This year our school’s dance program was asked to perform in the Wake County Pieces of Gold (PoG) production March 8, which is a program that our county and the United Arts Council have hosted for over 30 years.

Over 1,100 students coming from 32 different elementary, middle and high schools participated in the event. They danced, sang and displayed their artwork in the lobby.

“They’re so passionate, and it’s important to them. They love it and want it to be perfect,” dance teacher Sherri Newhouse said.

Performing at PoG is a contrast to school performances. For one the audience is much larger and not full of students.

Senior Christian Stainback expressed his feelings.

“Joyous, we were dancing and we were showing off to a different audience than the usual students, for people outside of the community,” Stainback said.

The funding from the United Arts Council and the county doesn’t just go into hosting the function. It raises dancing and singing scholarships for students looking into going to college for the arts.

The performers at our school presented a modern-contemporary dance, which is similar to the piece they performed last year.  They practiced every week to be ready.

“I just want go through the performance smoothly and remember the finale,” junior Jordan Cook said, prior to the performance.

All of students performing this year are some of the best performers in the county.

Newhouse said, “The dancers that were selected are good, and have high technical skills, and the pieces they perform are hard core and it was communicating a meaning.”