Students rev up audience at Musical Arts Concert

(Click here to see a photo gallery of our 2013 Musical Arts Concert)

Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine came alive Thursday, May 23, as almost 150 students displayed their musical, dancing and singing talent at the eighth annual FamiliesFORWARD Musical Arts Concert, closing out another school year.

The students—from Bond Hill Academy, Carson School in West Price Hill, Evanston Academy, Hays-Porter School in West End and Withrow High School in Hyde Park—are all part of an After-School Program conducted by FamiliesFORWARD, a nonprofit United Way agency partner founded in 1875. They performed for several hundred parents, grandparents, and other relatives and supporters.

Kathy Wade, a twice Emmy-nominated producer and award-winning international jazz entertainer, as well as co-founder of Learning Through Art Inc., served as mistress of ceremonies. Wade, also creator and executive producer of the national award-winning children's educational program “Books Alive! For Kids,” kept the audience engaged throughout the evening.

The Cincinnati Boychoir, directed by Christopher Eanes, led off the night with a selection of five songs, including “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America.” They were followed by violinists from Bond Hill, Carson, Evanston and Hays-Porter, who performed “We Will Rock You,” “Cabbage Variations,” and “Lean on Me.”

Carson’s hip-hop class then performed to “NuNu” and “10 Below,” followed by the Bond Hill hip-hop class dancing to “Out of My Mind.” The Withrow choir, led by instructor Lois Shegog, demonstrated “Computer Love” and a “Pounding Stick Presentation.”

The elegant ballroom dancers from Evanston then swung to “Gotta Hook on You” before a short intermission.

In succession, students from Bond Hill, Carson, Hays-Porter and Evanston then progressed through a number of African dances to drumbeats that thrilled the audience.

More dancing closed out the show, as hip-hop students from Hays-Porter and Evanston provided a pair of upbeat numbers, “Momma” and “Swag Tonight,” while the Bond Hill and Hays-Porter ballroom dance classes performed a tango, “Tango Misterioso,” and a cha-cha, “Watermelon Man,” respectively.

“The night was a great success—one of the best-ever Musical Arts Concerts,” FamiliesFORWARD Executive Director/CEO Deborah Allsop said. “The students get a little nervous, but they did a great job. They practice for weeks, and it really helps them develop self-confidence when they get out there and show what they’ve learned. The kids learn how to perform and how to be creative in front of a crowd.”

—Bill Ferguson Jr.