Jubilant students, faculty, and staff gathered on the University of Virginia’s Lawn for the 20th anniversary of Lighting of the Lawn, a beloved tradition launched by students to forge unity after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The theme of UVA’s 20th annual Lighting of the Lawn is “Brighter Than Ever” and will feature dozens of student groups, including a cappella performances, a poem read by surprise guests, and a unique music and light show.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, University of Virginia faculty scrambled to find ways to deliver a traditional college education online. But as faculty in UVA’s College of Arts & Sciences worked to educate their students despite the obstacles presented by COVID-19, they found themselves creating the foundation for changes to the practice of art education – changes that may make it just a little better than it was before.
Acapella concerts on the Lawn, dance showcases, live theater productions – student performances have long graced the University of Virginia. In the past year, as coronavirus brought in-person shows to a halt, UVA’s performance groups adapted to create virtually and keep their art alive. Some groups are taking advantage of technology like Zoom or TikTok to allow students in different places to create, practice, or learn together virtually, while others have met in small groups with a lot of precautions in place. UVA Today reached out to a number of student arts groups across Grounds to find out how they survived the past year.
In a year that was particularly hard on best-laid plans, Head and Artistic Director of Dance at UVA Kim Brooks Mata and her colleague Katie Baer Schetlick delayed an official celebration of the milestone 15th anniversary of the UVA Dance minor. However, that certainly didn’t mean they sat idly by during the pandemic. In fact, Brooks Mata and Schetlick were as busy as ever, if not more so, with a spring chock full of performances, guest artists, and rare opportunities for students to see the inner workings of some of America’s finest choreographers and companies.
