Please click the individual courses below for descriptions and prerequisites.

In conjunction with the English, history, and science programs, students will receive a foundation in the skills associated with creativity and artistic expression. Students will develop their ability to respect the creative space of the classroom; to experience the creative process of making art; to take risks with their thoughts, feelings, and ideas; to develop artistic voice; to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of their own work and respect the work of others; to explore playfully and spontaneously through different mediums; and to observe closely works of art and to be able to respond critically and articulately. Students will leave the program prepared for meaningful and disciplined study in any of the arts — dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

Prerequisites: Theatre Workshop and at least one additional theatre elective (or by instructor’s permission)

This yearlong study will build on fundamental skills learned in previous theatre courses and will give students the opportunity for more in-depth study. The students’ work will focus on developing the skills of the actor/creator and of the director. Students will be asked to develop and perform original material, to analyze theatrical literature from a directorial point-of-view, and to stage scenes and short plays. By exploring new ways of telling a story and communicating ideas theatrically, and by guiding their peers as fellow directors, the students will deepen their search for their own artistic voice. In the spring trimester, students will direct their own interpretation of a one-act play, which will include casting, collaborating, rehearsing, and which will culminate in a fully realized production. This class will also work collaboratively with the other honors level arts classes throughout the year, giving all students a multidisciplinary arts experience.

Prerequisite: instructor’s permission

The yearlong honors dance offering is designed for students who wish for a sustained and rigorous immersion into dance. The course will consist of a three-pronged approach: skills, choreography and performance. While we will touch upon all 3 elements during each term, the emphasis early on will be upon improvement of physical technique. The second point of emphasis will be upon choreography which itself may be divided into two components: material invention and compositional structure. The third point of emphasis will be performance skills. Adding foundation to all three aspects of the course will be research into the history and theoretical philosophy of dance as human endeavor. This class will also work collaboratively with the other honors level arts classes throughout the year, giving all students a multidisciplinary arts experience.

Honors Visual Art

Prerequisite: Instructor’s permission

This course includes a studio fee.

This year-long art course is designed for the highly motivated visual art student. It will give students the guidance and instruction they need to create portfolios of their own work, both for the college admission process and for their own artistic development. Students will be expected to experiment with new materials and techniques, as well as focus on one medium with the goal of producing a coherent body of work. While significant portions of the course will be dedicated to individual pursuits, the class will participate in group assignments and formal critiques. This class will also work collaboratively with the other honors level arts classes throughout the year, giving all students a multidisciplinary arts experience.

Prerequisite: instructor’s permission

Honors Music is a yearlong course that aims toward an advanced literacy in music.  This level of literacy will be displayed either through composition, performance, or a combination of both.  It continues the sequence of music theory that begins in Introduction to Music and Theory and Composition.  By analyzing music that spans the past 500 years and studying myriad instruments, styles, periods, and forms, students will gain an in-depth understanding of the world of music that will inform their own compositions and performances.  Major projects will include imitative, stylistic compositions, technical performance and composition assignments, and improvisational collaborations.  Proficiency on an instrument is not required. This class will also work collaboratively with the other honors level arts classes throughout the year, giving all students a multidisciplinary arts experience.

Please click the individual courses below for descriptions and prerequisites.

This class is designed to introduce students to dance composition involving the invention of raw material and then the structuring, or crafting, of that material into a piece of dance, or physical theatre. Students invent movement utilizing thematic, psychological, and musical stimuli. They further explore craft (or composition) and increase our understanding of dance "conventions" and physics: use of space, textural dynamics, speed, and the impact on the viewer.  While this is not a dance technique class, it is a movement class, and students are expected to perform their own and others' choreographic material both in class and in a public setting.

This course introduces students to the world of music.  By using the fundamentals of music theory, music history, and musicology, students will become more active listeners and observers.  By applying these skills students will have a chance to compose and perform at various levels.  This class is intended both for students who wish to continue their study of music and for those students who are interested in trying something for the first time.  

The Vocal Ensemble class will learn and create choral music in styles that span the depth and breadth of current music and music history.  Also incorporated will be methods in sight singing and vocal technique.  Emphasis will be given to ensemble building, expression, and service.  The ensemble will prepare concerts for the end of each trimester and repertoire for various events on and off campus throughout the year. No previous singing experience is required.

This is an instrumental performance ensemble for credit.  Some prior musical experience on an instrument is required.  We will learn, perform, and create various musical arrangements in many different styles.  Also included will be methods in improvisation, sight reading, and basic technique.  The ensemble will prepare concerts for the end of each trimester and repertoire for various events on and off campus throughout the year.

This course is based in traditional music theory.  It covers tonal harmony analysis up to secondary functions.  Also included are studies of rhythmic devices, voice leading, and text setting. Students will demonstrate their understanding of these concepts by composing works in various styles.  These works can be composed for any instrumentation.  Because basic music literacy is needed for this course, Introduction to Music or teacher permission is a prerequisite

This course focuses on the student as a performer.  The objective is to help musicians to gain the tools to become more well informed, confident, self-aware, and expressive performing artists.  1 class each week will be reserved for student performance and feedback.  Students will explore public speaking, improvisation, dance, musical context, and more to strengthen their performances.  As a class we will also practice the skills of giving useful, critical feedback.  Repertoire will be assigned in class at the appropriate level for each student. If private study is being done simultaneously then repertoire from the private studio may be used in this course. Basic proficiency on an instrument is required.

The best way to study and to appreciate an art is by doing it; therefore, the main focus of this introductory course is on making theatre an active and collaborative process. Creating effective theatre requires an understanding of story, character, composition, and the power of both verbal and non-verbal language. These basic elements are studied through the playing of theatre games, basic acting exercises, improvisation, ensemble work, and in-class performances, which help students to discover their own creative voice. The course begins by developing a strong ensemble that can work, play, create and solve problems together. Students critique their own and others’ performances, and they learn how to evaluate what “works” on stage, as well as to understand why.

This course begins with basic exercises to hone the tools of the actor, beginning with focus, energy and imagination. Students examine classic and modern dramatic texts from the point of view of the actor, bringing the words on the page to life in exciting and dynamic ways. Working on plays ranging from the Greeks to Shakespeare to an array of modern playwrights, students experiment with a variety of performance styles. Continued skill development in voice, movement, and improvisation build a stronger foundation of tools for the actor.

The central focus of the course is the actor in movement, creating and performing theatre in a variety of physical styles, including mask and puppet theatre. Learning how to animate masks and puppets, literally to "make these objects alive," is one of the most valuable tools for the performer. Working on engaging the body, mind, and imagination fully to create character, place, and situations, students devise performances that utilize new techniques for expressing their own creative voices and they make theatre that explores ideas about the world.

This enjoyable and unpredictable course asks students to focus on listening, responding honestly, and making strong and truthful actor choices. Students develop a foundation of acting technique and work to solve problems collaboratively during spontaneous performances. Improvisation is also applied to the creation and rehearsal of scripted material. Activities include theatre games, storytelling, character development, comedy, and scene building.

This course includes a studio fee.

The goals for this course are twofold: the first is to introduce students to the techniques necessary to represent the world around them through observational drawing, and the second is for them to use those skills to express themselves creatively and artistically and to begin to establish an individual style and voice. Graphite, charcoal, ink, pastel, and colored pencil are some of the media used as students explore elements of art such as line, light and shadow, and composition. Peer critiques and individualized attention from the teacher help students develop both technical skill and creative voice.

This course includes a studio fee.

This course introduces students to the many ways they can express themselves through the medium of paint. While some time is spent on learning color theory and painting techniques through class exercises and assignments, the majority of the course focuses on the creation of unique, individual art. Still-life, portraiture, working from images and abstractions are some of the genres that are available for exploration and experimentation. Peer critiques and individualized attention from the teacher help students develop both technical skill and creative voice.

This course includes a studio fee.

This is a black and white film class that challenges students to visually explore the world around them through the camera lens.  Each week projects are assigned that encourage creative thinking and new ways of artistic expression. Camera operation in the manual mode for creative control is stressed.  Film developing and enlarging photos in the darkroom is part of the weekly process.  A short written reflection is required of every project.

This course includes a studio fee.

This course introduces students to the challenges involved with creating art in three dimensions. The class focuses on both the conceptual phases of an assignment and the technical issue of actually building the work of art from the materials at hand. Clay, metal, wood, plaster, and stone are some of the materials that are used as the class deals with issues such as space, form, and content. Emphasis is on the students’ expressing their own personality through their work, as well as developing technical skills. Peer critiques and individualized attention from the teacher help students develop both technical skill and creative voice.

This course includes a studio fee.       

This course covers a wide range of printmaking techniques from very fast and spontaneous mono-printing to slower and more deliberate linoleum block printing. Printmaking can make use of drawing, painting, and even carving techniques even before the actual printing process. This course introduces students to the artistic potential of printmaking as they learn how to express themselves through the materials used and the printing process. Peer critiques and individualized attention from the teacher help students develop both technical skill and creative voice.

Pre requisite Photography I

This course includes a studio fee.

This class builds on the students’ knowledge of composition, camera function, film processing and darkroom procedures to produce photographs of high quality.  The basis and history of the photographic process from pinhole cameras to glass negatives to Polaroids are explored and utilized.   Alternative processes in the camera arts realm are also explored.  

Prerequisite: Photography or instructor’s permission.

This course includes a studio fee.

This course teaches the foundations of using a digital camera and editing photographic images in the digital darkroom. Students discover how to apply the concepts learned in Photography I to the digital medium.  Adobe® PhotoShop is used to create photographs that range from being subtly enhanced to dramatically altered. Various methods of creating prints and books are applied. Projects are assigned to help students understand the expressive qualities inherent in this photographic medium.

This course includes a studio fee

Using digital photography, students will spend the trimester learning the aesthetic and technical aspects of photography. Students will be encouraged to express a personal style and explore areas of special interest.   The ultimate goal of the course will be the creation of a book that contains cohesive thematic content as well as demonstrating an individual expressive style. Design, layout, editing and software usage will be important skills in creating this personal artifact.

This course is a fast-paced introduction to the art of filmmaking. Students will learn to plan, shoot and edit many short movies in small groups. We will watch and critique each other’s pieces as we work together to build a definition of what makes a good film.

This course is intended for students who have either already taken Film I or have previous experience with filmmaking and have sought approval from the course instructor. Over the course of the term, students will produce their own short movies while working with professional editing software. We will watch and critique each other’s pieces as they evolve and dive further into the history of the medium.

This course includes a studio fee

In this course, students will have the opportunity to write, block and illustrate short comics from start to finish. They will learn the art of graphic storytelling by studying the unique ways words and pictures can work together to produce surprising results. Previous drawing experience is useful, but not required.

This course includes a studio fee.

Students will explore the connection between what they want to say and the media they choose to convey their artistic ideas. They will receive instruction in printmaking, collage, drawing, and 3D assemblage. Incorporating design principles, students will use alternate surfaces, as well as media associated with the technological age, to create expressive work. The historical and social perspectives of these artistic processes and how they relate to our present day will be examined. Students will maintain a sketchbook/journal, and they will participate in peer critiques.