By Megan Curling, Online Editor

R.J. Reynolds is known for its vast number of arts courses, encompassing both performance and visual arts available here on campus. Offered courses include electronic media, chorus, dance, photography, theater, ceramics, band and orchestra. However, within the performing section especially, there is never much collaboration except one annual event: the Holiday Showcase.

This year’s Holiday Showcase will take place on Friday, December 16, 2016 at 7 p.m. This concert doubles as both a prospective family night and as a way to present what the arts program is like through dance, theater, chorus, band and orchestra.

In years past, the event was run by former choral director, Terry Hicks, but is being taken over this year by dance teachers Jessica Reece and Amelia Hailey.

“It’s been a predominantly chorus driven thing. This year  it’s not going to be ‘here’s chorus, now here’s dance.’ Everything is going to be blended together,” Reece said.

Prior to this year’s showcase, there has been a lack of continuity seen in stiff transitions between the different disciplines.

“This one will be different because we have a theme and everything will be tied together,” Reece commented about what to expect this year.

The first year of having a themed event will bring the theme of “Babes of Toyland,” which comes from a timeless 1961 holiday movie.

Not only is there the addition of a theme to the program, but there will be also more content. A Cappella will be singing more songs, as well as having dancers perform during them.

“I’m doing a solo to Sara Bareilles ‘Winter Song’ basing it off of the story she’s saying. It’s kind of a student self choreographed thing,” senior and Dancing Boot Dani Gross said.

Though some view this change in the program as an advancement, many students in the featured arts programs expressed that they were not fond of new ways.

“We [A Cappella] do the same songs every year and it’s tradition, so it gets everyone in the holiday spirit; I don’t like going away from tradition,” senior Britton Sear said.

Theme or no theme, it is guaranteed that the Holiday Showcase will be an event that you will not want to miss.

Photo from Traci Latta.