The winter season is always a busy one for the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts. Students and teachers alike prepare for the end of the marking period and winter performances. The combination makes for a great way to wrap up the year. As we entered 2023, we got to showcase a culmination of all the efforts growth we had made during the first semester of school.

This year, as fall sank into winter, temperatures dropping with the leaves, we opened our performance season with Dance Soup. Dance Soup is the school’s student-choreographed dance performance. The show featured group dances, solos, duets, and even a ballet piece accompanied by a string quartet of Charter Arts instrumental students. Each dance was uniquely moving, all of them coming together into a nice, “steaming hot bowl of dance soup!”

Another classic winter performance, one that occurs every year just before break, is the winter choral concert. This year’s concert featured the ninth and 10th grade choir, the 11th and 12th grade choir, the treble choir and the touring choir. The mix of classic winter-themed music was the perfect transition into winter break.

After a long, hard first semester and a snow day or two in the books, the time off brought a nice pause to the year. A time to reflect, spend time with loved ones, and for many of us, enjoy our arts outside of school, letting creativity flow naturally. Students took the break to relax, enjoy the holidays, and of course, ring in the new year.

We returned to school after the break feeling refreshed and excited for the continuation of our busy winter season. The new year opened with multiple theater performances. The theater department put on “Charley’s Aunt,” by Brandon Thomas. The play tells the story of two friends, Charley and Jack, who wish to impress two ladies with a meeting with Charley’s wealthy aunt from Brazil. But when Charley’s Aunt cancels last minute, a friend must step in and pretend to be her. In this charming comedy, all of the characters were portrayed brilliantly by the cast of theater majors.

The school also put on “Sondheim on Sondheim,” a musical tribute to famed composer Stephen Sondheim. The show features nearly three dozen songs from Sondheim’s projects. “Sondheim on Sondheim” was directed by Erica Dickinson and Dr. Aaron Patterson and included an all-student pit orchestra. The performance was an amazing showcase of the musical talent of the student body, with many majors coming together to bring the musical to life.

Now, as things cool down a bit and the semester comes to an end, we have the opportunity to take a step back and look forward to all that there is to come. Possibly one of the most exciting events on the horizon is Charter Arts’ annual auditions Feb. 17 and 18. Just as much of our senior class begins solidifying post-graduation plans, we already get to meet a new generation of Charter Arts artists. We are wishing everyone good luck with their auditions and can’t wait to see what the rest of the year may hold.