Hannah Hamill and Kaylie Wolf created a music and dance showcase that represented the arts from the 1920s to 2010s. The idea of the project had come to fruition in the spring of Hannah and Kaylie’s junior year.

Auditions for the showcase were held in December while the showcase took place on February 26.

Hannah said the idea of the project was “to research and evaluate the ways in which music and dance have evolved since the 1920s.” The reason why the girls did not go beyond the ‘20s was because there was not enough information before that time to help build the project.

The seniors then began to work on their project: an informational and demonstrative showcase of dances during the different time periods. This was accompanied by a presentation to inform the audience even further.

Hannah said, “We’re not entirely sure this can be carried on in the future because history is history. There’s only so much one can focus on. However, we do think that ideas like this, researching about the past and showing how imperative the arts are, can open students’ eyes to see just how important things like dance and music are.”

Hannah and Kaylie said they chose to create this project because the arts had brought them together since childhood.

Hannah said that the main hope for the showcase was for students to gain “an understanding of how music and dance have affected society due to the global and national events that have shaped our world.” Through this experience, Hannah “learned a lot about how music and dance have affected society.”

Kaylie added, “I think it gave me a better understanding about teaching a dance as opposed to learning one. I learn dances fairly quickly, but when you have to teach them, it takes practice to explain what is needed for a dance to look organized.”

The seniors are now glad that all of their hard work has paid off and are relieved that they can put the stress of their Diploma with Distinction project behind them.