorded their part for their songs using Garageband, a program that most students had no experience working with in the past, and then nearly 60 tracks were edited together for each of the 8 songs to produce the final show. However, without the winter concert assembly that the whole community usually attends, this hard work received very little recognition, and groups like Academy Voices and LumeNAtion did not even get a chance to perform in this concert. 

Additionally, for Newark Academy’s orchestra and other music groups, the challenges that this year presented has disrupted many aspects of the program. Flute player Emily Swope ‘22 noted, “Before we got the appropriate PPE, we met at nights once a week on zoom. We weren’t able to meet very often, and even when we met, we couldn’t play with each other.” Emily remarks that their virtual concert was postponed due complications that arose during the editing process and the lack of adequate rehearsal time with the new regulations and delayed equipment. 

In regards to how the dance program has changed during this year, dancers have been practicing in taped boxes in the gym, creating individual recordings for performances, and dancing with masks at all times. IB dancer Kayla Cohen ‘21 remarks, “Dance has been well adapted for Covid-19 safety protocols, but even though this has been so successful during the school day, Dance Team was suspended indefinitely.” The seniors in the dance program were all looking forward to their final dance performances at NA, including Dance Team’s pep rally performances. However, while indoor winter sports like swimming have resumed, Dance Team is still unable to rehearse, which reflects some of the frustrations of NA artists at this time. In addition, without the annual fall dance concert assembly, far less people attended the virtual show, demonstrating another example of how the absence of school events decreases school engagement in the arts. 

With the recent rise in coronavirus cases in January, the Return-to-School Task Force announced various new protocols. The task force shared, “The acts of singing and playing musical instruments are among the activities most likely to spread the coronavirus.” However, after further consideration, the task force decided that rehearsals for LumeNAtion, Academy Voices, and Chameleon will move to the Coraci Performance Hall, a step that will enhance the rehearsal experience for artists while still prioritizing safety. Although music groups will now have indoor rehearsals, new protocols have changed the schedule for the winter musical. Rehearsals will now be held twice a week in person and three days a week on Zoom. Assistant director for the musical, Ms. Shapiro Cooper, comments, “As things change based on new guidelines, the task force is charged with making decisions that are in the best interest of kids and families. As arts teachers, we need to pivot to those protocols while still making the best experience for students.” The directors are hopeful that the students will still be able to record a show in person to be viewed virtually, but of course, virtual rehearsals will require adaptation and resilience. The commitment of both students and teachers in this time ultimately shows the dedication of artists at this school despite all of the new challenges they must face to pursue their passions. 

So how do we continue to support NA artists and prioritize the safety of our community? Penelope Jennings ‘22 suggests a solution to this problem: “While NA arts are typically focused on in person interactions, I think that WAM is the best outlet for artists to be celebrated at this time.” As a remote learner, Penelope Jennings has found it hard to engage in the arts, but through this experience, she also learned how the Writing, Arts, and Music Blog (WAM) is an undervalued publication that could help bridge the current gap between artists and the NA community. Penelope adds that she utilizes the WAM blog to share her artistic endeavors at home and hopes that more people will consider publishing their work to foster a more supportive community for the arts at this time. Yet, WAM cannot be the only solution to this problem; it is important that we continue to find new ways to bring the community together through the arts because now more than ever, NA artists really deserve our attention.