Christmas could not come soon enough with study-weary Academy girls, so the annual Christmas Concert was a feast for sore brains. Beginning with a morning school-wide assembly on Thursday, December 9, the talented singers and dancers brought the right combination of song, dance and good cheer to Academy faculty and students. That evening the talented girls put on another show-stopper for family and friends.

This year, Quarter Notes musical director Ms. Linda Ruescher,  and choreographer Ms. Stefanie Rotolo guided the performers to an excellent Christmas-themed performance.

The Quarter Notes choir showed their range of voices from alto to soprano in several Christmas medleys.  Their musical director, warmly known as “Ms. Linda,” worked closely with the group to help the girls understand the musical compositions for the show. Ms. Linda has reinvented the sound of the Quarter Notes through a personal connection with the girls and helping them understand the musicality of their pieces.

In an interview after the show Ms. Linda expressed her emotions about how she felt when she saw the group on stage. She was proud of their hard work and success and was excited from the simple thrill of performing.  She said that she “felt humbled by the inner beauty of young people” and that  nothing else was more important than that.

The Dance Appreciation Class showed the school community what they have worked on all semester with their entertaining performance. This group of amazing dancers was led by their innovative choreographer, Ms. Rotolo. She combined the phenomenal dance skills of the performers and their bubbly personalities to make a dance routine in which the girls could connect with their audience.

The Christmas Concert showed the true talents of many of the Academy girls. The show was a success because of the enthusiastic collaboration between Ms. Ruescher and Ms. Rotolo. Together, they gave the girls the guidance they needed to be confident in their abilities and leave their hearts out on the stage.  This show will serve as the precedent for many more successful performances in the future.