still resonates in today’s dance concerts. Liz went on to found the nationallyacclaimed Liz Lerman Dance Exchange based in Takoma Park. Arlene Horowitz followed in the late ‘70s, dancing, choreographing and encouraging students for more than two decades, and building up a very well-respected dance program. Today, one of her students, Hannah Seith Kerr ‘95, continues to bring out the best of Upper School dancers. The SSFS dance program is well-known in the community, and SSFS often hosts dance festivals such as the Washington Area Independent Schools Dance Education Association (WAISDEA) festival. Hannah also founded the annual Friend’ly Dance Exchange, in which dance students and faculty from several other Friends schools in the DC area convene at SSFS to learn various styles of dancing together, and to put on a group show at the end of the day. Students have worked with renowned guest teachers Gesel Mason, Daniel Burkholder, and Sylvia Soumah. Hannah and her dancers perform twice each year at SSFS in their annual Winter Dance Concert and Spring Informal, and have also taken part in the choreography of all-school productions such as the Community Play.
The SSFS Dance Program, begun by choreographer Liz Lerman, is still going strong today; (left) students play handbells at graduation and other special occasions.
every student and faculty member participated in that chorus. From that choral program, Barry developed an annual musical production of Gilbert & Sullivan works with the students of the 60s and 70s. In the early 80s, Barry took several librettos which he had written with music teacher Bryan Seith in turning out several original ballad operas, including The King’s Gift, The Hunter, and Top of the Mountain.
Several years later, Bryan collaborated with math teacher Bill FitzGerald on several original shows, each of which SSFS has a stohave been revived several times over ried history in the arena of mu- the years. One of their productions, A New Age, spawned the Wildebeest that sicals, as well. Back in the day – the early 60s day – per- became the school’s mascot (primarformances varied between the tried and ily by virtue of the “’Beest Head” left true favorites and original presentations over from the production that was conveniently appropriated for a mascot written and choreographed by faculty and students, and sometimes performed when the boys basketball team made the PVAC finals in ’93). Although the in rented halls off campus. From these nature of the musical tradition at Sandy cooperative ventures came memorable Spring has evolved over the last 50 moments of theater, camaraderie and years, the annual productions continue genuine creative inspiration. Barry Morley established a chorus in the very to be popular, with strong community support. Original school productions first days of Sandy Spring. Just about
Drama! Musicals!
Spring 2011
of Gilbert and Sullivan included just about all of the school community. Since those days, the school has seen a broadening of its repertoire to accommodate a wider range of cast sizes in an effort to appeal to more contemporary and traditional musical tastes. While Pirates of Penzance is still performed, some other titles produced at Sandy Spring have recently included: Urinetown, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Guys and Dolls, and Little Shop of Horrors. Alongside these musical numbers, the Community Play began in 1994, when Bruce Evans, now the Arts Department Head, began working in the Drama Department at SSFS, and brought with him his lengthy experience with community theater. Bruce had seen all the positive attributes that putting on a play could bring – how it could provide a focus and a way to bring people together. He knew that this was an opportunity for faculty, students, parents, staff to get involved in a communal but non-academic effort in which everyone (Continued next page) 3