From the Desk of Academic Dean Martha Griswold
By writing this blog, I hope to accomplish several things. I hope to give those who are looking at Chatham Hall an immediate sense of what goes on in our classrooms -- and those classrooms extend beyond the four walls of any classroom or building. I want to let our students know that the work that they do in their classes is what makes this place tick...and that adults in the community notice and appreciate the excitement that our students bring to our academic program. It is important that people see how we work with girls and how classes are framed to best prepare girls for the futures to which they aspire. I also wish to keep alumnae in touch with Chatham Hall, to let them have fun hearing about former teachers and classes. Enjoy!
Something Wonderful This Way Comes!
November 2, 2011 at 11:01am
The past week has offered a wonderful look at the talents of the
Performing Arts and other performance groups at Chatham Hall. As someone
who knows how participation in the performing and fine arts can support
other academic pursuits, I love any chance to see students perform. Our dance classes and Panache, Chatham Hall's select dance troupe,
performed on Wednesday, October 26, in Dutch. Panache performed a piece
entitled "Tightrope," choreographed by Lauren Wilson, our dance
instructor. The girls were precise and fluid in their movements; the
extensive rehearsal time is clearly paying off. As this piece finished
and the entire body of dancers took the stage for the next part of the
evening, I noticed some faces that were unfamiliar to me. I learned that
they were students of the Community School of Davidson and the reason
for their presence among the Chatham Hall dancers became apparent. As
pen pals, the Chatham Hall and Davidson dancers had acquainted
themselves with each other through letter-writing and the creation of
collages. They then developed dances based on those exchanges. The back
and forth was powerful, as students worked in teams to present the short
and numerous dances that they had choreographed from a distance. This
unique experiment played right into two of the ways through which girls
tend to learn well: connection and collaboration.
celebration developed. As an anthem, St. Mary's Choir performed the
Benjamin Britten piece, "Ride by Nights." This piece showcased the
talents of this group as you could hear all the voices that combined to
bring us this eerily enchanting song. A short piece, I wish it would
have gone on longer as the sound was magnificent. St. Mary's has really
come alive this year. Just shy of thirty members, voices blend well.
They have been a constant presence in our chapel services. This piece,
on the night before Halloween, reminded me of the "Something Wicked this
Way Comes," from Harry Potter III (The Prisioner of Azkaban), I told my
husband on the phone that night. Halloween dawned bright and a little brisk. I taught my first class and
then headed up from Wilis to the Well, where Assembly was taking place.
My students and I arrived just in time to hear Sextet, the
student-directed senior a cappella group. They began to sing and I could
not believe my ears! They had clearly listened in on my phone call to my
husband the night before, because they were performing "Something Wicked
this Way Comes," from Harry Potter! It was a pleasure to listen to these
voices directed by Senior Rebecca Oh. The Sextet stood around the Well
on Second Pruden and their voices drifted down to us, making the effect
even more eerie than it might have been. The piece was a perfect for the
time and place. Many of these students have taken or are currently
taking voice lessons with our Director of Music, David Grimes. It was
wonderful to hear these girls putting their musical knowledge to good
and much appreciated use -- and doing this under their own direction. That is a week in the life of performing arts at Chatham Hall. On any
other given week, we might be treated to a Senior Chapel Talk featuring
singing or instrumental music. You might hear the Chatham Hall Ukelele
Orchestra (we have a lot of uke players!) or the NIche, a rock singing
group, performing in Chapel, or you might hear a group of students
hoping to be selected to perform in the musical harmonizing together as
they sit behind you on a bus to an activity. No matter where you are, it
is apparent that the performing arts are ever-present on campus. Confidence, the ability to stand in front of another group of people
and perform, and the knowledge that hard work and practice achieve great
results are are among the skills and lessons that Chatham Hall students
gain from their involvement in the performing arts. This melds with
Chatham Hall's Writing and Speaking Across the Curriculum initiative,
and indeed, with all of Chatham Hall's academic goals. Working hard to
perfect a grand jeté and then nailing the move in performance may be
easier to see than how working hard to understand quadratic equations
brings satisfaction and reward because the grand jeté is viewed by many.
It's all the same thing. Hard work and commitment to a movement, a
song, or an equation brings about success. Martha Griswold
Academic Dean
