Do you enjoy singing, dancing, or performing in any way? In that case, Cal High’s newest club, NRG, may be the place for you.
Led by NRG’s communications director Billy Colston, the club’s focus is the performing arts. A combination of song-and-dance production numbers that are created by the student members after school and showcased in performances.
“We wanted to have a lot of energy focused toward the performing arts,” Colston said. “We wanted to bring that into our club.”
The club is named “NRG” because it sounds phonetically similar to “energy.”
“We’re the pulse of the high school,” said junior Lillianna Hebert, who is also the club’s singing coach.
With a combination of multiple performing arts all showcased at once, NRG is unique.
“They can each explore their own talent as individuals and as a group,” said Colston.
NRG is advised by P.E. teacher Lenard Matthews III, who helps the club with his knowledge of the performing arts.
“I have a background in performing arts. I used to work at a dance club in college,” Matthews said. “We used to put on shows….a dance routine or a lip sync or whatever. I’m just bringing what I know from that, here.”
For Matthews, NRG is also a way to introduce his students to an older generation of performance.
“I get to introduce them to the oldschool aspects,” he said. “I have a lot of fun with that. “I’m trying to push them all in the fundamental direction of talent.”
All of NRG’s talents were put to test in the performance they put on before winter break. The performance consisted up numerous dance routines and songs.
“I can tell the talent is there,” Matthews said after the performance, “but learning how to put it on a stage in the next step.”
Hebert agrees.
“(The performance) went really well, for our first time,” she said. “There are definitely things we know we need to improve on, but overall the turnout was great.”
Members of NRG said the performance was the first many this year and hopefully in years to come.
“I thought (the performance) was very awesome,” Colston said. “We brought all the energy we could, we showed them what we had. I hope we definitely throw on a ton more events.”
