(Deborah Thorpe used this selfie for her social media post announcing her retirement.)
By Jim Roberts
Shelly Cihak, executive director of the Governor’s School for the Arts, addressed hundreds of students and supporters at the Wells Theatre on the first day of the school year, saying: “This is the 37th year of GSA, and it promises to be the most phenomenal.”
But she followed that proclamation with another.
“If you have not heard,” she added, “my teammate who has been here all 37 years—the fabulous Deborah Thorpe—it is her last year. We will make it the best year.”
Thorpe’s association with the GSA actually pre-dates the school’s first year. In 1985, she was teaching dance at Old Dominion University when she was asked to serve on the committee that envisioned the arts school and ultimately brought it to life.
“I was 24 years old and never had embarked on anything like this before,” she said. “It was really great fun bouncing off ideas. … Everyone was just dedicated educators and arts people and thought it would be just an amazing experience for young people if they could really dive into their particular art form.”
What started with two six-week pilot programs has developed into a nationally renowned magnet school that offers intensive training to high school students in six arts disciplines: dance, instrumental music, musical theatre, theatre and film, visual arts, and vocal music.
“Even in the very beginning,” Thorpe said, “the idea was to empower students to create and be in an environment where they could freely fail, freely succeed and build really special connections with arts mentors. That has really been the crux of the school that has never gone away.”
Thorpe served as chair of the dance department from 1987 to 2011, when she was promoted to assistant director of the school and director of the school’s foundation. During her tenure, she helped raise more than $4 million and found a permanent home for the school in downtown Norfolk.
“Things have changed as we’ve gone through the years,” she said, “but the essence of Governor’s School has never changed, and that is that we want to maintain and nurture a creative environment for young people.”
While Thorpe’s career won’t officially end until June of 2025, her recent work on Jake Clemons’ “Born Like Me” music video may qualify as a swan song.
Clemons, a GSA alum who followed in his uncle’s footsteps as the saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, approached Thorpe with the idea of featuring GSA students in his video. Thorpe recruited GSA alums Daniel Russell and Lachlan McLellan to direct and produce, respectively. They shot at locations all over Norfolk.
“It was this amazing experience that really affected the entire school,” she said. “It was one of those community-building projects that was unbelievably impactful. … Everybody came off of that schedule and was elated. The kids said to me, they learned so much during these shoots that it was indescribable to them. It was a tough schedule, but it really was an amazing experience.”
Cihak credited Thorpe with “putting the right people in the room to make something happen.”
“She has no fear in terms of accomplishing a goal,” Cihak said. “If she believes it’s best for the kids, she will go right on in there and is never afraid to make the big ask. … That was what occurred with the music video. She was able to see what needed to happen and put the right people at the table. She also just has this true understanding of how the arts community works in Hampton Roads and how to get something done.”
To that point: Thorpe’s retirement will be felt well beyond the GSA. Rob Cross, executive director of the Virginia Arts Festival, credited her as a “strong, silent partner” in shaping the festival’s dance programming for more than 25 years. Since the GSA uses the arts festival’s facilities, including the Robin Hixon Theatre, he has also seen firsthand her interactions with students.
“Over the years, I’ve watched the way she works with these young artists,” Cross said. “She’s such an incredible example to them. They really look up to her as a mentor that supports them both from an artistic standpoint and a personal standpoint.”
Christine Foust, the arts festival’s director of education and community engagement, has worked closely with Thorpe for nearly 15 years. She recalled the Richard Alston Dance Company coming from England in 2019 and asking to work with Thorpe and the GSA dancers.
“It’s the whole legacy that Deborah and her colleagues have created,” Foust said. “They’re known across the Atlantic Ocean as somebody that you’d want to work with. I think that’s just really a testament to everything that she’s built over the years.”
Thorpe is now focused on making “a very smooth transition for whomever is going to replace me.” “That’s my biggest goal,” she said. “Making sure that what I do is really clearly outlined for the next person to come in and build on what I’ve done.”
Asked about her last day, Thorpe said, “I’m sure it’ll be bittersweet. I get teary now even thinking about it.”
She said hundreds of alumni have reached out to her since she announced her decision to retire. “It’s special to think you’ve made an impact,” she said. “Without sounding narcissistic about it, you know, it feels good to know that I’ve done some good.”
[Sidebar]
Veer Magazine reached out to several of GSA’s most prominent alumni for their thoughts on Thorpe’s retirement. Here’s what they said:
“Being an educator myself, what I can appreciate most about Deb is how supportive she continued to be post-GSA life. She followed all my endeavors and stayed connected during my Broadway career. It was really comforting to see her still rooting me on all these years later. One thing I knew, even back then, was that the dance department was in such good hands with Deb. It was thriving when I was there and continued to grow after I left. The classes I took there were definitely beneficial in my dance training and mirrored professional classes I’d later take in the industry. I’m sending a huge congrats to Deb for all the years she dedicated to GSA and all the students like me that she impacted. She deserves an incredible send-off!” – Tiffany Evariste
“It’s really hard to encapsulate just how influential Deb has been in the lives of her GSA students. She was there from the very beginning. She helped build this special place—a home where kids with artistic spirits could find each other. I don’t know where we’d all be without GSA and without Deb’s incredible support and commitment over the years. She’s a gem and a powerhouse. There’s no one like her.” – Mary Faber
“Deborah Thorpe has always been like a den mother to all the students at the school. Her supportive attitude and genuine love for watching us all grow is unrivaled. I never physically attended her class, but every time I returned to teach or visit, she consistently showed me true kindness and a sincere interest in my life and artistic career. She has a natural gift for making people feel seen. I’m going to miss our lively reunions at GSA, but I do believe I’ll always keep in touch with Deborah.” — Van Hughes
