Hutchison Dancers RISE to the Occasion

2/19/2020

Several of our girls were among a select group of students who danced alongside Collage Dance Collective for this year’s RISE program at Germantown Performing Arts Center.

It’s a good thing Kaitlyn Johnson, ’27 has her “study notes dancing in her head.” This fifth grader has a lot on her plate! She is studying figurative language, diseases of the digestive system, the Civil Rights Movement, PLUS attending four hours of dance rehearsals every night this week.

Kaitlyn, Kylee Gleeton '29, Morgan Perry ’26, and Zoey Sisnett, ’29, are part of the Collage Dance Collective performing this weekend at GPAC. The girls say they are very excited about the opportunity to share the stage with Collage's esteemed group of professional dancers, the only international touring dance company in Memphis. But they also appreciate the hard work required.

“I am balancing my RISE rehearsals with my school assignments by writing my RISE and my school schedules on my whiteboard at home so that l’ll know how my week will be,” says Zoey, who is currently working on comparing fractions in math, learning about nonfiction writing, and studying Memphis history.

Kaitlyn says she uses all her so called “support devices” to keep things in order. “I use my brain, laptop, and my written calendar,” says Kaitlyn.” Oftentimes study notes travel with me on stage while I am dancing. The study notes are dancing in my head!”

Morgan and her classmates are studying plate tectonics (earthquakes and volcanoes) and Greek mythology. Morgan also stays busy with volleyball. “I’m excited about the performance and looking forward to it...just ready for it happen,” she says.

With this sort of discipline and determination, we are confident all four of these girls will “rise” to the occasion beautifully this weekend.

Hutchison has hosted the Collage Dance Collective’s summer workshop for more than six years. The RISE program will showcase the company’s “trademark style of juxtaposing innovation and tradition.”

Back

Emmy Walton ’23 Shoots for the Stars in Pursuing a Career in Rocketry

Fifteen-year student Emmy Walton ’23 has put her heart into becoming a rocket scientist one day. After developing her interests in science and math through various STEM opportunities at Hutchison, she will follow her dreams at one of the nation’s top schools for engineering, Purdue University.
Read More
Middle School Girls Get Hands-On Experience in Politics Through Youth in Government

Middle school girls got a taste of what it’s like to be state legislators by drafting and debating bills for the Youth in Government Conference.
Read More
Sarah Bartusch ’23 Explored Her Interests and Acquired a Love of Learning at Hutchison

The National Merit Finalist was challenged by Hutchison’s various academic and extracurricular activities. From the tennis court to the courtroom to the classroom, Sarah is a well-rounded, hardworking Hutchison student who lives up to the school’s mission of inspiring girls to go anywhere they can imagine.
Read More
Eve-Elyse Hall ’23 Signs to Play Volleyball for Asbury University

Eve-Elyse Hall ’23 has been known for setting up her teammates on the volleyball court throughout an excellent high school career. Now she’s setting herself up for a bright future after choosing to sign to play volleyball at Asbury University in Kentucky.
Read More
Christina Wellford-Scott ’69 Named Tennessee Shakespeare Company Teacher of the Year

Upper school English teacher and Hutchison alumna Christina Wellford-Scott ’69 is the first teacher to receive the inaugural award.
Read More
Upper School Vocal Ensemble Performs at Carnegie Hall

Vocal Point had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of performing on the Carnegie Hall stage!
Read More
Collegiate Alumnae Reflect on Hutchison Experience

Hutchison caught up with several young alumnae about how their education prepared them for life after high school.
Read More
Hutchison Girls Show World Language Proficiency at University of Memphis Fair

Hutchison world language students participated in the 2023 U of M Language Fair, sponsored by The University of Memphis Department of World Languages and Literatures. Demonstrating their knowledge of Spanish and Chinese, Hutchison had a total of 21 students win awards at the fair.
Read More
Hutchison Juniors Get Hands-On Experience in Politics Through Youth in Government

Note to the State of Tennessee: If you want to get legislation passed, put Hutchison girls in charge! Seventeen juniors wrote and presented six bills at the YMCA Youth in Government conference in Nashville. All of the bills made it onto the Senate and House dockets, and one was signed into law.
Read More
Hutchison Alumna Shares Animal Bone Collection with JK Girls Studying Fossils

JK girls aren’t scared of these bones! They were fearless and loved being scientists as they took a closer look at the animal bone collection of Lauren Pharr Parks ’02, alumna and mom to Patty Mae ’36.
Read More
Seven Upper School Students Selected to Attend Tennessee Governor’s School Summer Programs

Seven upper school students will participate in high-intensity summer programs in subjects including computational physics, international studies, and visual arts at universities across the state.
Read More
Hutchison Students Experience Roman and Latin Culture on Italy Trip

Over spring break, upper school girls explored historical sites and cities in Italy while traveling with a group of Memphis University School boys.
Read More
Twenty-Two Sixth Graders Become Published Poets

Poetry by 22 sixth graders will be published in this year's edition of the "Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans."
Read More
Kendyl Brown ’23 Lights Up the Stage Through Theatre and Dance

Kendyl Brown ’23 took a leap of faith in auditioning for her first production at Hutchison in middle school. That first step sparked a love of theatre, and now she is pursuing a career in acting thanks to encouragement and experience from Hutchison’s theatre department.
Read More
An Alumna Fosters Civic Engagement: Helping a Hutchison Student Gain Real-World Experience

Dabney Roberts Ring ’90 joined Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s staff in January 2016. She is currently a Senior Policy Officer and the Federal Relations Lead on Mayor Strickland’s intergovernmental team. She helped build an immersive internship for Hutchison senior Katie Frazer ’23.
Read More
Hutchison Seniors Aim to Address Mental Health & Learning Loss with Philanthropic Literacy Program

Each year, Hutchison seniors on the Philanthropic Literacy Board research community needs and decide how to allocate grant money to local nonprofits that focus on those issues.
Read More
Eighth Graders Hear Local Family's Holocaust Survival Story

As eighth graders study the Holocaust, they got a unique opportunity to hear from a Hutchison staff member and her father about her grandparents' story of survival.
Read More
Anna-Margaret Webber ’23 Signs to Play Lacrosse For Rollins College

Anna-Margaret Webber '23 became the latest member of the Hutchison lacrosse team to earn a college scholarship as she signed to play for Rollins College.
Read More
Sophomore Receives First Dot Jones Hammons Award for Responsible Citizenship

Natalie Alexander ’25 is the first recipient of the award. She was chosen because she exhibits characteristics the award’s namesake, Dot Jones Hammons ’76, has demonstrated throughout her life: intellectual curiosity, steadfastness, loyalty, kindness, and compassion.
Read More
Arabella Hall ’23 Will Take Golf Career to New Heights at Wheaton College

With encouragement from her coach and teammates, Arabella Hall ’23 signed to play golf at Wheaton College in Illinois.
Read More