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Washington DC Chapter
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Award for Excellence in the Arts
High School Juniors Receive Honors in the Arts
The Washington DC Chapter of NSAL Presents The Ninth Annual Award for Excellence in the Arts Program Sunday, April 29, 2012 at The Terrace Theater The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington DC _____________________________
For more information Please contact Katherine Kyle or Gwinneth Clarkson at NSAL.AEA@gmail.com
Inaugurated in 2004 under the inspiration of Helen Henderson, this award program recognizes high school juniors in the Washington metropolitan area public, charter, and private high schools with either an Award for Excellence or a Certificate of Merit which documents their artistic talent and is a point of distinction on their application to the college of their choice.
The NSAL Washington Chapter entered into a cooperative agreement with the Education Department of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005 for the collaborative presentation of the Award for Excellence in the Arts Program at The Terrace Theater.
In 2011, the Award for Excellence Program recognized over 100 high school juniors from 34 different high schools in the Washington metropolitan area. The students were excited, the parents were proud, and the teachers were happy.
THE PROCESS
We ask that each participating high school nominate junior-level students who excel in any of six artistic disciplines showcased by NSAL: art, literature, dance, drama, music, and musical theater. This should be a collaborative process between the schools various creative departments.
Each participating school may select:
One Award for Excellence winner Up to three Certificate of Merit winners
These students are then be honored for their skill, dedication, and talent with an Award trophy or Certificate document presented to them on stage at The Kennedy Centers Terrace Theater each Spring.
SCHOOL GUIDELINES FOR SELECTION OF STUDENT WINNERS
■ Teachers, administrators, and/or counselors at each participating high school who are best qualified to evaluate and recommend a student for recognition are asked to collaborate with one another to select one Award for Excellence recipient and up to three Certificate of Merit winners.
■ Students selected should represent the most promising junior-level talent in any of the following six disciplines: art, literature, dance, drama, music, and musical theater.
■ We suggest that selection be guided by goals specified in the National Standards for Arts Education available at http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teach/standards.cfm.
■ The decision to recognize high school juniors was made so that recipients could include the NSAL Award for Excellence and Certificate of Merit distinction on their college applications. Although we ask that your consideration focus on young students who have expressed an interest in pursuing a career in the arts, this is not a requirement.
● Please enjoy a look back at last years Award for Excellence in the Arts Program
Celebrated on Sunday, May 15, 2011 The Terrace Theater The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington DC
2011 Award for Excellence in the Arts Chairs Katherine Kyle and Evelyn Sweet
2011 PERFORMANCES
We have a tradition during the Awards ceremony of bringing back alumni from our previous year to provide us with a little entertainment and, hopefully, inspiration. In addition, it is another way for us to help fulfill our mission to further the careers of young artist. All Award for Excellence winners and Certificate of Merit Recipients were offered the opportunity to audition to be one of our performers onstage at the Kennedy Center. We introduce to you the high school seniors who were chosen to perform at the 2011 Award for Excellence Ceremony.
Classical Violinist Emily Levine of Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring, MD
In an message to NSAL Emily wrote: I am so happy that I can share my talent with other people, and spread the joy of music. Playing the other day was really an opportunity of a lifetime, and it was all thanks to you that I was able to play.
Again, I can not express enough my gratitude and thanks for the amazing experience I had with NSAL. I certainly will keep in touch about how college and my musical career are going... who knows, maybe I will be back at the Kennedy Center one day!
Yours, Emily Levine
Singing Duet by Mezzo-Soprano Sylvia Leith of Maret School and Tenor Andrew Brown of St. Albans School in Washington, DC
Jazz on an Upright Bass by Michael Abbey of Maret School in Washington, DC
This was an incredible experience and I am so grateful that you selected me.
Michael
Bach de Trois A Contemporary Ballet Performed by Patricia Zhou, Megan Amanda Ehrlich, and Dong Woo Kim of The Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington, DC
After the show Patricia Zhou wrote to NSAL: Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to perform!! I truly enjoyed it-- especially because the audience was so appreciative!! It was nice to be able to relax and just perform!
The NSAL is truly an amazing organization and I am so glad that I got to be part of it! Thank you so much for everything that you do!! I hope I can make you all proud in the future!!
Thank you again! Sincerely, Patricia
And we received this message from Megan Amandas mother, Shelley Ehrlich: Award ceremonies (such as yours Sunday) and charitable events have made such an impact on the dancers. Day in and out they train and study for their academic classes. Opportunities to perform, especially in recognition of others or as inspiration to others outside of their school environment is an honor and privilege to them. They have a fabulous time. Their attention is turned away from themselves. It brings an awareness of the world outside of the ballet school. It allows them to grow as dancers but more importantly as young ladies and gentlemen. They will be constantly faced with opportunities in life. Opportunities to encourage world peace, advocate change to eliminate homelessness, hunger, child abuse and neglect. They will be presented opportunities to support vital causes, protecting wildlife or the environment. What they see and do now, how they grow as productive, active, involved members of society will allow them to impact their world, our world in a positive way.
Dancing is what they do and they LOVE it but it is not who they are. It does not define them, they define their dancing. The exposure you have given them has contributed to their growth and character.
The world is their stage and Sunday their stage was yours! Thank you so much!
Kindest regards and great respect, Shelly Ehrlich
Keynote Speaker Ben Cunis Actor, Choreographer, Director Synetic Theater
Photo by Raymond Gniewek
Ben Cunis has been the fight choreographer for Synetic since 2007. He has been nominated for the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Choreography twice and has twice received Helen Hayes Awards for Outstanding Ensemble.
From our Keynote Speaker
I've gotten notes from a couple of people regarding the speech -- but I was happiest when a student found me on facebook and wrote me a message an excerpt:
" What you had to say touched me. It really reached to my heart. And you basically verbalized what I've always felt, but never been able to express. Music, theatre, art in general have always been my life. Just being on stage. Performing. And music is what I've always wanted to do. And what you had to say today really helped me pour my dreams into concrete and set them in stone."
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2011 AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE WINNERS
2011 Certificate of Merit Recipients Art
2011 Certificate of Merit Recipients dance
2011 Certificate of Merit Recipients DRAMA
2011 Certificate of Merit Recipients LITERATURE
2011 Certificate of Merit Recipients music
2011 Certificate of Merit Recipients MUSICAL THEATER
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2011 PHOTOS
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For information on our 2010 Award for Excellence in the Arts Program please click on
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