At the middle school level, the Furlough Middle School Winterguard team once again proved they are a force to be reckoned with. The guard team competed in a virtual contest for the North Texas Colorguard Circuit at the end of March and placed 4th in Round 2 Scholastic A for HS Winterguard. TISD competed as a 4A school district against districts of all sizes including 5A and 6A. The Furlough Middle School guard program is in its third year of operation and placed among districts who have had programs for 15 plus years. At the NTCA Solo and Ensemble contest in April the following students earned awards for their performances: Jasmine Jackson, Madison Martinez, Aniyah Butler, Miranda Torres, Mariel Tovar, and Amaya Richmond.
"Both Ms. Pichardo and I are extremely proud of the hard work and drive of these young performers," said Nathn Ascano, Colorguard Director. "They have gone up against veteran guard programs who have been at this a lot longer than we have and are ranking among the top teams in the area. Their dedication to their craft is truly admirable and we look forward to the future success of the program."
Additional fine arts achievements the middle school level include: FMS varsity band earned “Excellent” ratings on Concert Performance and a “Superior” rating for Sight-Reading at their UIL competition in March. The FMS non-varsity band earned “Superior” rating for Concert Performance and “Excellent” in Sight-Reading at their UIL competition. FMS Chorus earned “Excellent” rating Concert Stage and “Superior” rating for Sight-Reading at their UIL competition at Poteet High School.
At the high school level, the Fine Arts Department collected awards across theatre, drill team, band, art, and Winterguard.
“Overall, this year was highly successful and allowed all the fine arts programs to focus more on fundamentals in each fine arts class,” said John Young, Director of Fine Arts. “Public performances were difficult to have, but we were fortunate to hold our Pre UIL-Band Concerts and Tigerette Spring Show in-person. We will also hold the spring band and choir concerts in-person with limited seating due to COVID restrictions.”
Terrell High School student Rebeca Pittman earned a bid to the State Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) competition with her black and white portrait. In 2018 over 35,000 pieces of artwork were entered into the competition. To receive a high score in the VASE contest, students must not only create an original piece of artwork but also write about their creative process and articulate the understanding of visual art during an interview with a VASE juror. The state qualifying competition was held virtually this year due to COVID-19. Pittman’s piece has already been submitted for the state competition in Austin that will also be held virtually in May.
During the North Texas Colorguard Circuit, a virtual contest held in March, the Terrell High School Winterguard team placed fourth overall for the Round 2 Scholastic A. Terrell ISD was the only 4A district to place in the top eight teams, ranking among 6A districts. At the NTCA Solo and Ensemble contest in April the following students earned awards for their performances: Juliana Sandoval, Savannah Kendrick, Kaylee Roseberry, Nancy Olvera, Aniyah Butler, Amaya Richmond, and Hannah Torres.
Making history this year, the Terrell High School One Act Play advanced to the Bi-District competition for the first time with their play “The Marriage of Bette and Boo,” directed by Amanda Guthrie and Brant Davis. The following cast members were recognized for their outstanding performances: Hailey Zinn, AJ Prestridge, Ethan Cruz, Anna Guajardo, Kylie Kennimer, and Toby Clowers.
“As a new director and operating under COVID guidelines, it was a challenging year,” said Amanda Guthrie, THS Theatre Teacher. “I am proud of all of the success our students and program achieved this year and look forward to tackling some big plans for the upcoming school year.”
The Terrell High School theatre department also joined forces with the legendary Terrell Tigerettes for a show-stopping spring show titled “Back to the Future.” The Terrell Tigerettes took to the stage dancing to decades-old fan favorites in celebration of 70 years of history within the Tigerette program. Earlier this year, the Tigerettes won multiple awards at both the American Dance and Drill Contest held at Duncanville High School and the Crowd Pleasers Dance Virtual Showcase. Awards included: Best in Class, Double Division 1 Superior, Sweepstakes Award, Judges Award for Team Pom, Best Overall for Precision, Best in Class Large High School, Officer Silver Sweepstakes, Best in Class Officer Pom, Best in Class Large Ensemble, and Superior Performance.
“I am incredibly proud of the team and officers for their resilience during this very difficult year,” said Sharon Harper, Tigerette Director. “The Tigerettes were dedicated to making the most of every opportunity to perform and represent our school and community.”
Additional fine arts achievements at the high school level also include the Terrell High School Varsity Wind Ensemble earning “Superior” ratings at the UIL Concert Sight-Reading contest in April. The following THS Chorus students also earned “Superior” and “Excellent” ratings at the Region 3 UIL Solo and Ensemble contest in February: Madison Bobbitt, Nykole Worrell, Clara Hermann, Adrianna Twyman, and Alexa Sanchez.
While students, directors, and parents alike, look forward with excitement to resuming in-person competitions, and full house performances at the Performing Arts Center, the District would like to applaud the efforts of everyone who made this year a success for our fine arts students! Not only did the show go on - it went on with pride and excellence.
“It was difficult navigating the COVID regulations, but we saw a lot of successful,” said Young. “Our teachers and students worked extremely hard and presented an experience for our students that was creative and positive.”
Congratulations to our incredible TISD Fine Arts directors and students on a fantastic year!