The Accolade

New Sunny Hills Pep Squad to cheer on Lancers

During a weekly Thursday Zoom meeting on Sept. 17, the Pep Squad meets to enhance team chemistry and start learning basic choreography movements from a distance. Adding new song techniques to the traditional cheer team, the Pep Squad struts a new look.

Grace Johnson • October 30, 2020

When Dance Production adviser Leiana Volen was presented last spring with taking over the cheer team she had an idea. “I was asked to take on the cheer team with [Dance Production assistant coach]...

Combining cheer, song to create new Pep Squad at Sunny Hills is such a great idea that I even auditioned for the team

Sophomore Sydnee Tallant records the new Pep Squad routine on video May 6 as part of her audition application to join a combined cheer and song team at Sunny Hills.

Sydnee Tallant • May 30, 2020

The theater lights shine brightly and the music cues. Backstage, the dancers stretch anxiously before their routine. The audience roars with excitement to greet these performers. I have always...

The show must go on — virtually for 10-year anniversary of Conservatory of Fine Arts laureate ceremony for Class of 2020

One of the virtual backgrounds used during the May 18 laureate ceremony and held on Zoom honoring the Conservatory of Fine Arts' Class of 2020. Image posted with permission from Brian Wall.

Nevya Patel • May 18, 2020

To celebrate the Conservatory of Fine Arts’ [COFA] 10th year in existence at the Monday, May 18, laureate ceremony honoring the Class of 2020, director Brian Wall had planned for a painted mural on the...

May 14: Reflecting on how my last spring dance concert went virtual

Senior dance co-captain Lauren Kim (far right) and some of her fellow Dance Production [DP] members put on a costume and create a pose Feb. 20 in the dance room. Kim didn’t expect that she would never be able to perform with her senior DP team at the April 9-11 spring dance concert, which was among the campus events canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Image used with permission from Leiana Volen.

Lauren Kim • May 13, 2020

LIVING UNDER THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS This is part of a series of columns from The Accolade staff about their various experiences during the school closure because of the coronavirus pandemic. If you...

Despite canceled spring concert because of the COVID-19 pandemic, dance teacher gives the show’s theme, ‘Beyond,’ new meaning by posting video segments on Instagram, YouTube

Members of Dance Production check out photos taken for the spring dance concert program during a Feb. 20 rehearsal in Room 130, the dance room. Though the April 9-11 event was canceled because of COVID-19-related school closure, dance instructor Leiana Volen has posted seven videos on the Dance Department's Instagram and YouTube channels of various video footage of her students rehearsing their routines to showcase their hard work in preparation for the performance. Image posted with permission from Leiana Volen.

Emmaline De Leon • May 5, 2020

When dance teacher Leiana Volen first came up with the “Beyond” theme for the April 9-11 spring dance concert at the Performing Arts Center [PAC], she never thought she would have to take it that literally. Because...