Arts & Entertainment

Black History Month in February celebrates the impact African Americans have had on history, and the Dance Department in the College of Fine Arts and Production also views it as a time to recognize the accomplishments of students and alumni of color. Whether they are participating in productions celebrating black history or paving the way for others, there’s no shortage of talented dancers.

Since graduating from with her degree in dance last April, Hannah Croft has followed the path God has created for her — even if it takes her out of the country. Croft will travel to New Zealand in April with the Messengerz Dance Company & Ministry to teach the Gospel through dance during an Easter camp.

The famed works of playwright William Shakespeare make their way into Ethington Theatre every year, but the production of “The Tempest” features a few new wrinkles by the play’s director, College of Fine Arts and Production Dean Claude Pensis. For one thing, it’s a modernized version. For another, it is the first time real water is part of the set. And the lighting features an uncommon method of pixel mapping.

The musical talents of GCU clarinet professor Tim Haas and Music Director Mark Fearey will come together to introduce works by Robert Schumann, Camille Saint-Saëns and Johannes Brahms to students at Haas’ Faculty Chamber Recital this semester. The concert, which is on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at GCU recording Studio, will showcase Haas on the clarinet and Fearey on the piano and will be live streamed.

Film students were given the opportunity to hear words of wisdom and encouragement at this semester’s Digital Film Production Alumni Panel. Alumni Maya James, Sam Erdmann and Athena Bates shared their experiences with the next generation of GCU film students and gave some advice on how to make it in the business.

There was no shortage of Christmas cheer last week for the residents of the Arizona Training Program in Coolidge as well as the students of Sierra Academy of Scottsdale, as GCU’s Critical Mass used their voices to serve students and adults with special needs. Critical Mass member Sam Brown, whose older brother, Hunter, is a student at the Sierra Academy of Scottsdale, says it brought a lot of smiles to the faces of his brother and his classmates. “It was honestly such a beautiful experience seeing all these children, who are special needs, and just how happy they were,” he said.

The Senior Design Showcase on Tuesday night featured 33 students, many of whom have been active in obtaining internships and several who already have received employment offers. Sheila Schumacher, Director of the Digital Design program, said GCU graduates are making an impact in Arizona but also are taking their skills to other parts of the country.

College of Fine Arts and Production Professor Alison King always had an interest in writing, and when the brand 180 Degree Design + Build asked her to help them make their dreams of making a book a reality, King didn’t hesitate to give it a shot. “Making Architecture,” King’s collaboration with the architecture brand was recently self published and is being carried at Changing Hands bookstore.

It has been a good 10 years so far for the College of Fine Arts and Production’s Dance Department. Audiences can witness the growth and art the department has created over the years at the “ReInvent” Winter Dance Concert, scheduled for Friday through Sunday at Ethington Theatre.

There was no shortage of Christmas spirit at Andre’s House of Hospitality when Tim Haas and a group of GCU clarinet students and alumni performed a set of Christmas music for the homeless while they ate dinner Sunday evening. “When you get students that do these kinds of things, nothing’s better than that,” Haas said. “They touched people’s lives on Sunday night, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”