Arts Education
at Peoples Academy

Peoples Academy arts faculty include:
Carol Spradling - Vocal Music
Daniel Bruce - Instrumental Music
Carol Spradling & Marcel Freda - Drama
Susannah Slabinski - Art
Ashley Lynch - Art
David Bain - Multimedia
Dorinne Dorfman - Projects Director

Whether it's exploring the arts, developing as a young artist or preparing for a career in the arts, these teachers and staff are dedicated to helping the students of Peoples Academy achieve their college and career dreams.

Other arts opportunities include:
Art I
Art II
Art III
Art IV
Art Workshop
Ceramics
Chorus
Concert Band
Multimedia Design
Darkroom Photography
Digital Photography
Individualized Studies in the Arts
Community Based Learning in the Arts
The Capstone Project
Arts-Integrated Humanities
UNBOUND After-School Arts Programs


Hyjinx ix Coming Back!
By Kayla Henry, Peoples Academy Freshman

Hyjinx is coming back once again on Friday, May 16, 2008 from 4:00pm to 10:00pm. Hyjinx is a community arts festival created and run by the students of Peoples Academy; this will be our fourth year of Hyjinx. There will be activities for every age group, such as moon bounce, arts and crafts, delicious food, a performance by Peoples Academy Stage Company, a concert under the stars, and so much more. Last year Governor Jim Douglas came and so did over 1000 people from our community. We had a concert with the performer Jihad, a Morrisville resident and PA graduate. We hope for someone like Jihad to come this year, since everyone loved his music.

This fall, fourteen students participate in the Hyjinx committee, 3 in high school and 11 in middle school. We are currently deciding on our theme -Rock and Roll, Drama, ‘Round the World or Outer space. The whole school will a vote on the theme, and then we’ll have a logo contest. Even without the theme chosen, we all know that Hyjinx will be just as good or even better than last year. We are also looking for artists-in-residence, who teach students at Peoples Academy, PA Middle Level, and Morristown Elementary School for a week to perform music, theater, comedy, or dance at Hyjinx.

We welcome community members to get involved as a business or artist vendor or volunteer in fundraising or planning. Or just come us at Hyjinx in May! Check out updates on www.morrisville.org or email Dorinne.Dorfman@morrisville.org to join up.


The 2008 Hyjinx committee includes students who started coming to the festival back in fourth grade. Members include (front left to back right): Katie Foltz, Taylor Melanson, Gavin Southworth, Kira Burgess, T.J. Burgess, Katelynn Tabor, Lindsey Newton, Katie LaMare, Alyx Sellars, Michelle Lewia, Emily Martin, Deanna Mandigo, and Kayla Henry.

PACAA News & Updates



Comedy Comes to Hyjinx
By Katie Foltz, Peoples Academy Freshman, and Dorinne Dorfman

Last week, the Hyjinx Committee hosted a meeting with English teachers Rachel Duffy and Moira Donovan and principal Philip Grant to discuss the artist-in-residence program. Several days before Hyjinx, the community arts festival at Peoples Academy, which happens on Friday, May 16, 2008, artists team-teach with middle level and high school teachers to integrate the arts into the classroom for five days. Nearly all thirteen members of the Hyjinx Committee joined in the conversation with renowned actors and directors, Donny Osman and Chuck Meese.


Donny Osman and Chuck Meese meet with the Hyjinx Committee to plan their workshops at Peoples Academy coming up in May.

Together Donny and Chuck have fifty years of theater experience, much of it spent with Bread and Puppet Theater in Glover. Chuck is no stranger to Peoples Academy; each year he teaches playwriting with high school students as part of the Vermont Young Playwrights Competition. During the dialogue with students and teachers, they shared the story of how they met. Over twenty years ago, Donny performed with Circus Smirkus, a past Hyjinx artist-residency, and Chuck watched from the audience taking notes. Afterward Chuck handed his comments to Donny, who was insulted by the intrusion. However, when he read the paper, he discovered how helpful the suggestions were to improve his performance, and their friendship began. Similarly, Chuck and Donny will coach PA and PA Middle Level students in the art of comedy scriptwriting in English classes, as well as improvisational acting. After school, they will hold workshops for students in grades 6-12 who want to participate in the Hyjinx performance. Together they will stage the comedy skits written during the classroom workshops.

The Hyjinx Committee, some of whom have attended Hyjinx festivals since second grade, had polled the student body back in October to learn what they wanted for artists-in-residence. Comedy and theater were the winners, and Donny and Chuck fit the bill. Chuck described, “In the workshops, students don’t sit and talk about it, just go right into the activities. One person writes one line and hands it off to the person, and they pass it back and forth writing dialogue. Then they acting them out for the class. The best will be performed at Hyjinx.”
The dates of the artist residency at Peoples Academy are May 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16. Hyjinx will start at 4pm with children’s activities and a fair of local artists and businesses. This performance will be at 6 pm by the bandshell or auditorium, depending on the weather. Admission, activities, and all events are free and open to the Lamoille Valley community.


What will you do at Hyjinx?


Chuck Meese and Donny Osman will be there! No doubt they will be bringing a lot of laughter and fun to the Hyjinx festival in May 2008.



WANTED!
Artists, Businesses and
Community Organizations
at HYJINX!
Download Vendor Contract Form