Fine Arts

Nurturing the creative spirit

We believe the Arts reflect the aesthetic nature of God and have the power to move the hearts of men to praise and worship the Creator. Students at Norfolk Christian Schools are offered avenues for artistic exploration and expression through a variety of visual, musical and dramatic programs both curricular and co-curricular

The Arts at NCS are geared to all age groups, from Lower School through Upper School. Our program combines theory with practical application and culminates in performances open to the NCS family and the general public.

Every student at Norfolk Christian Schools is given an opportunity to:

Cultivate an aesthetic awareness and develop a Christian viewpoint of the arts
Discover the gifts that God has uniquely given them
Develop and refine those skills for vocational use, ministry or personal enjoyment
Understand and appreciate the arts of the past and the present

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Claudia Nachtigal
Director of Fine Arts

Claudia Nachtigal is the consummate artist and lover of Jesus. While serving as the Fine Arts Director, she also serves as the chorus and dance instructor and events coordinator.

Her appetite for various pursuits is shown through her experience. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1994 where she studied music education, voice, piano and dance. After college, she taught elementary music and won Teacher of the Year. Wondering what could top that, she went to work with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at the College of William and Mary to pioneer a ministry among fraternity and sorority students. It wasn’t long before pregnancy and the lure of teaching called her back to Norfolk to work for The Academy of Music, First Presbyterian Preschool and Trinity Presbyterian Church. In 2005 she moved to St. Louis, earned her Masters of Arts in Theological Studies from Covenant Theological Seminary and was the Worship and Arts Director at the seminary and a church plant in St. Louis and Seattle. Currently, she is studying at Harvard University to earn a Certificate in Advanced Educational Leadership. She is thrilled to continue serving students at NCS as the Director of Fine Arts, helping to further students’ love of music and Jesus.

Visual Art

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2019 ART XPO WINNERS!

Best of show: Tilden Puckett “One fish, two fish”

HS, Art I, II, III, IV, 3D
1st: Ellen Mekkes “Skyline Drive”
2nd: Maya Vo “A Shot in Versailles”
3rd: Elizabeth Rimmer “Dusk to Dawn”
HM: Sarah Wu “Find the Heart”

HS Photography, Art Tech, Digital Art
1st: Ryan Whittington “Freebird”
2nd: Rachel Kastner “Oklahoma”
3RD: Drew Rickman “Purple”
HM: Nathan Manning “Vector Drawing”

MS
1st: Luke Wetzel “Modern Self-Portrait
2nd: Courtney Franklin “Modern Self-Portrait”
3rd: Joseph Jones: Ceramics
HM: Cole Tibetts: “Modern Self-Portrait”

Elementary
1st: Brianna Bartel: “GUINEA pig pack”
2nd: Pilar Hernandez: “Bunny Bee”
3rd: Caleb Gyorfi: “The Race”
HM: Zaniya Williams “Cross Lord Jesus”

Norfolk Christian Schools Fine Arts Programs

Choral

Our award-winning choral program trains ambassadors in third grade and up to use their voices to the glory of God. Students who participate in chorus perform two annual concerts for the NCS community and compete in an array of regional competitions like the Festival of Choirs at Kings Dominion.

Specialized groups like Show Choir and the mixed vocal ensemble Windsong give high school students a chance to further develop and share their talents. In 2018, Windsong was asked to perform at Lincoln Center in New York City and was featured singing live from the crowd on NBC’s Today show.

Instrumental

Instrumental instruction begins in middle school with 6th and 7th grade concert band electives and the ever-popular drum line. More intensive study carries students through high school with opportunities to participate in concert band as well as pep band, jazz band and high school drum line.

In addition to performing at concerts for the NCS family, our musicians play for athletic events, pep rallies, and at numerous outside community events throughout the year.

Theatre

The theatre department at Norfolk Christian begins in middle school, where sixth and seventh grade drama electives introduce students to the basics of performance and character development. More detailed study of the art continues with an eighth grade Drama offering and Beginning and Advanced Acting electives in high school.

Outside of the classroom, many students participate in extra-curricular activities including Drama club and several shows produced throughout the year. A spring musical is our annual showcase event with a non-musical play being performed in the fall and a one-act during the winter Fine Arts chapel.

The highlight of the year for all theatre students is participation in the renowned Virginia Theatre Association festival in October. This four-day event brings master workshops, celebrity lecturers and performances from schools across the state. The weekend ends with an opportunity for juniors and seniors to audition for the many colleges who come in for the festival. In the last four years, NCS students have received more than 100 callbacks through these auditions and been offered scholarships as well as placement in prestigious programs like the Acting program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Through all of these activities, students are immersed in the technical training and enjoyment of developing their craft while being grounded in a solid biblical worldview.