All regularly scheduled classes were canceled for the theatre arts department on Friday, Sept. 29, and there were instead many new and young faces filling the building. High school students from Glenwood High School, Palisade High School and Grand Junction High School came to experience the theatre arts department world.

A whole day was specifically designed for these students to get a variety of opportunities that Colorado Mesa University offers.

“We have all this space here and not all these schools have direct access to theater arts,” dance professor Meredith Lyons said. “They don’t get as much access and it is a great way for us to technically recruit, but a great way for us to work with students we haven’t before and give more performing arts access to students who may not get it in their school district.”

In the morning there were two sessions of classes the students could choose from. In the first session classes included:  “Stand Still and Let Me Slap You,” “Contemporary Partnering,” “The Portable Zombie” and “Cyber Tracking…”.

Each class was a different section of the department. Dance, costume and makeup, stage work and speech were all incorporated.

“It’s giving them a day in the life of a college student here in the theater arts department,” Dance professor Amanda Benzin said. “Getting to know what it would be like with makeup costuming, acting, directing, stage combat, musical theater, dance, speech. Kind of sample platter to what this kind of degree would look like.”

The second session included all the different aspects with: “Corsets and Combat Boots,” “Jazz Fusion,” “Cheap Constellations…” and “Apple Slam”.

Different professors get an opportunity to teach their passions to those who are interested. Some of the classes are a little different from their normal teachings and it gives them a chance to do something a little more fun.

CMU students of the department were given the opportunity to try any of these classes with the high schools.

Alexis O’Neil, a dance minor, attended both morning dance sessions.

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“It was nice to see the different backgrounds and also to see them go all for it,” O’Neil said. “They just dove right in which was really great. It is a really good experience for them because they get to see what we do every day and also get to lose all inhibitions and maybe learn something that they may really like or may want to do it as a career later.”

After the morning sessions, the Dance Society and other societies presented lunch to the high schools. Throughout the day, the Dance Society tabled in the lobby of the Moss Performing Arts Center. They were selling their swag and helping high schoolers find their way.

Mary Ashton, a member of the dance society explained, “We want to show that dance society is all inclusive and that we are supportive of one another.”

After their lunch break, the students had adjudications for two sessions. This was a chance for the high schoolers to show off their work and get feedback from the faculty. Some even auditioned for the program while others just prepared something to receive notes on. Theater, speech, and dance all gave chances for students to perform.

“We have come up with a way that they have full access to what we have here. Variety of classes, faculty feedback, they get to have moments when their “soloists” and from there get to have an entire day in the building,” Lyons said. “It’s a way in which we can give back and help students think outside the box. Whether they come to CMU or not.”

The day ended with the high schoolers attending “A Grand Night for Singing.” Not only did they get to watch the performance, but they also received a backstage tour. In the tour, they received information on how the production worked and got the behind the scenes details.