Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
Encyclopedia
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (commonly known as "DA" or "DASOTA") is a magnet high school in the San Marco neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida
. The school opened in the 1922 as a primary school
specifically for African American students. The school is named after local civil rights activist, Douglas Anderson. In 1985, the school was renovated into a magnet high school specializing in performing
, visual
and language
arts. Over the years, the school has accomplished many achievements including becoming a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
and receiving numerous awards from the United States Department of Education, International Network of Schools for the Advancement of Arts Education and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
.
In December 2009, the school became a Florida Heritage Landmark
by the Bureau of Historical Preservation. The ceremony was attended by students and school officials, Anderson's family and the first graduates of the school from 1959.
. During the 60's, the school closed briefly and reopened in 1968 as a campus for Florida Junior College. In 1970, the school closed briefly again and reopened in 1971 as the Douglas Anderson Seventh Grade Center. In 1985, the school opened as Douglas Anderson School of the Arts becoming the only school in the county offering arts education. During its tenure, the school has produce award-winning performances in theatre, dance and music. Many students from the school were featured in major films including Brenda Starr
, Sunshine State
and The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
as well as the short-lived television series, "Safr Harbor".
for carpentry
. While attending school, Anderson met Ethel Stevens and the two married in 1906. Two years later, they had a daughter named Mary Gwendolyn Anderson—who attended the South Jacksonville Grammar School. During his daughter's tenure, Anderson became PTA president. In the city, Anderson was a respected civil rights activist. Because of his fair complexion, Anderson was able to attend local Ku Klux Klan
meetings and was able to tell the community of their plans. Because of segregation
, many African American students had no transportation to school. Anderson purchased a standard school bus and provide way for these students to get back and forth to school. His efforts later lead to providing free and/or public transpiration for black students. Anderson passed away in December 1936; nine years later, the South Jacksonville Grammar School was named in his honor.
Students are accepted to the school based on auditions offered in the spring (and often the summer) of each school year. Vocal music, performance theatre, and dance students also have the opportunity to attend a second audition for entrance into the musical theatre program. In addition to excelling in their chosen area of artistic study, students are expected to maintain an average (>2.0) GPA. or face probation and/or eventual expulsion. Also, students can be put on probation for missing over 8 instructional units. Each department features an end of year "jury" wherein a student's contributions to their respective department are assessed and critiqued.
"Extravaganza" is an annual event at the school to showcase student's work.
Creative Writing
The department was opened in 1990 and in 2006 became one of the last to receive its own building. The Creative Writing department produces a literary magazine, Elan, and the school newspaper The Improviser. For a short while the journalism classes also produced a magazine, titled Segue.
Cinematic Arts
The formerly named "Film/TV department", established in 1997 under the instruction of Lorry Romano, is the newest department in the school. The department originally began as an extension of the theatre department. In 2001, it became its own department with only 10 students. Students are educated in all aspects of film making such as writing, directing, editing, and cinematography. Each grade level focuses on different specialized projects that require a myriad of skills. The department supports a small number of extracurricular major film projects that act as the flagship pieces in the bi-annual film showcases. Department films have gone on to gain admittance and in some cases awards in national film festivals and the local Jacksonville Film Festival
. In 2003, the department was given its own studio featuring a classroom and editing bay. During the time, students would film, produce and edit the "Brain Brawl" competition for WJCT
.
Dance
The Dance department offers many different classes to about 150 students. The two performing groups, Tap Ensemble and Dance Theatre, require an audition to join. Dance majors study everyday with a rotating schedule of modern and ballet/pointe classes. The Dance department also offers electives such as Dance Production I and II, Jazz, Dance Career Prep, Research, American Musical Theatre, Dance Aesthetics, Variations, and Ethnic Dance. Also, all dancers are required to complete a Choreography credit during either their Junior or Senior year.
Instrumental and vocal music
Musical instruction is divided into four departments: piano, guitar, vocal and instrumental—which includes both band and orchestral groups. As a whole, the music classes were named a Gold School and ranked number 2 in the nation by the Grammy Foundation in 2008, and number 1 in 2010.
The various groups perform throughout Florida and the nation on a regular basis. In 2006, the DASOTA Jazz Ensemble I, under the direction of Ace Martin, won first place in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival
in New York.
The vocal department's top group, Chorale Women, performed at the 2011 ACDA (American Choral Director's Association); a National Music Conference in Chicago. they were/are under the direction of Jeffrey Clayton. They currently hold the title of the best high school women's chorus in the nation.
Other honors include the invitation extended to the Symphonic Band to play at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Festival in 1999 under the direction of Tom Haller. The Wind Symphony, under the direction of Shawn Barat, performed at the 2008 MENC National Biennial In-Service Conference in Milwaukee, the 2009 FMEA In-Service Clinic-Conference in Tampa, and the 2011 Music For All National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis.
The jazz band was also featured in the award-winning documentary Chops. The film followed the jazz band on their journey to the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival starting with their first experience with jazz in middle school, at LaVilla School Of The Arts, and going through winning the competition.
Performance and technical theatre
The Performance and technical theatre department has existed since the school's inception. With a state-of-the-art theatre, as well as a modern 'black box' theatre, students have all the trappings of a professional theatre. The department averages four shows a year, including a children's show, a musical or Shakespearean play, and a contemporary piece. All theatre students are given a background of general theatrical knowledge, taking classes such as stagecraft, acting, plays and playwrights and theatre history, in addition to more specialized courses like Directing and Voice and Dialect. The tech department allows students to assist in design, technical direction, and creation of costumes, props, and sets.
Musical Theatre—a more recently added major opportunity—allows students to enter as either a theatre, vocal, or dance student, and integrate the three beginning in the second year. The performing theatre majors and tech majors are expected to prepare juries at the end of each school year that show their growth over the course of the year.
In 2010, the theatre department began to produce a production of Moisés Kaufman
's The Laramie Project
. The production gained national attention as the infamous religious institution Westboro Baptist Church
protested the event. A counter-protest was staged by current students, faculty, and staff along with city officials and alumni of the school. The production went as planned in April 2010.
Visual arts
In this arts area, many students take part in drawing, painting, sculpting, photography, printmaking, and art history. Gallery openings occur throughout the year to showcase the students' talent. There is an annual Senior Show marking the last gallery opening for the outgoing seniors, and in which they are the only contributors, subtracting the underclass work.
The program boasts a fully operational and state-of-the-art photo lab, yearly student built installations around campus, and full facilities for printmaking, sculpture and drawing/painting classes.
In 2002, the visual arts curriculum was challenged by one of its former students. During a lesson in sculpture history, a video was shown featuring nude depictions of Indigenous peoples of the Americas
. The student's parents pressed the school board to fire the teacher and remove the section from the course. The case was eventually thrown out and the student chose to voluntarily leave the school.
Source:
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. The school opened in the 1922 as a primary school
Primary education in the United States
Primary education in the United States typically refers to the first six years of formal education in most jurisdictions. Primary education may also be referred to as elementary education and most schools offering these programs are referred to as elementary schools...
specifically for African American students. The school is named after local civil rights activist, Douglas Anderson. In 1985, the school was renovated into a magnet high school specializing in performing
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
, visual
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
and language
Language arts
Traditionally, the primary divisions in the language arts are Literature and Language, where language in this case refers to both linguistics, and specific languages....
arts. Over the years, the school has accomplished many achievements including becoming a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
and receiving numerous awards from the United States Department of Education, International Network of Schools for the Advancement of Arts Education and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
.
In December 2009, the school became a Florida Heritage Landmark
Florida Heritage Landmark
A Florida Heritage Landmark is a designation given by the state of Florida that recognizes significant events, places, or people relating to architecture, history, or other Florida specific culture....
by the Bureau of Historical Preservation. The ceremony was attended by students and school officials, Anderson's family and the first graduates of the school from 1959.
History
Opening in 1922 as The South Jacksonville Grammar School for grades 1—9. The school was primarily attended by African American students, the only school in the region during that time. In 1945, the school name changed to Douglas Anderson School. During the 50's, the school morphed into a high school with the mascot of "Fiery Dragons" and in 1959, the school saw its first graduating class in 1959 with a commencement speech given by Dr. Benjamin E. MaysBenjamin Mays
Benjamin Elijah Mays was an American minister, educator, scholar, social activist and the president of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia from 1940 to 1967. Mays was also a significant mentor to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr...
. During the 60's, the school closed briefly and reopened in 1968 as a campus for Florida Junior College. In 1970, the school closed briefly again and reopened in 1971 as the Douglas Anderson Seventh Grade Center. In 1985, the school opened as Douglas Anderson School of the Arts becoming the only school in the county offering arts education. During its tenure, the school has produce award-winning performances in theatre, dance and music. Many students from the school were featured in major films including Brenda Starr
Brenda Starr (film)
Brenda Starr is a 1989 adventure film, based on Dale Messick's Brenda Starr comic strip. The film was directed by Robert Ellis Miller, and stars Brooke Shields, Timothy Dalton, and Diana Scarwid.-Plot:...
, Sunshine State
Sunshine State (film)
Sunshine State is a 2002 American comedy–drama film written and directed by John Sayles. The picture stars an ensemble cast that features Angela Bassett, Edie Falco, Jane Alexander, Alan King, Timothy Hutton, Mary Steenburgen, Bill Cobbs, and others. The movie was filmed on Amelia Island,...
and The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking is a 1988 Swedish/American fantasy–adventure–musical film based on the books of the fictional character Pippi Longstocking, created by Swedish children's book author Astrid Lindgren . While the title suggests the movie is a continuation, it is in...
as well as the short-lived television series, "Safr Harbor".
Douglas Anderson
Douglas Anderson was born in Jacksonville, Florida on March 7, 1884. Although both his parents were African American, Anderson was very fair skinned, resembling a Caucasian. Anderson attended the Tuskegee UniversityTuskegee University
Tuskegee University is a private, historically black university located in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
for carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
. While attending school, Anderson met Ethel Stevens and the two married in 1906. Two years later, they had a daughter named Mary Gwendolyn Anderson—who attended the South Jacksonville Grammar School. During his daughter's tenure, Anderson became PTA president. In the city, Anderson was a respected civil rights activist. Because of his fair complexion, Anderson was able to attend local Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
meetings and was able to tell the community of their plans. Because of segregation
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
, many African American students had no transportation to school. Anderson purchased a standard school bus and provide way for these students to get back and forth to school. His efforts later lead to providing free and/or public transpiration for black students. Anderson passed away in December 1936; nine years later, the South Jacksonville Grammar School was named in his honor.
Education
The school focuses on providing a standard high-school curriculum along with creative education. Currently, the school offers instrumental music (including piano and guitar), vocal music, creative writing, performance and technical theatre, dance, visual arts and cinematic arts.Students are accepted to the school based on auditions offered in the spring (and often the summer) of each school year. Vocal music, performance theatre, and dance students also have the opportunity to attend a second audition for entrance into the musical theatre program. In addition to excelling in their chosen area of artistic study, students are expected to maintain an average (>2.0) GPA. or face probation and/or eventual expulsion. Also, students can be put on probation for missing over 8 instructional units. Each department features an end of year "jury" wherein a student's contributions to their respective department are assessed and critiqued.
"Extravaganza" is an annual event at the school to showcase student's work.
Creative Writing
The department was opened in 1990 and in 2006 became one of the last to receive its own building. The Creative Writing department produces a literary magazine, Elan, and the school newspaper The Improviser. For a short while the journalism classes also produced a magazine, titled Segue.
Cinematic Arts
The formerly named "Film/TV department", established in 1997 under the instruction of Lorry Romano, is the newest department in the school. The department originally began as an extension of the theatre department. In 2001, it became its own department with only 10 students. Students are educated in all aspects of film making such as writing, directing, editing, and cinematography. Each grade level focuses on different specialized projects that require a myriad of skills. The department supports a small number of extracurricular major film projects that act as the flagship pieces in the bi-annual film showcases. Department films have gone on to gain admittance and in some cases awards in national film festivals and the local Jacksonville Film Festival
Jacksonville Film Festival
The Jacksonville Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Jacksonville, Florida. Founded in 2002, the festival screens dozens of the hundreds of films submitted for its consideration...
. In 2003, the department was given its own studio featuring a classroom and editing bay. During the time, students would film, produce and edit the "Brain Brawl" competition for WJCT
WJCT (TV)
WJCT is a community-supported PBS member station serving Jacksonville, Florida, broadcasting on digital channel 7. Its studio is located near Jacksonville's Sports Complex and adjacent to Metropolitan Park....
.
Dance
The Dance department offers many different classes to about 150 students. The two performing groups, Tap Ensemble and Dance Theatre, require an audition to join. Dance majors study everyday with a rotating schedule of modern and ballet/pointe classes. The Dance department also offers electives such as Dance Production I and II, Jazz, Dance Career Prep, Research, American Musical Theatre, Dance Aesthetics, Variations, and Ethnic Dance. Also, all dancers are required to complete a Choreography credit during either their Junior or Senior year.
Instrumental and vocal music
Musical instruction is divided into four departments: piano, guitar, vocal and instrumental—which includes both band and orchestral groups. As a whole, the music classes were named a Gold School and ranked number 2 in the nation by the Grammy Foundation in 2008, and number 1 in 2010.
The various groups perform throughout Florida and the nation on a regular basis. In 2006, the DASOTA Jazz Ensemble I, under the direction of Ace Martin, won first place in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival
Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival
The Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival is an annual high school jazz festival and competition that takes place every May at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. The festival is aimed at encouraging young musicians to play music by Duke Ellington and other...
in New York.
The vocal department's top group, Chorale Women, performed at the 2011 ACDA (American Choral Director's Association); a National Music Conference in Chicago. they were/are under the direction of Jeffrey Clayton. They currently hold the title of the best high school women's chorus in the nation.
Other honors include the invitation extended to the Symphonic Band to play at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Festival in 1999 under the direction of Tom Haller. The Wind Symphony, under the direction of Shawn Barat, performed at the 2008 MENC National Biennial In-Service Conference in Milwaukee, the 2009 FMEA In-Service Clinic-Conference in Tampa, and the 2011 Music For All National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis.
The jazz band was also featured in the award-winning documentary Chops. The film followed the jazz band on their journey to the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival starting with their first experience with jazz in middle school, at LaVilla School Of The Arts, and going through winning the competition.
Performance and technical theatre
The Performance and technical theatre department has existed since the school's inception. With a state-of-the-art theatre, as well as a modern 'black box' theatre, students have all the trappings of a professional theatre. The department averages four shows a year, including a children's show, a musical or Shakespearean play, and a contemporary piece. All theatre students are given a background of general theatrical knowledge, taking classes such as stagecraft, acting, plays and playwrights and theatre history, in addition to more specialized courses like Directing and Voice and Dialect. The tech department allows students to assist in design, technical direction, and creation of costumes, props, and sets.
Musical Theatre—a more recently added major opportunity—allows students to enter as either a theatre, vocal, or dance student, and integrate the three beginning in the second year. The performing theatre majors and tech majors are expected to prepare juries at the end of each school year that show their growth over the course of the year.
In 2010, the theatre department began to produce a production of Moisés Kaufman
Moisés Kaufman
Moisés Kaufman is a playwright, director and founder of Tectonic Theater Project. He is the author of Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, 33 Variations and is perhaps best known for writing The Laramie Project with other members of Tectonic Theater Project...
's The Laramie Project
The Laramie Project
The Laramie Project is a play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project about the reaction to the 1998 murder of University of Wyoming gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie,...
. The production gained national attention as the infamous religious institution Westboro Baptist Church
Westboro Baptist Church
The Westboro Baptist Church is an independent Baptist church known for its extreme stance against homosexuality and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals and desecrating the American flag. The church is widely described as a hate group and is monitored as such by the...
protested the event. A counter-protest was staged by current students, faculty, and staff along with city officials and alumni of the school. The production went as planned in April 2010.
Visual arts
In this arts area, many students take part in drawing, painting, sculpting, photography, printmaking, and art history. Gallery openings occur throughout the year to showcase the students' talent. There is an annual Senior Show marking the last gallery opening for the outgoing seniors, and in which they are the only contributors, subtracting the underclass work.
The program boasts a fully operational and state-of-the-art photo lab, yearly student built installations around campus, and full facilities for printmaking, sculpture and drawing/painting classes.
In 2002, the visual arts curriculum was challenged by one of its former students. During a lesson in sculpture history, a video was shown featuring nude depictions of Indigenous peoples of the Americas
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. The student's parents pressed the school board to fire the teacher and remove the section from the course. The case was eventually thrown out and the student chose to voluntarily leave the school.
Awards and achievements
| Year | Award | Organization | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Five Star School | Florida Department of Education | ||
| National Service Learning Leader School | U.S. Department of Education | ||
| 1998 | Presidential Scholars in the Arts | U.S. Department of Education | Received a total of 4 awards. One was given to Tony Award nominee Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... Daniel Breaker |
| 2000 | Best Academic High Schools | Newsweek Magazine | Also awarded in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 |
| 2000—2006 | National Signature School | Grammy Foundation | Received award seven consecutive years in a row |
| 2001—2002 | National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence | U.S Department of Education | Received award two consecutive years in a row |
| 2001—2008 | A+ School | Florida Department of Education | Received award eight consecutive years in a row |
| 2005—2006 | National Leader School | International Center for Leadership Education | Received the award twice, once in 2005 and again in 2006 |
| 2006 | Competition Winner | Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival The Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival is an annual high school jazz festival and competition that takes place every May at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. The festival is aimed at encouraging young musicians to play music by Duke Ellington and other... |
The school participated in the event in 2004, 2006 and 2008 but only won once |
| 2007 | Community Partnership Award | International Network of Schools for the Advancement of Arts Education | Received award along with the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens is a public museum located in Jacksonville, Florida. The museum focuses on portraying European and American artistic paintings. The museum also has a large collection of Meissen porcelain... and the Clara White Mission Clara White Mission The Clara White Mission is a non-profit organization in downtown Jacksonville, Florida that advocates for the poor and provides social services... |
| Exemplary School Award | |||
| Arts Innovation Award | |||
| 2007—2008 | National Gold Grammy Signature School | Grammy Foundation | Received the award twice, once in 2007 and again in 2008 |
| 2007—2010 | Florida Music Demonstration School | Florida Department of Education & Florida Music Educators’ Association | Received the award four times, once in 2007, 2008, 2009 and again in 2010 |
Source:
Notable alumni
- Wes BorlandWes BorlandWesley Louden Borland is an American musician and artist, best known as the guitarist for the band Limp Bizkit. He has been in several other bands as well including: Black Light Burns, The Damning Well, Goatslayer, Big Dumb Face, and Combichrist...
—Guitarist for Limp BizkitLimp BizkitLimp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999... - John OttoJohn OttoJohn Otto may refer to:* John Otto , original member of the band Limp Bizkit* John Otto , acting director of the FBI in 1987* John Otto , first superintendent at Colorado National Monument...
—Drummer for Limp Bizkit - Fred DurstFred DurstWilliam Frederick "Fred" Durst is an American musician, director, producer and actor, well known as the frontman of the band Limp Bizkit.-Early life:...
—Vocalist for Limp Bizkit. Attended the school for one quarter before transferring to Englewood High SchoolEnglewood High School (Jacksonville, Florida)Englewood High School is a public high school located on Jacksonville, Florida's southside.Rich in tradition and pride, Englewood High School was constructed in 1956 and exemplifies the concept of a "neighborhood school." Located on on the Southside of Jacksonville, Florida, this school is one of... - Ryan KeyRyan KeyRyan Key is an American rock musician. He is best known for being the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the American pop punk band Yellowcard, and one of the two lead singers in his side project Big If.-Early life:...
—Lead vocalist and guitarist for YellowcardYellowcardYellowcard is an American pop punk/alternative rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, and based in Los Angeles, California since 2000. Their music features the use of a violin, unusual for the genre... - Sean MackinSean MackinSean/Seán Mackin may refer to:*Seán Mackin , Northern Irish activist, fundraiser for the Friends of Sinn Féin*Sean Mackin , American musician for the pop punk band Yellowcard...
—Violinist and backing vocalist for YellowcardYellowcardYellowcard is an American pop punk/alternative rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, and based in Los Angeles, California since 2000. Their music features the use of a violin, unusual for the genre... - Longineu W. Parsons IIILongineu W. Parsons IIILongineu W. "LP" Parsons III is a French-born American rock musician. He is best known for being the drummer for the American pop punk band Yellowcard and is now one of the two remaining full-time members of the band from its original line-up along with bandmate Sean Mackin.-Early life:Longineu...
—Drummer for YellowcardYellowcardYellowcard is an American pop punk/alternative rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, and based in Los Angeles, California since 2000. Their music features the use of a violin, unusual for the genre...
and other bands - Fin Leavell—trombonist for Against All AuthorityAgainst All AuthorityAgainst All Authority is an American punk band, formed in Florida in 1992. Playing in the ska punk style, their business practice follows a stringent DIY ethic.-History:...
and guitarist for The Summer ObsessionThe Summer ObsessionThe Summer Obsession is a punk band from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, United States. The band originally started in 2004 by Luke Walker & Fin Leavell. They went through several members until they recruited drummer Chris Wilson... - Ash BrannonAsh BrannonAsh Brannon is an American animator, writer and director. He was a story artist and directing animator on Toy Story and co-director on Toy Story 2...
—Director of Surf's UpSurf's Up (film)Surf's Up is a 2007 American computer-animated mockumentary family comedy film directed by Ash Brannon and Chris Buck. It stars the voices of Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel and Jon Heder among others.... - Patrick HeusingerPatrick HeusingerPatrick Heusinger is an American actor who made his debut in the 2006 film Sweet Land as Young Lars and then appeared in Tie a Yellow Ribbon, The Nanny Diaries, and Black Swan". Heusinger is best-known for his roles as "Lord Marcus" on the CW's hit drama Gossip Girl and "Adam" on USA Network's...
—Actor known for his role as "Lord Marcus" on Gossip GirlGossip Girl (TV series)Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...
. - Celicy Lewis—Actor appearing on ERER (TV series)ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
- Jon WilkesJon WilkesJonathan Ross Wilkes is a drummer from Jacksonville, Florida who has been traveling the world as a member of the rock band The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus . He is endorsed by Pacific Drums. He currently plays a black oyster Platinum series kit.- References :...
—Drummer for The Red Jumpsuit ApparatusThe Red Jumpsuit ApparatusThe Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is an American rock band that formed in Middleburg, Florida.-Early years :Originating in Florida, childhood friends Ronnie Winter, Thomas Amason, and Duke Kitchens started the band while attending an AP music theory class, in 2003... - Cassandra Freeman — Actor known for Inside Man & I Think I love My Wife and many others
- Payton Haas—Actor known for Flipper (1995 TV series)Flipper (1995 TV series)Flipper, is an American revival television series of the original 1964 Flipper television series. The first two seasons aired in first-run syndication; seasons 3 and 4 aired on the PAX network....
- Jennifer Jarvis—Director and founder of Astorax Productions
- Claude Davis Robertson—Dancer
- Erin Clyne—Member of the Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre
- Matthew Thompson—Actor known for Tru LovedTru LovedTru Loved is a 2008 independent feature film written and directed by Stewart Wade.-Plot:Sixteen-year-old Tru has been raised in San Francisco by two lesbian mothers and two gay fathers...
- James Beeks—Actor and musician (known professionally as "Delisco")
- Alyssa Key—Fashion designer and owner of "Love Brigade Clothing".
- Daniel BreakerDaniel Breaker-Life and career:Born in Manhattan, Kansas, the son of a career military officer, Breaker grew up partly in Germany and attended Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, a performing arts school in Florida. He then earned a BFA degree from the Juilliard School in 2002...
—Actor and Tony Award Nominee - Paul KirklandPaul KirklandPaul Kirkland is an American dancer.-Biography:Born Robert Paul Kirkland on June 17, 1982 in Jacksonville, Florida and graduated from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.He is most commonly known for dancing with Christina Aguilera....
—Dancer appearing in works with Jennifer LopezJennifer LopezJennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, Christina AguileraChristina AguileraChristina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
and MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... - Dekker DreyerDekker DreyerRyan Dekker Dreyer is a television producer, writer, director, and entrepreneur. He is one of the original founders of the cable network Illusion On-Demand, producer of several television series and films, and the creator of Tentacle Grape brand soda.-Personal life:Dreyer was born on November 16,...
—founder of Illusion On-DemandIllusion On-DemandIllusion On-Demand is an American VOD Video On Demand cable TV network focused on science fiction and fantasy programming. Illusion launched nationally in October 2007 with a special Halloween lineup...
. - Andy Bothwell—Hip-hop artist under the pseudonym AstronautalisAstronautalisAstronautalis is an American hip hop artist based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.After gaining some renown in local circles in Jacksonville and competing at Scribble Jam, Astronautalis self-released his debut album, You and Yer Good Ideas, in 2003...
. - Savery Morgan—Member of Ballethinc Dance Company
- Will Neal—Drummer for Fantasia BarrinoFantasia BarrinoFantasia Monique Barrino commonly known as Fantasia, is an American R&B singer, Broadway and television actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which...