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The student news site of Prestonwood Christian Academy

LionNationOnline

The student news site of Prestonwood Christian Academy

LionNationOnline

The student news site of Prestonwood Christian Academy

LionNationOnline

MEET OUR STAFF
Chelsea Martinez
Chelsea Martinez
Staff Writer

Chelsea Martinez is a Senior and a first year member of the LionNationOnline Staff, she serves as a Staff Writer. She enjoys shopping, traveling, and hanging out with her friends. When she is not doing...

Lindsay Pyle
Lindsay Pyle
Staff Writer

Lindsay Pyle is a Junior and a first year member of the LionNationOnline staff. She serves as a Staff Writer. In her free time she enjoys listening to Elvis Presley, watching Gilmore girls, and spending...

Jackson Graves
Jackson Graves
Staff Writer

Jackson Graves is a Sophomore and a first year member of the LionNationOnline staff, serving as a Staff Writer. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, riding bikes, and hanging out with family.

Starstruck

Students hit the stage for a cause in Fall Follies.
A powerful Newsies performance closes Fall Follies. Senior Jeremy Miller, Freshman Reed Wilson, and Seniors Cody Morris, Thomas Sherman and Jacob Florsheim were part of the all-male cast of that number.
photo by Ansley Dale
A powerful Newsies performance closes Fall Follies. Senior Jeremy Miller, Freshman Reed Wilson, and Seniors Cody Morris, Thomas Sherman and Jacob Florsheim were part of the all-male cast of that number.

Feel the heat of the lights. Experience the hush of the crowd. Witness the efforts of weeks of practice. Breathe. The music starts and the world seems to fade away. Song and dance from Hollywood fills the Student Worship Center as Fall Follies begins.

With the theme “Movies Throughout the Ages”, movies like La La Land, Hairspray and Newsies hit the Student Worship stage last weekend to raise money for next summer’s Student Choir mission trips to Houston and New York City.

Mr. Andy Pearson, Director of Next Gen Choirs/Creative Production for Prestonwood Baptist Church, did the directing and headed up choreography for Fall Follies. He said, “Follies is a time for ministry and fun with friends.” Along with raising mission trip funds, Follies aimed to reach people through song and dance, and it is a unique way to use God-given gifts.

photo by Meg Miller
Senior Avery Rudd brings James Bond to life with her soulful rendition of Skyfall. The number ended with her free falling from the top of the stage.

Junior Hope Hellberg participated in Fall Follies for the first time this year in Sister Act “Joyful, Joyful” and the 80’s dance. Hope said, “These last couple of months leading up to Follies weekend have been so much fun, and I’ve gotten to know so many new and amazing people.” The audition process can be a nerve-racking experience especially for someone new, but Hope found the audition to be a calm experience. Hope said, “We worked on the dance for a solid two hours, then auditioned. It was so fun and easy because it was just in front of Andy and Carol (Hirschkorn, a vocalist).”

Senior Avery Rudd just completed her sixth year in Follies. She was cast in La La Land and Hairspray, and sang the Skyfall solo made famous by Adele. She challenges herself by taking on roles that require singing and dancing. Avery said, “It’s easy to get tired if you’re in a lot of dances, but for me it shows more if I’m tired vocally.” Out of all her years in Follies, her favorite number was In the Heights, which she performed last year. “I was able to just have fun, and I was with a lot of my friends,” said Avery.

Junior Ashley Wilson has four years of Follies experience under her belt. This year she performed in Hairspray, La La Land, and Skyfall. Each part was about five minutes long and included all different styles of dance making them interesting to perform. Ashley said, “Growing up in dance definitely helped me get in the numbers I was hoping to.” She also develops her skills by taking dance lessons with various companies and leading the PCA Pom Squad.

Fall Follies is an opportunity that many students will never find again after graduation. Mr. Pearson said, “I love pouring into these kids.” The four weekend shows brought together friends, parents, show alumni and fans for the two-hour performance.

 

 

About the Contributor
Emily Ballentine, Editor-in-Chief
Emily Ballentine is a Senior and is the Editor-In-Chief LionNationOnline staff. She is a lifer and enjoys time with her friends. She likes working at Lauren James because she likes shopping and people. Emily plays softball and participates in Future Problem Solvers and the Lion Scholar Program.