Indian Hill Arts Conservatory: Generations of Brave Artists

The Indian Hill School District is pleased to launch the debut publication of our Indian Hill Arts Conservatory this fall, highlighting both new programming for the 2024-2025 school year, along with a historical look at how students and families have been positively impacted by our award-winning, nationally-recognized, and always-unparalleled arts. The Condorodis Family is a wonderful example, having been on the stage, in the field, and within the studios of the Indian Hill School District arts program since the 1970s; here is a snapshot of their incredible Brave story, as new chapters unfold for the next generation...

I was very active and involved in the education of my children during the course of 31 consecutive years while they attended Indian Hill. I made sure to volunteer in each of the buildings where I had numerous roles, which included: Room Mother, PTO member, chaperone on class field trips, and – of course – biggest cheerleader for my babies. I took care of the programs for the Indian Hill High School musicals by getting ad sponsors and having them printed, and I was even the head of the Telephone Tree System during the blizzards of 1977 and 1978! Communications have certainly changed since those early days of phone connecting to ensure all members of our Brave Family knew school was closed. 

Preparing to share the story of my family has been an opportunity to look back on many years of arts at Indian Hill High School. From our first daughter, Tamie, being on stage for the spring musical, to our second daughter, Melanie, acting in plays, and performing with the band band, to our third daughter, Meghan, dancing all the way from Indian Hill High School productions to a career as a professional ballerina, this has been an incredible show to witness. And the show continues! We now have three grandchildren attending Indian Hill Schools, and we can’t wait to see all they will continue to create. 

Participating in the arts at Indian Hill not only built confidence in my daughters, but also increased their friendships among classmates with shared interests. I really admire the emphasis Indian Hill Schools have placed on the Arts Conservatory and hope the professional support continues.

While at Indian Hill, I participated in the Braves Marching Band (BMB) all four years, performing in a variety of roles, as well as band competitions. As a freshman, I was a majorette, where I had the pleasure of leading the marching band down Drake Road from the Indian Hill High School to the current elementary school building to play our games, as Tomahawk Stadium had not been built. I played the flute during my sophomore year, and then spent my final two years as a part of the BMB Flag Corps.

I was actively involved in Drama Club all four years participating in numerous plays and dessert theater.  I became a Thespian due to the hours I put in for Drama. My favorite part about the fine arts at Indian Hill was performing in the big spring musical productions, which included Hello Dolly (1980), Broadway on Life (1981), and Pippin (1982).

I studied ballet at University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music from age nine, spending summers at the School of American Ballet in New York City and San Francisco Ballet School during high school. I performed in the Indian Hill High School musical production in 1985, performing the Tango in The Boyfriend, as Rosita. I was a World Wide Wicket Dancer in How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (1986). This proved to be a very special experience for me, as my older sister, Tamie, choreographed that dance! Tamie and I both studied ballet at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and ultimately danced with the Cincinnati Ballet Company.

While the beautiful theater is the same, the arts education and performing opportunities have changed dramatically since my time in high school in the 1970s. When I auditioned for the Indian Hill High School musical, I was selected for chorus-line style musical acts and given dance solos to perform. Jack Louiso, a well-known artistic director in Cincinnati, was hired to choreograph the group numbers. For the time, Indian Hill was providing incredible facilities and accessing top-notch talent for its students. Over the decades, Indian Hill’s performing arts have progressed, as they should. Now, it’s an absolute pleasure to go watch my niece perform in full-length broadway style shows. Bravo! 

In addition to my musical theatre productions as a sophomore, junior and senior, I also studied ballet from an early age and attended ballet summer school in Saratoga Springs, New York, while in high school. As a senior, I was accepted as a dance major at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Indian Hill administrators worked with me, allowing me to take advantage of the unique opportunity. I had roles in a number of CCM performances and danced with the Cincinnati Ballet for several years. 

I had the lead roles performing in Wizard of Oz as Dorothy and Alice, in Alice in Wonderland as an eighth grader. I had the amazing experience of performing in Disney’s Ohio high school premiere of Frozen as a townsperson my freshman year!

My husband, Dr. C.J. Condorodis, attended Indian Hill K-12, and we moved to the district with our own young family in 2014. I quickly learned that Indian Hill was much more than just a place of excellent academics.

During our tour of the primary school, I experienced a heartwarming moment when Mrs. Watson, C.J.’s, Music teacher at Indian Hill Primary School, recognized him instantly. Her genuine recollection after so many years left a lasting impression.

It was apparent to me this was a special place where teachers are authentically connected with the students. While C.J. never pursued music or theater, one of the teachers who impacted him most, who remembered him, after so much time was his second grade music teacher!

This was a taste of something that I now treasure about my experience as a parent in the Indian Hill School District: the exceptional joy that our fine art instructors bring to the children by connecting with the creative parts of their minds. Joy comes full circle and fills our souls as we watch our children shine on stage or simply spring out of bed with great passion because, ‘I have band today!’

In past years, when parents were welcomed backstage, I was a volunteer for hair, makeup, and costumes. I forged new friendships with parents and felt so appreciated by the directors! I was able to build meaningful connections with Indian Hill Middle School performers and Norah’s friends. I learned that this community arts connection is contagious!

As Indian Hill parents, we have a front-row seat to the greatest show – it is 13 years long, but goes by in the blink of an eye, and when the curtain falls at graduation, we know that our children will have had world-class opportunities in fine arts. We will know that the creative parts of their souls had room to flourish and that their time at Indian Hill was sprinkled with joy and filled with authentic mentor connections.

I have seen firsthand the lasting impact of the outstanding fine arts program. A program that funnels creative joy from instructors to our children, back to families, and then out to our community. A community that gives that joy right back! This is a positive feedback cycle that defines Indian Hill Fine Arts.

We started this cycle at the primary school where a foundation for the importance of performing arts was laid for my oldest with Primary Players. The path now is taking our children through the four buildings where they have been nurtured and encouraged through performances for our community. They have connected with the best instructors and flourished with an administration that supports the arts. 

However, with any cycle, the starting line is not so simple, and C.J. may argue that it began a generation ago when a music teacher connected with a second-grade boy.  

We are all thrilled to see what the new performing arts center will make possible for the Indian Hill School District Fine Arts Program, a program that will continue the cycle by bringing our community together and propelling the next generation forward.

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