On a chilly Friday evening last March, Liarucha Zahnke-Basuki performed in her first Gymnastics Exhibition at Olney Friends School. Toward the end of the event, she stood in the gymnasium doorway, holding back tears as she watched members of the class of 2015 perform their senior skit.
“I had already changed schools a couple times, and I found myself really at home here, so it was hard because I knew the entire community was going to change soon,” Liarucha said.
In less than three months, those familiar faces with whom she had become so close would be graduating and yet another chapter in the storied history of Olney would come to a close. At times, the evening was vibrant, exciting, and the gymnasium filled with adrenaline and enthusiasm. In the dining hall, however, where students were waiting between acts, there was a looming, somber, unspoken sense of impending finality.
This past Friday night, however, a much different atmosphere filled the dining hall and gymnasium as nearly two dozen students took the floor for their first Gym Ex performances in front of a packed house. That same night, Liarucha and her fellow seniors took the floor for their last.
While admitting the experience was both scary and exciting, she also believes that the influx of new students this year has provided a positive, dynamic change to the overall school community that was reflected in Friday’s performances, which marked the 103rd iteration of the annual spectacle.
“I feel like this year there’s a lot more participation and people are generally more excited and willing to try new things,” Liarucha said.
And new things were tried, indeed! This year’s event featured six dances, including the jitterbug and an ensemble act inspired by the song “Good Boy” by South Korean hip-hop artists G-Dragon and Taeyang. Senior Julian Fahl-Matlack hopped on a gymnastics mat and “surfed” across a rolling line of his peers during the balancing routine and each class performed a comedy skit.
Athletic Director Jamie Zavitz ’83, who coordinated the event for the second year, said a great deal of the initial pressure felt last year while incorporating new acts into the show had subsided for his own sophomore effort.
Athletic Director and humanities teacher Jamie Zavitz coordinated the production of Gym Ex for the second year.
“Last year, I had to earn the trust of people because Cleda (Mott ’57) had been doing it for so many years and there was some hesitation with all the changes. I haven’t run in to any of that this year,” Jamie said.
While he also coaches Olney’s soccer team, Jamie feels that Gym Ex presents one of the great opportunities in sports where students are able to approach the event as a evening of both individual and collective accomplishments. Having the distinct vantage point of participating in Gym Ex as both a student and an adult, Jamie enjoys providing support and mentorship for his students during their two month preparation phase.
“Well, for one thing, my perspective now is really the macro view of it. As a student, I was focused on what my role was,” Jamie said. “I think my understanding of where Gym Ex fits in the big picture is better now. I can give the kids advice that I wish I had understood as a student. They won’t always be able to run and jump over a bar and without hurting themselves. The invincibility of youth is definitely on display. I also understand the tie to Olney’s history. A lot of alumni are coming back for this. Some of them are parents now.”
Jamie also expressed gratitude for the work of his colleagues Rory Beck, Anne Marie Taber, Leonard Guindon and Micah Brownstein, noting in particular that Anne Marie coached an impressive 31 dancers this year.
Senior Julian Sun meditates minutes before the start of Gym Ex 2016.
While a healthy cast of newcomers took part in the event’s annual dance, tumbling, balancing, and jump rope routines, several participated for the fourth consecutive year, including senior Julian Sun.
“I’m more nervous about this year than previous years because it’s my final time and I want to make it special,” Julian said just minutes before the show.
Well, as those in attendance Friday night can attest, Gym Ex 2016 was certainly special!
Over fifty photos from the event can be found in the sliding gallery below.
