The Barton Visual and Performing Arts Department will host its annual Sneak Preview Concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 10 in the Fine Arts Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.

The event will feature performances by the Hilltop Singers, Concert Choir, Jazz Ensemble, Prairie Winds Concert Band and Barton Dance Theatre to give the community a peek into what each talented group has in store.

Director of Choral Activities Sara Oberle said the preparation for the concert is going well and she was particularly excited about the choir’s selection of music.

“The set by the Concert Choir is centered around great works of poetry, including those of Robert Burns and William Blake,” she said. “The Hilltop Singers’ set celebrates themes of ‘aspirations’ as Barton marks fifty years of helping community members reach their career and personal goals.”

Instructor of Dance Danika Bielek  said The Dance Theatre will perform a contemporary trio called “Mirror, Mirror.”

“The piece examines the complicated relationship dancers have with their bodies,” she said. “This is one of the dances we will be performing at the Kansas Dance Festival in Wichita this December.”

Director of Instrumental Activities Dr. Luis Palacios, who is new to Barton this year, is excited to have students perform popular music classics.

“It’s great when students have the opportunity to perform music that they can personally connect with,” he said. “This music also serves as an instructional tool by teaching students various approaches to musical styles and genres.”  

Audience members will also have the opportunity to enjoy a “Sneak Preview” of the upcoming “Night at the Movies” instrumental concert that will feature musical selections from popular movie soundtracks.

For more information, contact Oberle at oberles@bartonccc.edu or (620) 792-9395 or Palacios at palaciosl@bartonccc.edu or (620) 792-9396.