Aiken County's top teen talent in the arts had an evening in the spotlight Tuesday, in acGATEWAY's annual showcase program, featuring creations in music, dance, drama, visual art and creative writing.
Kennedy Middle School was the host site, featuring a packed gymnasium, and performances varied from piano solos and and prose readings to large-scale drama and dance numbers, all featuring middle- and high-school talent.
The school's cafeteria was also loaded with a variety of creations, from sketchbooks and sculptures to paintings and poems from the same age range of students, also from throughout Aiken County's public schools.
"It's very tiring, and it's fun at the same time," said Gray Crews, 12, who is preparing for eighth grade at North Augusta Middle School and had a variety of roles in music and drama through acGATEWAY.
"I love acting … GATEWAY is perfect for me, because I want to be a Broadway actress when I grow up," she said, noting that she got exposure to a variety of production aspects during the course of the summer program, which she joined for the fourth season this time around.
Getting a good response from the crowd, she said, gave her an "amazing" feeling and made the weeks of work worthwhile.
This year's program had Lance Stockton as the director. His supporting staff, along with Scales, included Christy Williams and April Spradley handling dance; Charla Coffin and Zach Dobbs in charge of music; Lauren Gehr in charge of creative writing; and Sandra Weeks and Mabry MacGregor coordinating visual arts.
PHOTO CREDIT: Bill Bengtson/The Aiken Standard
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