Visual & Performing Arts
Welcome!
KCUSD's Visual & Performing Arts program aims to provide all children a broad spectrum of high quality experiences that lead to a lifetime of enjoyment.
Our goal is to provide Instrumental and Vocal Music, Dance, Visual Art, and Theater in authentic ways and as often as possible, offering all students the opportunity to graduate ready for college or career!
Music
We believe that music, both choral and instrumental, is a vital form of self expression, and community performances showcase our students' ensemble efforts!
Our desire is to engage our community in a shared pride for music in all its forms! Our bands perform at many community functions throughout the year and showcase student achievement through parade and field marching, in the concert hall, and at many outdoor events!
Our choir students are actively involved in supporting our community as well! Students participate in numerous festivals and can be seen caroling around town during the month of December, and spreading love and good cheer during Valentine's Day as well!
Our elementary students actively participate in choreographed winter and spring concerts as well as at site celebrations throughout the months of the year!
Dance
We believe that dance is a wonderful form of cultural expression, and showcases our Valley's unique heritage! At multiple school sites, our students have the amazing opportunity to learn the art of Folklorico dancing, and showcase their talents at a wide variety of events!
We are proud of our valley cultural heritage and look for as many ways as possible to share cultural dance with our community.
Drama
We believe that drama offers students the ability to develop empathy through a study of the humanness in each of us. By adopting another persona, students can develop an awareness of others that extends far beyond the stage.
Beginning in 3rd grade, students from across the district are invited to join us every summer for a three week intensive theater experience called "KC Showcase!" This unique opportunity blends teamwork, musical training, theater training, and some fun and games as students learn the basics of theatrical performance. The annual KCUSD Staff Welcome provides a wonderful opportunity for our students to shine as we celebrate the return to school each year!
Reedley High School offers students an opportunity to continue learning theatrical performance, with shows throughout the year on stage in our performing arts theater. Each year, musicals and other scripted plays are performed for audiences to wide acclaim.
We look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events!
Visual Art
We believe that visual art is a form of emotional expression, and that a student's art is a window into their personality and life experience.
Beginning as early as 1st grade, students in the Elementary VAPA program are exposed to famous artists and art techniques that they build on as they progress through the program. Students are exposed to a wide variety of artistic mediums to create art with, and are provided a unique opportunity multiple times a week to learn about and grow in their artistic abilities.
Students showcase their work at our annual Reedley Fiesta downtown Art Show, at the KCUSD District Fair, and at our Educational Support Center in the month of November!
Students at our middle schools, Orange Cove High, and Reedley High are offered a chance to continue to learn about art in exciting new ways! Our high school programs offer pottery, traditional visual art, as well as digital art! Students can apply these techniques in one of our digital video production and photography courses as well, making art a significant part of a well-rounded education.
High School students showcase their art on their campuses, at the Reedley Fiesta Art Show, during presentations to the KCUSD School Board, at the annual Pottery Show, and at many other community events.
Oral Interpretation
We believe that oral interpretation, or the performance of spoken word, offers students a unique opportunity to showcase their communication skills!
For the past 25 years, the Oral Interpretation Festival has given thousands of elementary and junior high students the opportunity to interact with poetry and prose through performance every fall. Whether individually, or as a group, students have honed their skills in audiation, facial expression, diction, rhythm, and meter, as they learn how to expressively communicate with others. These are lifelong skills that we can all benefit from!
For our students who enjoy performance, the annual Fresno State Peach Blossom Festival offers a second opportunity to perform in front of friends, family members, and judges. The festival brings thousands of children from all across the Central Valley together to celebrate oral language skills through performance, and is a highlight for many of our Kings Canyon Unified students.
- VAPA Coordinator
- Band
- Choir
- Latin Dance
- Performing Arts Theater
- Drama & KC Showcase
- VAPA Technicians
- Visual Art
- Proposition 28
VAPA Coordinator
Jimmy Loomis, Coordinator
(559) 898-2007
Band
Reedley High
Jason Awbrey (Silas Bartsch)
Samuel Gipson * (Grant)
Scott Norvell (TL Reed)
Ricardo Garcia (Riverview)
Andrea Tarvin (Navelencia)
Support Staff
Corey Dobbins
Ava Laney
Orange Cove High
Moises Caluya (Dunlap)
Ryan Ubhoff * (Citrus)
* Head Director
Support Staff
Jose Hernandez
Cristina Velasco
Christian Ferman
Choir
Mandi Bernal
Reedley High, Grant, Riverview
Michael Peña
Orange Cove High, Citrus, Silas Bartsch
Corey Dobbins, Accompanist
Latin Dance
Carlota Rosas, Reedley High
Teresa Escamilla, Jefferson
Performing Arts Theater
Steve Jones, PAT Technician
Corey Dobbins, Assistant
Drama & KC Showcase
Sarah Wiebe, Director (RHS)
Marianne McFarlin, Staff
VAPA Technicians
VAPA Tech Staff
Our team of caring Visual & Performing Arts Technicians are excited to share their love of the arts with your child at every opportunity! We strive to provide a balanced variety of music and visual art curriculum in a variety of topics, both seasonal and educational, to help your child develop curiosity and passion for all things artistic!
Karina Bermudez, Alta
Jocelyn Balladarez, TL Reed, Jefferson
Joseph Ham, Riverview
Joseph Hill, Silas Bartsch
Hannah Knight, Sheridan
Chris Lopez, McCord, Dunlap
Jake Lopez, McCord
Salma Lopez, Alta, Sheridan
Nicole Morrison, Washington
Grace Rodriguez, Dunlap
Allison Rodriguez, TL Reed
Jessica Sanchez-Grijalva, Lincoln
Glenda Stewart, Jefferson
VAPA Specialists
Our team is enhanced by three full-time VAPA Specialists, who support the VAPA Technicians by serving as mentors and curriculum experts.
Rachael Amerson, Silas Bartsch
Carol Leppke, Great Western
Jacqueline Quintanilla, AL Conner
Visual Art
Reedley High
James Lyons, Video Production
Michael Phillips, Digital Art
David Smith, Visual Art
Orange Cove High
Samantha Garner, Visual Art