Upper School Fine Arts Curriculum

This full-year course will develop the beginning dancer in terms of knowledge of dance history, vocabulary, technique, choreography and performance skills.

This full-year, multi-level course will focus strongly on technical development and choreography. This course will highlight various dance styles including Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Broadway, Hip-Hop, Tap and Contemporary.

This full-year course will challenge the upper-level dancer in terms of technique, choreographic principles and performance skills. This course will develop the dancer’s choreographic voice through project-based learning and performance.

The Upper School Vocal Ensemble studies music and musicianship through the rehearsal and performance of many different styles of music, both a cappella and accompanied.

Do you find yourself listening to music and wondering why it works the way it does? Or why that one moment in that particular song always makes you feel so emotional? Or are you a budding songwriter looking to craft the perfect ear candy?

The Upper School Instrumental Ensemble studies music and musicianship through the rehearsal and performance of many different styles of music, in both the full ensemble and in smaller combinations.

Are you a budding singer-songwriter? Do you enjoy beat-making on your laptop? Are you midway through composing your opera or symphony? In Songwriting and Composition, you can bring your ideas to life!

In The Pocket is an auditioned music ensemble focused on playing all genres of commercial/popular music of the 20th and 21st centuries. The ensemble is a collaborative effort between students and adult members.

Want to improve your skills as an actor on stage or in front of a camera? Want to feel more confident speaking in public, making oral presentations in class, or interviewing for college or a job?

Want to improve your skills as an actor on stage or in front of a camera? Want to feel more confident speaking in public, making oral presentations in class, or interviewing for college or a job?

This course will explore the fundamentals of technical theatre with an emphasis on safety protocols, equipment and design concepts.

In this class, students will continue to develop their acting skills by applying and extending what they learned in Acting Studio to both on-stage and on-camera scenes.

This course will expand on the knowledge gained in Design & Production I. Students will strengthen their skills by exploring more advanced techniques in scenic construction, advanced lighting design, 3D drafting techniques, and beyond.

This full-year course teaches the foundational principles, techniques, creative practices and digital workflow of using the computer to make art.

Do you like to make “stuff?” This course focuses on a blend of experimentation and skill-building with clay and other three-dimensional materials. In the fall semester, we’ll begin with traditional and nontraditional methods of working in clay.

Do you like to draw and paint? Then this course is for you. No art experience is required, but experience can be very helpful.

This full-year project-based course is focused on learning the basic technical processes of both digital and film photography as well as the fundamental creative principles that govern artmaking.

This course will offer students a hands-on overview of the vocabulary, camera gear and editing workflows associated with video storytelling.

In this class, students will build on the technical and storytelling skills they learned in Video Production I. Students will act as video producers, determining what stories they want to tell and what form is best suited to telling them.

In this full-year or semester course, students will continue to use Adobe programs, learning advanced techniques in the execution of more complex projects.

This course is for students who know they enjoy art and are serious about developing their skills and visual ability. Only students with discipline and a strong desire to learn more sophisticated techniques should take this course.

In this full-year or semester course, students will examine and explore the art of visual storytelling through digital, analog and alternative photographic processes.

In this course, students will explore the fundamentals of animation and motion graphics through hands-on projects using Adobe Animate and After Effects.

This course is designed to allow students to engage in a guided, semester-long video storytelling practice. Each offering of Documentary Storytelling will feature a cross-disciplinary partnership with another Upper School course, in which students will produce videos that highlight student learning and collaboration.

Portfolio for Photography and Digital Art is for students who want to deepen their knowledge of photographic and digital art tools while continuing to develop their creative voice and unique visual style.

Are you driven to make art? Are you possibly interested in applying to art programs? This course follows Intermediate Art and is for students who have the skill, independence and problem-solving ability to conceive of and produce work in response to conceptual prompts and ideas.