Elizabeth Eck ’22 and Aria Alva ’22
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Oak Knoll has made adjustments in every facet of life. The arts are no exception! In March, teachers, and students explored uncharted territory in the arts through attending Zoom classes, creating art with materials they found from home, and filming videos of their performances. Several members of the Arts Department at Oak Knoll shared their experiences as artists during a pandemic and the changes that come with navigating the restrictions on in-person gatherings.
In the dance world, Mrs. Bennett expressed her joy at the inclusivity that being at home affords since many people who couldn’t participate in dance before are now joining the ranks of professional dancers. “Whether taking dance class in your kitchen via Instagram, dancing on the beach or meadow, dance ‘performance’ spaces have extended well beyond the stage for all dancers, whether professional or novices,” she said. While online classes have been a boon to inclusion and diversity in the dance world, Mrs. Bennett admitted that there have been difficulties. Corrections to the technique have been a challenge and required her to finesse her teaching methods while over Zoom. As for in-person learning, she finds that the mask requirement is a detriment to not only breathing but also personal expression. “The face is a vital part in artistry. I always thought so, but even more so I am finding that our eyes can really tell a lot!”, she added. Overall, she is excited to return to sharing dance with others in person once the safety restrictions are lifted. “I believe the return of dancers to the stage will be incredibly joyful and rewarding for all whether it is the dancer on stage or the audiences,” said Mrs. Bennett.
Mr. Cardell, a teacher of the fine arts, adapted dramatically in response to his students’ lack of materials during the pandemic. “Fortunately, some of the older art students were able to come to school over the Spring Break and take art supplies home where they could complete project work; however, the younger students did not have that opportunity. As such, I had to shift gears a bit,” said Mr. Cardell. “A traditional 8th-grade mask sculpture project changed into a junk sculpture project, where I asked the students to collect trash (cardboard containers, cans, plastic bottles) that they would normally throw out and reinvent their purpose in an original creation.” While the lack of materials helped his students grow as artists, he acknowledged some struggles became constant obstacles: “The hardest thing about teaching this past spring for all of my classes was communication.” The positive attitude and adaptive innovation of Mr. Cardell and his students have allowed them to keep the joy of visual arts alive. “The one thing I look forward to once we get back to a more normal situation is the chance to let students work in a wider array of media again,” he said. “Presently, because of our safety measures, messy projects such as sculpture or painting are not really practical or viable as there is way too much prep and clean-up involved to accomplish much in a class period.” However, Mr. Cardell was impressed with the work of his students despite the restrictions. “The art students are responding well and creating some impressive works while maintaining the safety measures essential to our lives at this critical time.”
Ms. Knox, head of the music department at Oak Knoll, believes that music will help us get through this pandemic, as she remarked that educators of choral and orchestral music have been deeply affected by this pandemic. “I want to provide the OKS performers with hope and to let them know how fortunate we are to have each other as a community of believers in arts education,” she said. “Passionate educators of choral and orchestral music have been deeply affected by this pandemic.” As for pandemic-related challenges unique to choir, she said that wearing a mask is the hardest problem to overcome, along with orchestrating social distancing and concert repertoire. However, she asserted that the Oak Knoll students are up to the task, as “they have taken on the challenge and are ready to go forward in leadership, rehearsals and whatever the ‘very different concerts’ might be.” When the pandemic is over, Ms. Knox is looking forward to “running on the OKS fields, like Maria in the Sound of Music, singing at the top of [her] lungs without a mask!”
Nicki MacMaster, the creative arts council president, has been navigating her leadership role amid the changes the art department has undergone and said, “The ones that immediately come to mind are how we can’t have full choir rehearsals, masks during dramatica rehearsals, and how members of dancers have the option of recording at home.” MacMaster noted the greatest difficulty that arose with her position and said, “It’s hard to get the word out there for some of these activities and artists when we can’t gather for showcases. Obviously it’s a matter of safety, and we all want to keep everyone healthy, so figuring out how to keep some things normal while also adapting has been tough.” Despite the impediments brought by the pandemic, MacMaster noted, “I also think that I’ve never seen so much creativity and out-of-the-box thinking than I’ve seen recently.” Once the pandemic passes, she looks forward to “going to as many performances and showcases and gatherings as [she is] physically able to without needing a clone to be two places at the same time.” MacMaster is thankful for Oak Knoll and says, “I know this pandemic has been tough, but it’s brought us all closer together as well and I know it made me so grateful to be a member of such a great community of imaginative people.”