Seventeen MHS students will take to dance, poetry and other performing artistry on March 28 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium for the Warrior Performance Group’s annual Showcase.
Some performances are unique to different activism issues, environmental concerns and mental health dilemmas.
One dance is performed to Born This Way by Lady Gaga. The number incorporates diversity into dance. This piece shares a predominant message about individualism and embracing one’s true self, particularly concerning the LGBTQ+ community.
Another dance is an original created this year by choreographer Alex DePiano to the song Woman’s World by Katy Perry. This piece features a powerful anthem celebrating female empowerment and resilience. Through bold lyrics and energetic choreography, Women’s World encourages women to redefine the world around them.
The event also will feature poetry that brings a strong message, such as Marge Piercy’s Barbie Doll. It explores the physical and psychological toll beauty standards take on people. The group emphasizes how women, in particular, are fed images of impossibly perfect bodies and how they are encouraged to seek a level of extreme beauty.
The presidents of WPG, Evie Sullivan, Tom MacNeel and Natalie Rydzewski, have been participating in the club since their freshman year, but this is their first time leading the show.
“The hardest challenge during rehearsal had definitely been learning the American Sign Language to You Will Be Found. But we are thankful we had Mrs. Wheeler who is a sign language teacher at West Chester. All the effort is definitely seen in the song. We all worked hard together to make a beautiful ending of the show,” said Sullivan.
Rydzewski said she is excited to showcase a segment called Dear Anxiety.
“I feel like it accurately depicts how you feel when you’re anxious and seems very isolating in the thick of it. It also is just an incredibly moving number.”
MacNeel said he would like the audience to walk away with a new outlook on different issues after they experience the show.
“I hope that when people come to see the show, they come with an open mind and see topics heavily discussed in the news and politics in a different light. It’s easy to take things as given in the media, but with WPG, we work hard to convey the severity of these social justice issues through the performing arts and spoken word, which I think is more powerful.”
While the event is free, the group will be accepting donations for the charity National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization that provides advocacy, education, support, and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.
Students who enjoy the showcase or what WPG stands for can also see the group perform at the NAMI walk on May 17. Visit their social media page, Instagram @mhs_wpg, to follow along with their upcoming fundraisers or meetings.
The next WPG meeting will be on April 1 when the club will be starting their Clothesline Project for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
