May 2015 | Vol. 15 Iss. 5
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Titania and Bottom from Mountain West Ballet’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
hero among us
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a jewel for our city
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one woman’s dream
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Sandy Arts Programs: Changing Lives For The Better By Megan Mahajan
S
andy City is home to three incredible arts programs. The Arts Guild, which produces plays and musicals, Mountain West Ballet and American West Symphony and Chorus. Each organization is non-profit, and hundreds of volunteers come together to bring each production to life. Through music, theater and dance, the youth of our community are finding their voices and their confidence: a place where they feel like they belong, and ultimately, a purpose. Arts programs are often the first to go when budget cuts or other conflicts arise, but the lives these programs have changed lead one to wonder why we aren’t putting greater emphasis on the arts in our community. Todd McRae was involved in the Arts Guild’s 2014 production of “Footloose.” He was an active duty Marine when he received a call from his brother-in-law, asking if he’d like to audition. McRae had just been diagnosed with PTSD and was terrified at what returning to life as a civilian would mean for him, after serving actively in both Afghanistan and Okinawa, Japan. He created a video audition, mailed it in, and was given a part in the ensemble. “That show changed my life in a way I can’t put into words,” McRae said. “I didn’t know what I was going to be doing with my life [and] they gave me a purpose.” The Arts Guild teaches so much more than theater. The children
learn confidence, and they learn to be part of something bigger than they are. “They all work together,” said Liz Jenkins, who works as the assistant stage manager. “All of the little girls have an older girl that sort of takes care of them; it’s really great to see the way everyone becomes like family.” Forrest Lorrigan, 16, has been performing with the Arts Guild since 2008. This year he shines as Captain Hook in the production of “Peter Pan Jr.” His mother, Nichole Sorenson, spoke about the incredible joy that the theater has brought to her son. “He wouldn’t be where he is right now without the arts,” she said. “If these arts programs weren’t here, so many things around us would dissolve. It’s the arts that allow people to find who they are and be who they were meant to be.” Sorenson has done her research on arts programs and said that she has found the Sandy Arts Guild to be the most reputable and professional in the state. Sandy has certainly set a high bar for arts programs: just ask Joel Rosenberg, music director and conductor of the American West Symphony and Chorus. American West is the only orchestra in the entire South Valley area that performs major works, including the beloved “Carmen Suite #1” that will be performed at their concert on May 7.
Sandy Arts continued on page 4
quotable community:
“ On a professional level, we will miss his skills and talents in our schools.
On a personal level, I’ll miss everything about him. He was a friend and a colleague, and I’m a better person for having known him.” page 8
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