Visual and Performing Arts

The primary objective of the 7^th grade art course is to provide a rudimentary understanding of the various elements of art and to encourage students to harness a series of skills that will help them approach the subject from a more curious, open and critical perspective. Several core questions are introduced for deeper and long-term examination, such as the definition of art, where art is found, and the best approaches for analyzing and interpreting works of art. To ensure that these topics are tackled in manner suitable for the age group and the varying degrees of experience and exposure to art within a classroom, the subjects are tackled through collaborative discussions and draw inspiration from subject matter relevant to the students themselves, including film, music, games, pop culture, and others. Following the theoretical discussions, practical instruction takes the bulk of the remaining time so that students continue to develop their skills and craftsmanship, with constructive feedback provided throughout the process.

Course length: Yearlong half-credit course

This course builds on the foundations established in 7^th grade. Beginning with a refresher on the elements of art for students old and new, allowing them to reconnect with the basic concepts that facilitate the learning process moving forward. From there, the course launches into a higher range of skillsets. The first is a comprehensive introduction to 3D form, which is approached through observational drawings. This allows students to experiment with more advanced skills, while further developing their conceptual understanding of objects and how to translate them onto a 2D space. The course then moves into advanced drawing through watercolors, which not only familiarizes students with a versatile and challenging coloring medium but also help them build deconstruction skills by exploring the layers of their work after completion. Once this skillset is mastered, the students become ready to explore more conceptual territories through more dynamic and individualized projects, usually conforming to a given theme. This helps students become more independent and premeditative thinkers, planning their work ahead of time, understanding the meaning of metaphorical vs. literary work, and learning how to create art pieces that speak to an audience.

Course length: Yearlong half-credit course

Students explore the fundamentals of music through acts of creating, performing and responding. They build skills for reading music notation, performing on basic percussive music instruments and incorporating some basic elements of the string family. Students explore digital musicianship and learn to appreciate music by developing a deeper understanding of its elements.

Course length: Yearlong half-credit course

Students explore the fundamentals of digital music-making through the acts of creating, performing, and responding. They learn about the present-day music industry and collaborate in class to create their own music and promote it to their peers and community. Students acquire the knowledge to discuss music and respond to it in a meaningful way, and they grow in their appreciation of its influence as an art form and an expressive outlet. Students also have the option of choosing to specialize in an instrument (violin, viola, cello or a wind instrument).

Course length: Yearlong half-credit course

In this course, students will receive an introduction to fundamental drawing techniques, as well as the use of essential drawing tools. The curriculum begins with basic form composition, covering shapes such as the sphere, cube, and cylinder. This section will also cover geometric construction, perspective, and rendering, using life studies as reference. Following this, students will work on a simple still life project, translating basic forms into various natural shapes. For instance, transforming a cylinder into a bottle. Next, the course will advance to more complex still life compositions, focusing on geometric construction, perspective, and rendering various materials. Towards the end of the course, students will focus on sketching, concentrating on the main proportions of portraits viewed from different angles.

Course length: Semester long

This course is designed for students taking ceramics for the first time and is a comprehensive introduction to the craft of clay working. The primary emphasis is on studio work leading to a portfolio of finished pieces by the end of the year. In addition to demonstrations of technique and technical assignments, students research ceramic artists and create a PowerPoint presentation. This enables them to view and learn about historic and contemporary examples of fine ceramic art. Periodically throughout the year, students watch slides or films to help illustrate what they are learning. The course aims to enable students to make and appreciate expressive, visually pleasing three-dimensional clay forms. Students develop an understanding of other cultures and periods of human expression in clay and eventually become proficient at forming clay objects themselves.

Course length: Semester long

This course introduces students to the theoretical foundations and practical applications of visual design across two and three dimensions. It begins with core principles of design, including composition, color theory, and visual balance. Students will analyze and critique the work of master artists to understand how formal choices shape meaning and impact.

Building on this foundation, students will create original 2D designs and explore how to translate them into three-dimensional forms using simple clay. This hands-on process deepens their understanding of spatial relationships, form, and material expression.

In the second semester, the focus shifts to digital design. Students will develop proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, applying their foundational knowledge to create digital compositions and design solutions. This progression from traditional to digital media fosters a comprehensive understanding of design thinking, creative problem-solving, and visual communication.

Course length: Yearlong

In this painting course, students will begin with an introduction to essential painting materials and learn the fundamentals of watercolor, acrylic, and oil painting. They will also be instructed on how to prepare their painting canvases. The course will kick off with a still life project using a monochromatic tone, employing acrylic paints. This will be followed by an introduction to color mixing and an exploration of the color wheel. As students progress, they will execute projects using basic colors: red, yellow, blue, and white before being introduced to the Zorn palette. Subsequently, they will learn to work with a full spectrum color palette. Throughout the course, students will tackle various levels of still life projects and simple landscapes, enhancing their painting skills and understanding of color.

Note: Students who are interested in taking Studio Art and then AP Art and Design in the future should take both Drawing and Painting courses.

Course length: Semester long

The course outlines the central theories and ongoing debates in the philosophy of global art. Students examine the roles of artists and art-making in contemporary culture, critically analyze art-historical practice and assumptions, discover the various institutions and communicative media through which art is presented, study the functions of art and visual culture, and explore the social context for innovation and creativity. The course covers themes such as identity, the body, time, memory, place, language, science and spirituality within mid-century and contemporary art contexts. Students also build on the studio skills they have learned in either Drawing and Painting and/or Digital Art and have it spearheaded by a solid concept and capstone project by the end of the course.

AP Art and Design is a rigorous college level course, in which students work towards submitting a 15-piece portfolio in the discipline of their choice for AP recognition. This course is designed for students who have advanced skill and interest in visual art and who are particularly interested in media such as drawing and painting, photography or 2D design. The course asks students to spearhead their portfolio by a guiding question which they are expected to investigate deeply. Students are assessed based on their visual submissions as well as a writing component explaining their work. Students are also expected to exhibit their work in the annual art showcase.

Prerequisites: VPA 101: Drawing and Painting or VPA 102: Digital Art, and VPA 201: Studio Art

This course places its primary emphasis on creativity. It introduces students to basic concepts of contemporary dance, while also encouraging each student to develop a unique, individualized movement vocabulary. Contemporary dance is a broad dance form that references many movement styles from around the world including ballet and martial arts. Students also acquire basic techniques in Arabic Folkloric Dabkeh, which they may incorporate into their movement vocabulary. Through the study of technique and improvisation, students expand their physical range and expressive capabilities and heighten their spatial awareness. They investigate concepts such as momentum, spiraling, breathing, alignment, musicality and timing. Students ultimately learn to apply the various aspects of dance to compose original, cohesive and exciting public presentations.

This course is an introductory dance course that has a strong emphasis on Dabkeh, a form of Arabic folkloric dance. Students meet one evening a week with members of the Al Quds Group for focused Dabkeh instruction. In addition, students meet for one or two daytime sessions during the academic week to refine their Dabkeh skills, and to also expand their physical range and expressive capabilities through the study of contemporary dance techniques. Students also develop their composition skills through improvisation and choreography.

This advanced level course is for students who have completed Introduction to Dance. Meeting in conjunction with that course, students are expected to take additional leadership roles by leading rehearsals, mentoring others in refining their movement, and choreographing small group works. Students may repeat this course each year.

This advanced level course is for students who have completed Introduction to Dabkeh. Meeting in conjunction with that course, students are expected to take additional leadership roles by leading rehearsals, mentoring others in refining their movement, and choreographing small group works. Students may repeat this course each year.

This course provides the tools a student needs to gain basic proficiency in playing a stringed instrument, reading musical notation, and interacting musically in an ensemble. As a result of this course, students develop the ability to play a stringed instrument with good posture and tone quality, play a varied repertoire in the keys of D, G, C, and A majors (and their relative minors), read notated music, develop effective practice habits, and build a sense of musicianship. This is a performance-based course, and students perform in two ensemble concerts, one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. Instruments offered are violin, viola and cello.

This course introduces basic guitar playing to beginners. Emphasis is on learning guitar skills using finger style 6 string classical guitar. Essential guitar skills and basic note-reading are taught in a group setting that allows students to learn from each other. Some of the skills covered are rest and free stroke, plucking different notes together, playing and moving from different positions on the fingerboard, and upward and downward slurs.

Students in this course for beginners learn to develop their instrumental music skills and to prepare for performance opportunities. Students learn how to assemble the instrument, produce a sound, memorize fingering and eventually play simple melodies. The course focuses on the following content areas: tone quality, correct posture, balance, blend, intonation, attacks, releases, phrasing, rhythm, cooperation, respect and self-discipline. Furthermore, a variety of music representative of various styles, composers, and historical periods is used for the purpose of teaching and reinforcing musical concepts and instrumental techniques needed to achieve proficiency on an instrument. Instruments that offered are trumpet, French horn, trombone, flute, clarinet and alto saxophone.

Course length: Yearlong half-credit course

This course is designed for students who wish to develop their piano skills. It builds on comprehensive practice strategies as well as dexterity and playing abilities. The course is designed as a one-on-one class and students of all levels are encouraged to enroll.

Course length: Semester long

This course provides students with the skills, knowledge and experience required to produce, mix and master their original music. It covers the basics of composing music using creative software digital audio workstations, recording with a microphone, and mixing techniques. Students can specialize in the production of contemporary or electronic music by utilizing creative techniques in sound design and audio engineering. Higher learning opportunities involve analog studio engineering with the science of acoustics, advanced composition, and working with design/visuals to enhance their portfolios. Students learn how to record themselves and others to produce a portfolio of professional tracks using Logic music software that can be used as soundtracks for film, TV and games. While prior musical knowledge and skills are beneficial, this course is inclusive and accessible for all students.

This course is designed for students who already have basic skills on a stringed instrument (violin, viola, cello, or bass) including instrument assembly and maintenance, correct playing position and sound tone production. The ability to read basic notated music is a must. Instruction focuses on the refinement of tone quality, technique, aural skills and music literacy. Additionally, students gain experience playing as part of an ensemble. This is a performance-based course, and students perform in two ensemble concerts, one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester.

Prerequisites: MUS 101: Introduction to Strings or by audition

Students in this course have the foundational skills and abilities to progress and have a better understanding of their instrument. Building on the foundational skills acquired in Introduction to Winds, this course further develop the proficiency and musicality of students on wind and brass instruments. This course continues to provide the skills needed for students to eventually join other ensembles such as orchestra. Through a combination of individual practice, group rehearsals, and performances, students gain a comprehensive understanding of introductory-level wind and brass playing, preparing them for more advanced musical experiences.

Prerequisites: MUS 103: Introduction to Winds and Brass or by audition

Course length: Yearlong half-credit course

This course is a continuation of the Introduction to Music Production course and provides students with further skills, knowledge and experience required to produce, mix and master music. Students specialize in the production of contemporary or electronic music by utilizing creative techniques in sound design and audio engineering. Learning opportunities involve analog studio engineering based on the science of acoustics, advanced composition, and working with visual designs to enhance their portfolios. Students develop their portfolio of tracks using Logic music software and create soundtracks for film, TV and games.

Pre-requisites: MUS 105: Digital Music Production I or a satisfactory portfolio of produced tracks approved by the VPA department

This course is designed for advanced students who wish to keep practicing and maintain their level by being part of an ensemble. Students have many chances to perform on stage and showcase their work. Students continue working on aspects such as tone quality, technique building, and working together towards building ensemble skills. This is a performance-based course.

Prerequisites: MUS 201: Intermediate Strings or by audition

This course is designed to promote and develop musical performance skills for guitarists. A wide range of music genres from classical to rock is covered.

Prerequisites: MUS 102: Introduction to Guitar or by audition

Orchestra is designed for instrumentalists with previous playing experience who aim to play in a larger ensemble. It focuses on developing individual playing skills in a group setting. Students learn the techniques of playing together, while focusing on listening skills and musical awareness.

Note: Acceptance into this class is by audition only – or completing all strings/winds courses

In this course, students build a foundation of skills based on the belief at the core of our program that “acting is doing”. Daily warm-ups, games and exercises introduce students to the skills we call the Ten Doings: Observe, Discover the Place, Establish Your Relationship with the Others in the Scene; Decide What You Want; Choose How You Will Get It.

Students learn to commit fully to what they are doing onstage and, in the process, lose their self-consciousness and build self-confidence. Through experimentation with body and voice, reflection, composition and performance, students deepen their understanding of how to create and appreciate various forms of performance.

Next, actors begin to apply the fundamental skills they have acquired first to a series of neutral scenes, and then to a short comic play. In the spring, students undertake a classic full-length play, from which they perform selected scenes for a small audience.

As students grow more experienced, they acquaint themselves with the remaining Doings: Look for the Test of Your Action, Develop Your Character, Create the Moment Before, Know the Words of the Play, Know the World of the Play.

Twice, students will research topics of their choosing for short multi-media presentations. Students acquaint themselves with the acting methodologies of renowned theater practitioners, investigate major movements in theater history, and deepen their exploration of human nature.

Note: This course is a prerequisite to further theater classes at King’s Academy.

Course length: Yearlong half-credit course

In this course, students continue to develop their acting skills based on the “10 Doings,” the foundation they built in their first year of theater. Actors read, Harkness and workshop at least three plays from drastically different theatrical styles and eras. Scene study off and on stage focuses on how characters achieve power of all kinds through manipulation: how they decide what they want, influence others to get it, and ultimately achieve or cede power to one another. Students undergo regular actors’ studio-type critique from the others in the ensemble. The emphasis is on developing honest, truthful acting. In January, during the Shakespeare intensive, all actors rehearse a monologue that they perform in competition. To explore the concrete world of each play they read, students choose research topics for short, multi-media presentations. As the culminating event of the class, actors perform an evening of selected scenes from three different works in the diverse dramatic styles of their choosing.

Prerequisites: THE 101: Introduction to Theater or department consent