Tag Archives: events

It’s “Dance or Die” for the cast of “Fiddler on the Roof”

“It was ‘Dance or die,’” said a member of the cast as Emily Ditkovski, the musical’s director, introduced the cast to the political and social turmoil of turn of the century Tsarist Russia.

Certainly true in the realm of musicals, this phrase became the mantra for the cast and crew of this year’s musical, “Fiddler on the Roof.”  Whenever someone is having trouble they say, “dance or die” to each other and the situation, whatever it may be, is ameliorated.

“Every cast is special, every cast is unique, but this one has so much energy,” says Ditkovski of the 39 students involved in the play this spring.  “There are so many beginners this year, but they’re all able to channel the characters perfectly.”

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Planning Ahead: Williston to Host Summer Opportunities Fair

The eighth annual Pioneer Valley Summer Opportunities Fair, an informational fair intended for families with children entering kindergarten through high school, will take place in the Reed Campus Center of The Williston Northampton School, 40 Park Street, Easthampton. The event will take place on Sunday, February 26 from noon until 3:00 p.m. Admission is free.

This exceptional fair showcases a wide range of programs focusing on academic enrichment, outdoor adventure, international home-stay, travel, internships, community service, camps, arts, sports and more for elementary, middle school and high school students. Representatives of local, national, and international summer programs will be available to talk with interested students and their families.

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Christmas Vespers at Williston

20091213 Norton 087smallSunday, December 11, 7:00 p.m.
Phillips Stevens Chapel, 45 Park Street, Easthampton

Please join in an evening of music, celebration, and sharing. Following the concert, Head of School Robert W. Hill III and Kathryn Hill P’15 welcome you to their home at 37 Park Street for cookies and hot chocolate.

Vespers has been a tradition at The Williston Northampton School since 1972, the year following the merger of Northampton School for Girls with Williston Academy. The service, part of the Cultural Identity Series, includes singing by the Vespers Choir interspersed with scriptural readings and sharing of personal stories. The choir, led by Assistant Choral Director Catherine Kay, will lead the congregation in singing the following carols, selected by Ms. Kay to represent the Advent and Christmas experience, moving from expectation, waiting, and darkness, through the story of the nativity, and into light, brightness and celebration.

• “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
• “Silent Night”
• Angels We Have Heard on High
• “Joy to the World”

The service will feature seasonal readings. The Vespers Choir, gathered from all parts of the Williston community, will also sing an arrangement of the African American spiritual, “Go Tell It On the Mountain.”

While celebrating the nativity, Vespers is also an occasion that honors joy, peace, and goodwill. All are welcome.
 

Alda Speaks of Dreams, by Dylan Kenseth ’14

Several hundred people sat with rapt attention under the perfect blue sky over the Reed Center as Head of School Robert W. Hill, III welcomed them to Williston’s 170th Commencement exercises on the morning of June 4, 2011. In his usual cheery but dignified manner, he spoke of how, in his earlier years, he would watch three episodes of M*A*S*H daily, a TV show thought to be “the best of all time.” Without further ado, he turned and gave the podium to the man sitting casually to his left. Alan Alda, distinguished actor, writer, and grandfather to senior Emilia Caligiuri, rose and began a speech filled with unique advice for the graduating seniors.

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