In the early, foggy, morning of October 3rd, over 100 Newark High School ACE students embarked on a trip—their destination; the Big Apple.
The Academy of Creative Expression (ACE) officially began at NHS in 2001, with the goal of introducing students to new art forms, providing an outlet for self-expression, and enhancing the school’s art programs. Although it came to an unexpected end, from the years 2011-2016, the club experienced a renaissance; turning into what art teacher Mrs. Jamie Moore described as, “a small school within a school”. Since then the program has tripled in size thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Moore; the last remaining executive since the original program. She now works alongside chief directors, theater teacher, Mrs. Woolfolk-Cohn, Chorus teacher, Mrs. Brown, Band Director, Mr. Archer, and Arts and Ceramics teachers Mrs.Rabenold and Mrs.Greer. Throughout the years these teachers have curated a community of brilliant, hardworking students who are both scholars and passionate about the creative arts.
The biggest challenge when planning Newark’s trip to NYC was finding programs that could cater to every student in ACE. This included activities that could span across many genres from singing, dancing, filmmaking, and acting, to painting, sculpting, set design, and even costume making. That’s why the first destination on the Yellowjackets’ trip was a 90-minute workshop class with cast members from the musicals Moulin Rouge and Six! Students were led to the 11th floor of the Theatre Now New York building and into the BroadwayinBound studio. Everyone first began with a vocal warm-up and, painfully, jumping jacks to get ready for the practice. Performers Alec Varcas and Gabriela Carillo taught exciting and engaging class
es that incorporated singing, acting, and dancing with songs from the musicals they performed in! “The classes were so immersive because there were people who were ACTUALLY on Broadway; this is their daily lives”, says senior, Sabine Brietenbach, “I think that’s what made the class so exciting; especially being around the energy of a real casting studio”. The class was not only fun to take, but it tossed many ACE students outside of their comfort zone; into a world where there’s no fear of an audience and, for talented young people on Broadway, performing in the city isn’t just a simple hobby or passion, it’s their dream.
The MOMA (Museum of Modern Art), filled to the brim with interesting shapes, innovative artifacts, and possibly some eyebrow-raising pieces, introduced visual arts into the Yellowjackets trip. “Seeing Starry Night by van Gogh in real life was mind-blowing, and although I didn’t understand most of it, Pablo Picasso’s paintings and sculptures were cool to see”, says junior, Eve Bielewicz. The MOMA was a great addition to the schedule when planning this trip and checked off many boxes; providing students with inspiring examples of cinematography, photography, painting and drawing, and sculpting.
After a quick stroll through Times Square and eating dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, the Jackets’ final destination was the Lena Horne Theatre to see Six, the Broadway musical. The most exciting part of the day for the Yellowjackets was getting to see the same choreography and songs they learned in the studio being performed right before their very eyes. “For many students, singing and acting on Broadway is their greatest ambition”, says Mrs.Woolfolk-Cohn, “so incorporating such a popular musical was perfect for showing our ACE students the hard work and dedication that goes into performing a show and then the finished product”. Not only was the musical fun to watch, it also demonstrated the art behind the scenes such as set design, costume design, hair and makeup, lighting and sound, and even what goes into marketing a large studio production.
After a long day in the city of dreams, our most creative students had no choice but to relax—a quiet bus ride back to home base, followed by an even quieter ride home. Newark learned a lot about the Broadway experience and the impacts of art (not including British History!). New York City may have been fun, but there’s no place like The Hive. The only question is, where will our creatives go next?
