On November 29th, Thomas Dale’s Specialty Center for the Performing Arts visited the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. Dancers, musicians, artists and actors worked together to create unique works of performance art based on a previously researched sculptures and paintings. Prior to the field trip, student groups were assigned artworks to research. Students searched for facts about the artist and the piece itself. When they arrived at the museum, the groups examined and discussed their assigned works. After an immense amount of thought, the groups collaborated to create a new piece that included movement, vocalization and music.

“It was so great to see students of every different art form come together to create these beautiful pieces. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before,” said Sophomore Lani Corey. “I loved being able to work with the musicians because they could create music that seemed to fit our movement perfectly.”

“This field trip was a great representation of the amazing talent we have here at Thomas Dale. It really pushed some of the artists out of their comfort zones,” said Denise Purvis, Artistic Director of the Specialty Center Dance Company. “It was great to see visual arts and theatre students dancing and dancers acting, all to unique scores created by our music students”. The members of Thomas Dale’s Specialty Center do such intensive work in their own, individual art studies, this was a great opportunity for them to expand and try new things.