Alhambra HS Artists, Performers Present First VAPA Festival
The symphonic band performs “Equilibrium” by Michael Oare during Alhambra’s first VAPA Fest on March 19.
MOOR photo by SHANNON KHA
KENNETH HOU
Staff Writer
On March 19, AHS held its first Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Festival, in which the various AHS arts programs displayed their skills to visitors from the community.
The VAPA Fest was centered around the cafeteria, little theater and auditorium.
In the auditorium, performing arts groups such as Choir, Orchestra, Band, Alhambra Dance and All Male took the stage. Alhambra Dance and All Male performed both as a full team and in six smaller individual groups: the Unoriginals, Magnitude and Isolation, Double the Trouble: Paula A-Squared, and School Girls. There were also two solo performances: one by sophomore Alec Lucero and the other, titled “Super Distorted,” by senior Joshua Cueva. In addition to these performances, students created and showed short films based on the theme “distortion.”
Speech and Debate, Thespians and Comedy Sports all made their appearances in the little theater. Thespians were also given the opportunity to showcase a scene from their upcoming spring play “Little Shop of Horrors.”
The cafeteria was home to Jazz Band and visual art displays. Crafted by first and second year ceramics students, dozens of sculptures were on display alongside student-created drawings and paintings.
Given that the VAPA Fest is the first event of its kind, spectators had varying experiences.
“I feel like the VAPA Fest should be advertised better because there were [few] audience members,” senior Paul Gamez said.
Other visitors and parents also shared Gamez’s sentiment regarding the turnout at the festival.
“I am overall very satisfied with all the performances,” parent Vianca Dunning said. “To improve the VAPA Fest, I wish there was more outreach to the community. It would be good to see community leaders [here at the event].”
Looking ahead to the future, event organizers, such as senior Ivy Kwok, hope that the VAPA Fest will be able to transform into a larger community event.
“Personally, I hope that the VAPA Fest events will be condensed down to a more central time and location to maximize the performers’ effects,” Kwok said. “As a member of ASB, I experimented with the idea of a VAPA Spirit Week, and I hope that it will be continued on in upcoming years to advertise the VAPA Fest. This first annual VAPA Fest has been trial and error, but now that the idea has been publicized, we hope that it will attract more audiences in the future.”