Grantasia is the largest performing arts event at Grant High School. For two nights each year, over 700 performing arts students sing, dance and play music in the Grant auditorium for an ever-growing audience. Jessica Murray, the Grant dance teacher, reports that Grantasia brings in up to $15,000 each year. This money is essential to the performing arts programs.

Much to the Grant community’s dismay, this year’s Grantasia has been canceled. With only three weeks to prepare after the end of Portland Public Schools teachers’ strike on Nov. 27, the production of this year’s behemoth performance was simply not possible. 

However, the show will go on. While Grantasia’s unique holiday cheer can’t be replicated, each performing arts department will have their own showcase at a later date. Additionally, while delayed, there will be a musical production of the musical “Grease” in the spring.

“We’re still doing a lot of stuff,” says Murray. “We still have the largest, most comprehensive and busiest performing arts department in all.”

Here is what Grant students have to say about the loss of Grantasia, and what it means for Grant’s performing arts department.

Mari Baker

Senior

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Mari Baker is one of the few Grant students in all three performing arts programs: dance, band and choir. With a childhood defined by her family’s love for the arts, Baker has adored music all her life.

In first grade, Baker learned how to play her first instrument: the piano. Since then, she has worked to become a triple threat. Baker has joined Hollywood Dance Studio, learned to play bass clarinet and has become heavily involved in Grant’s choir program. It’s the team aspect of performing arts, Baker says, that piqued her interest: “Choir really brought that out because of how closely you have to listen and pay attention.” 

As a senior, Baker is feeling the pain of her second canceled Grantasia —  her first was canceled due to distance learning during her freshman year. While she will miss the event’s collaborative efforts, Baker is excited for the end-of-semester performances. 

This year she will be dancing, singing and playing in many of the shows scheduled to replace Grantasia. 

After high school, Baker hopes to pursue her love for performing arts by majoring in dance at the University of Oregon.

Mirabel Kotamarti

Sophomore

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Mirabel Kotamarti’s mother instilled in her a love for music by enrolling her in dance classes and Music Together of Portland, the local musical education program. In addition, they attended countless plays together. At Grant, Kotamarti says her relationship with the arts has become much more serious.“It has become a big part of my community,” she says.

Much of this community is bolstered every year by Grantasia. “Going through the process of performing with someone else … that builds a bond,” says Kotamarti, making the blow of this year’s canceled Grantasia hit that much harder. Despite this, Kotamarti keeps an optimistic outlook.

“I understand why we couldn’t (do Grantatia),” she says. “… we couldn’t have pulled it together in two or three weeks But I’m sad about it.”  

This year Kotamarti will perform in both the choir and dance showcases.

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Rina Tchivandja

Junior

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Rina Tchivandja participates in the Grant Dance Collective, Grant Acapella Choir and theater program; she is also currently a mentor for the dance 1-2 classes. Wanting to make the most of her high school experience, Tchividja started dancing. “High school should be the time to explore things,” she says. “As soon as I found (out) what electives are at Grant, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to do this,  I’m going to do that (and) I’m going to do that.’”

As Tchivandja’s time at Grant progresses, she has continuously become more involved in the arts to make each year better than the last. 

Rina has participated in two Grantasias thus far, but is headed off to Angola this year to spend time with her grandparents. 

For the past two years, Grantasia has allowed Tchivandja to appreciate the holiday season more. “Also to appreciate everybody else’s holidays too,” she says. “Freshman year we did a dance to a song in Hebrew. I think Grantasia is a good place to incorporate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, (and more).” 

All in all, to Tchivandja, Grantasia represents community:  “You realize that it’s all one big community — it’s not just dance, not just band, not just choir and not just theater.”

Sarianne Griepenburg

Senior 

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Sarianne Griepenburg has been interested in dance her whole life. Bringing that love to Grant, Griepenburg was voted a captain of the Gendrills dance team and is mentoring a dance 1-2 class this year. 

Grantasia has provided a sense of community and many memorable experiences for Griepenburg. “(Grantasia is) a really good feeling. Everyone’s practicing their dances for each other,” she says. There’s a constant flurry of nervousness, energy and excitement in the air.

This year’s sudden cancellation of Grantasia was shocking to many, including Griepenburg, who heard the news from a friend. “When I first heard it, I was like, ‘That makes sense.’ And then I was kind of in denial,” she says. “I think I’m still a little like ‘it doesn’t feel real.’” 

Griepenburg also lost her freshman Grantasia due to COVID, making this year’s loss more difficult. “It’s a tough blow,” she says.