Ms. Parks in front of Ann and George Colony Hall.
Last month, Ms. Sandra Parks became the new director of the Arts Department, following the departure of Ms. Kalya Yannatos. In her new role, Ms. Parks oversees the visual arts, music, theater, and dance programs while supporting and advocating for artists on campus.
Ms. Parks began her career in the arts with dance training in classical ballet at a young age. She attended the N.Y.U. Tisch School of the Arts where she explored dance styles such as modern, jazz, musical theater, and hip hop. She was on the national and international tours for the Broadway musical, The King and I, before switching to teaching dance in high schools and colleges across the country.
In 2013, Ms. Parks started a non-profit organization called Women in Dance, which connects her artistic pursuits with advocacy for gender equality. Through this organization, she strives to highlight that choreographers, artistic directors, and other leaders in dance are still often men despite the mainstream perception that most dancers are female. She emphasized the substantial salary difference between a female and a male artistic director leading a similar-sized dance company. As an Asian woman in a white male-dominated space, Ms. Parks believes in the power of changing the world through a collective movement with allies and like-minded collaborators. She hopes to carry her passion for equity in the arts to Choate.
“As Choate’s program head for theater, I can say that we are excited to work with Sandra Parks because of the wealth of leadership she brings to the school from her personal, academic, and professional background,” said Mrs. Kate Doak.
Earlier this year, Ms. Parks moved to Choate from Philadelphia with her husband and daughter. The bravery of her previous high school students inspired her choice to teach at Choate. “As an artist, that bravery, that ability to dream, is so incredible,” she said.
Recognizing arts as a medium to nurture critical skills for young people, Ms. Parks encourages Choate students to “take an acting class so you’ll be comfortable with public speaking; take an easy dance class so you can find a better sense of self in your body.”
In addition, Ms. Parks aims to promote the process of creating art, rather than simply focusing on the final concert or exhibition. When choreographing a piece for students in Dance Company, Ms. Parks first observes the emotional, physical, and intellectual state of her dancers. She then creates a piece that is particular to this group of dancers. “Once this group of people is not there, is not together, it’s not the same work anymore,” she said. Although Ms. Parks goes into rehearsals with some movements and ideas in mind, she embraces a collaborative process with her dancers and allows them to shape the choreography.
“When we dance, she won’t let us look into the mirror, because she wants us to feel the movement,” said Katherine Shumway ’24, a Dance and Theatre Arts Concentration student who participated in one of Ms. Parks’ pieces.
Ms. Parks also hopes to encourage an interdisciplinary approach to arts at Choate through establishing more connections with different art forms and even between different subjects. For example, she envisions the integration of arts and STEM, two fields that are not commonly seen with each other. “She is clearly focused on collaboration within the performing arts and across the school,” said Mrs. Doak.
Furthermore, she strives to broaden the arts community at Choate to our surrounding neighborhoods by bringing in different guest artists to share their work. “I’m really curious as to what kind of work would be relevant not only within our campus, with our students, but also within our community in Wallingford,” Ms. Parks said.
Both students and faculty are excited to see Ms. Parks’ passion and dedication at work in the new school year. “I really enjoy working with Ms. Parks, and I really like her energy. I’m looking forward to watching her develop her piece and I’m really happy to be a part of it.” said Shumway. Mrs. Doak further added, “We all hope to see the arts at Choate even more fully connected in the daily life and development of our students and our community as a whole.”
Ms. Parks, on the far left, dances alongside a class.
