Robert Glasper (Instrumental ’97) has been nominated for two 2021 Grammies, for Best Progressive R&B Album and Best R&B Song.
Alana Bright (Theatre ’20) is part of the self-shot documentary “Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020.” In it, high school students both perform and give interviews about their experiences as both students and performers during the pandemic. (see video at right)
Chelsea Cymone (Vocal ’10) will perform with the Houston Symphony on its Very Merry Pops Concerts for the weekends of December 11-13 and 18-20.
Callie Holley (Theatre ’18) is featured as one of six young performers in the upcoming Netflix documentary Giving Voice, which will premiere December 11th. The film follows high school students from across the country as they gather in New York City to compete in a monologue contest focused on the plays of August Wilson.
Saranna Zhang (Instrumental ’22 and MusicFest MC) was profiled in Ms. Magazine for her activism around equal access to menstrual products and resources. According to the magazine, Saranna encourages others to let “everybody do this as a collaborative rather than focusing on how your activism makes you personally shine above others.”
Travel photographer Teal Thomsen (Dance ’09) landed November’s Palm Springs cover story of American Airlines magazine. Kinder HSPVA’s innovative Dance Photography course has inspired many students like Teal to use their eye for composition to cross over into the visual arts!
Brooke Tippet Thompson (Vocal ’84) was named Choir Coordinator and Instructor at the Roosevelt University Lakers Performing Arts program. Lakers Director of Performing Arts Kimberly Farris says, “Ms. Tippet Thompson brings over 25 years of teaching, choral conducting and performing experience to the program, and as a recipient of the prestigious ‘Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence’ will be able to share a wealth of knowledge, talent and expertise with our choir students.”
Claudia de Vasco (Theatre ’01) was featured in a New York Times article about the lack of diversity in Hollywood accent coaches, and how that can contribute to inequality. “Right now, most Latino families on TV are coached by white coaches,” she says in the article. “On the one hand, a coach should be able to coach whatever they’re skilled at. But if we’re really trying to deal with racism in this industry, then it’s fair to say that who coaches people of color plays a big part in how those people are represented.”
Alex Jones (Visual ’03) was profiled in the Houston Chronicle for her work in television production and performance.
Cameron J. Ross (Theatre ’06) writes for the television show “Gentefied,” which was named one of the top ten shows this year by the LA Times.
Kinder HSPVA’s Dance Department and Saranna Zhang (Instrumental ’22) contributed performances to H-E-B Presents: Contemporary World Showcase Virtual Performance Produced by Dance of Asian America.
