D207 Choral Festival 2024 - A Celebration of Music #207Now #musiceducation @mainewestchoir @mechoirs @msouthchoir105 @mwactivities @mainewestfab

 
Congratulations to all of the Maine Township District 207 choir students - from Maine West, Maine East and Maine South - and their directors, Mr. Matthew Hanes, Ms. Kate Lee, and Mr. Jim Schiffer on a successful District 207 Choral Festival! Last night's performances were absolutely stunning, and a reflection of the excellent music programs offered at every school in District 207. 

Thank you to the guest clinicians Dr. Julia Davids and Dr. Keith Hampton for working with the students during the school day and helping students put the finishing touches on their performances!

Thank you to guest clinician and conductor, Ms. Sarah Jaewon Catt for leading the ensembles in rehearsals and in the evening concert. Our students benefited tremendously from your expertise!

This event could not have been possible without the support of the Maine 207 Foundation, who funded all of the clinicians, as well as the transportation required to bring all of the D207 students together for a day of music making. A HUGE thanks to the D207 Foundation for your support of music education!

More pictures for the D207 Choral Festival can be found HERE.

The program from the the D207 Choral Festival can be found HERE.

Thank you to Mr. Phil Ash and his students with WMTH-East for streaming last night's concert. The concert can be viewed HERE.

Lastly, thank you to everyone at Maine East, especially Ms. Sarah Djordjevic, Maine East Fine Arts Department Chair, and Dr. Melissa Pikul, Maine East Principal, for being tremendous hosts for this event!

The program concluded with the piece, Arirang, a Korean folk song, and special guests Suwan Choi and Deokhwan Kim from the Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago (KPAC) joined the massive District Chorus in performance.

None of this would have happened without our visionary choir directors. Thank you to Mr. Jim Schiffer, Kate Lee and Matthew Hanes for collaborating to offer this memorable event to our choir students!

West Side Dance Company Presents "Emotions" #207Now #dance #orchesis @mainewestfab @mwactivities

 

Congratulations to all of the dancers in West Side Dance Company on a phenomenal opening night of the 2024 show, "Emotions!" This remarkable showcase brought to life the profound connection between dance and the emotions that fuel our human experience. It was a breathtaking evening where each performance took us on a unique journey through the diverse landscape of human feelings.

A highlight of the concert was the stunning array and truly impressive student-choreographed dances. Our talented students poured their hearts and creativity into each piece, using movement as a language to express various emotions. 

We extend our heartfelt congratulations all of the students and to coach Tuesdai Perry, who made her debut season with the West Side Dance Company a memorable one. 

West Side Dance Company will present one more performance of "Emotions" on Saturday, March 9th at 7:00 p.m. in the Maine West Auditorium. Get your tickets in advance at bit.ly/MWBoxOffice!

The program for "Emotions" can be found HERE.

More pictures from tonight's show can be found HERE.

A video of the Emotions show can be viewed HERE.

A huge thank you to all of the caregivers who volunteered with the Maine West Fine Arts Boosters tonight (and who will at tomorrow night's show, too)!

Spotlight Art Exhibit Showcases Incredible Talents of Maine West Artists #207Now #art @mainewestfab @mwactivities

 

Tonight, we had the pleasure of showcasing the incredible talents of our Maine West High School student artists in the Spotlight Art Exhibit, a one-night pop-up art show that features all students in visual art courses. The work on display truly left our community in awe! You could hear patrons commenting on how impressed they were, several of saying, "I'd buy that if I could!" This event featured an array of stunning works from our Ceramics & Design, Digital Art, Drawing & Painting, and Photography classes, highlighting the diverse range of skills fostered through the visual arts programs in the Maine West Fine Arts Department.

This exhibit was not only a celebration of artistic achievement but also a reflection of our commitment to nurturing creativity and excellence in the arts. We're incredibly proud of our students for their hard work, dedication, and the remarkable art they've produced. Their talent and passion are a constant source of inspiration, and we look forward to seeing how their artistic journeys continue to unfold!

To our students, thank you for sharing your creativity with us and the world. Your art has truly made an impact, and we can't wait to see what you create next.

Thank you to Maine West's incredible art teachers - Rick Cammarata, Natalya Kljajic, Felicia Lahart and Melissa Lloyd - for your mentorship of our student artists, and for all of your organization and efforts that made tonight's exhibit possible.

Many more pictures from tonight's exhibit can be viewed HERE.

Opening Night of Mean Girls The Musical High School Version #207Now #musicals #theatre @mainewestdrama @mainewestfab @mwactivities

The Maine West Fine Arts Department's production of the Tina Fey's musical, Mean Girls - High School Version, premiered tonight, performing for a wonderfully appreciative audience! The cast, crew and pit orchestra all performed with incredible energy, and the audience was engaged and entertained throughout!

Congratulations to the over 100 students involved in Mean Girls! Congratulations, as well, to director, David Harmon, pit orchestra director, Bernie Gerstmayr, vocal director, James Schiffer, choreographer, Tuesdai Perry, technical director, Peter Mc Manus, costume designer, Mya Figueroa, and producer, Daniella Valdez for all of your work on this production!  

You do not want to miss this production! There are three more shows left:

Friday, February 23rd at 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 24th at 7 p.m.
Sunday, February 25th at 2 p.m.

Get your tickets in advance at bit.ly/MWBoxOffice (case-sensitive). This show is rated PG-13. 

More pictures from tonight's show can be found HERE.

The program for this production can be found HERE.

Thank you to the many people who volunteered their time with the Maine West Fine Arts Boosters tonight - and who will volunteer throughout this weekend - to help make this show happen! 

Thank you to Rebecca Fisher and the students in WMTH for capturing footage of tonight's show!