Mind’s Eye: Vanderbilt performing arts groups put on a show for first-year students

Sophomores Amber Yun and Jared Schmidt, and junior Joe Pehrson of Vanderbilt University Theatre scream as they perform a scene from "Catharsis," by sophomore Natalie Martinez-White, during the August Spotlight Showcase for first-year students. Photo by Anne Rayner
Sophomores Amber Yun and Jared Schmidt, and junior Joe Pehrson of Vanderbilt University Theatre scream as they perform a scene from Catharsis, by sophomore Natalie Martinez-White, during the August Spotlight Showcase for first-year students. Photo by Anne Rayner

During their first week at Vanderbilt, first-year students are met with an overwhelming number of organizations vying for their attention. However, the Vanderbilt Performing Arts Community grabs the interest of new students the old-fashioned, time-tested way: They put on a show.

VPAC has been producing the Spotlight Showcase for several years to demonstrate the breadth of performance opportunities available on the Vanderbilt campus. From the BhangraDores and the Melodores to VIDA, VIBE Hip Hop and Vitality dance companies, students get to browse among music, dance and theater offerings, all from the comfort of their Langford Auditorium seats while being entertained. During the two-night run in August, VPAC puts an emphasis on community, stating as their mission to “foster collaboration, share ideas, and have a unified voice in advocating for the arts.”