Unplugged

West Potomac Academy Dance and Professional Television Production students are teaming up with West Potomac High School’s Beyond the Page Theater Company to produce a dance, theater, and film festival—Unplugged—on Thursday, May 12, and Friday, May 13, at 7 p.m. in the West Potomac High School Springbank Auditorium. West Potomac Academy is one of six high school academies in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

This year’s theme, Unplugged, features original dances, theater one acts, and films all created by the students. These original works of artistic expression reinforce the theme of the show as students ask the question, “What would life be without technology?”

One of the pieces of choreography will be an original work placed on the dance students by ClancyWorks Modern Dance Company. The choreography is the final product from a residency with the company. The West Potomac Academy Dance Program has been working with ClancyWorks company member, Countess Winfrey, since February. The students were able to interact with Ms. Winfrey, gaining insight into the dance composition process. The Dance, Professional Television Production, Music and Computer Technology, and Theatre students have collaborated for this original work providing voice, music and film within the piece.

Professional TV Production students are taught how to produce commercials, public service announcements, documentaries, short narratives, and films. For this festival, every film has to follow a certain theme as well as incorporate the following four elements–a specific prop, a certain location, a character, and a line of dialogue. Like a competitive film festival, students receive the benefit of learning how to produce films like professionals by writing their own scripts, creating shot lists, finding locations, shooting and editing film footage, finding appropriate royalty-free music, burning DVDs, making dubs, and creating labels. Students use Sony HDR-FX 7 cameras and Avid editing systems, both industry standards. These students graduate from high school with knowledge equivalent to that of first and second year college TV production students. Students in the West Potomac High School’s Beyond the Page Theater Company are writing and performing one act plays that also incorporate the same elements and follow the theme. Students have written original scripts, developed characters, cast the roles, and created scenery, props, and costumes.

This collaborative production is under the direction of Professional TV Production instructor Nancy Mantelli, dance instructor Courtney Betzel, and theater instructor Phillip Clark.

Admission is free to this event. Contact cjbetzel@fcps.edu or nemantelli@fcps.edu for further information.