Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts would like to welcome you to our Choice art program offerings. Our school provides a uniquely challenging and nurturing environment focused on individual growth, opportunity, and diversity. Explore our programs below. For more information, please contact Alyssa Arterburn, our Magnet Coordinator.

Communication Arts

The Communication Arts program is the first of its kind to exist anywhere in the United States. It offers a multi-strand curriculum that promotes proficiency in speech and debate, print and broadcast journalism, yearbook, creative writing, graphic design, digital video/film production and television production. The program prepares students to be leaders in the various fields of Communications through participation in performances, publications and productions.

Dance

The Dance program offers rigorous instruction for the serious dance student. Dance enables students to develop an appreciation for the art of Dance through a holistic approach. Students learn about various dance styles, including Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Contemporary classes on a weekly basis, develop physical strength, flexibility and technical style, build a sense of self respect, peer collaboration and coordination, graceful coordination, balance and control of movements and, most of all, appreciate artistic growth.

Digital Media

The Digital Media program is designed to provide practical experiences in both graphic/digital design and photography. Students become proficient in, and refine, their use of concepts, terminology, techniques, and applications of digital imaging to create original work. Students produce digital still and/or animated images through the single or combined use of computers, digital cameras, digital video cameras, scanners, photo editing software, drawing and painting software, graphic tablets, printers, new media, and emerging technologies. Students' increasingly independent approach to their work promotes risk-taking in the completion of conceptually based, self-directed work.

Music-Band

Programs offering development of extensive study in sight-reading skills, improvisational skills, and performance techniques while encompassing various levels of music theory. More than twenty different student ensembles, ranging from classical to jazz, Marching and Drum line, rehearse and perform throughout the year. They perform at halftime shows during football games, pep rallies, various local parades, campus events and Band Competitions. Band students focus on the development of Experiences in responding to music and connecting music to cultural influences are also a part of the overall course.

Music-Keyboard/Piano

Internationally recognized, the Keyboard program offers extensive study in the Music industry. Courses encompass three levels of music theory including Music Theory, Advanced Music Placement and Music Composition. Student ensembles rehearse and perform throughout the year.

Music-Strings

Internationally recognized, the Strings program offers extensive study for students interested in the Philharmonic, String Orchestra, and Instrumental Ensemble. Courses encompass three levels of music theory including Music Theory, Advanced Music Placement and Music Composition. Student ensembles rehearse and perform throughout the year.

Music-Vocal

Students in the Vocal program develop a proper vocal technique and an understanding of vocal mechanism. Students will also learn musical notation, sight singing and appreciation of many genres of music through the study and performance of vocal literature. Students will also learn musical theory, arrangement, vocal and performance techniques, musical notation, sight –reading, structure & discipline. They will experience feelings of accomplishment and success like no other through creative expression, self- respect, peer collaboration and coordination, most of all an appreciation for others' talent.

Theatre-Acting

The Acting track of the Theatre program challenges young artists to develop a passion and understanding of the art form. Students will focus on process-centered work, gaining a profound knowledge of who they are in the world both as artists and humans. Through a curriculum involving movement work, script analysis, scene study, Shakespeare, devised theater and directing, students will train to become competitive theater practitioners and storytellers.

Theatre-Musical

The Musical track of the Theatre program explores the practical skills needed for the artist seeking to study musical theatre on the collegiate level. Students study acting, singing, and dancing in tandem as the primary method of telling stories. Students will explore dance technique, musical theatre history, music theory and musicianship principles, present selections from their repertoire books, workshop material, work collaboratively as an ensemble, study current trends in the profession and, eventually, film college pre-screen auditions.

Theatre-Technical

The Technical track of the Theatre program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of all production elements of a show and offers hands-on training in all aspects of technical theatre construction and design of scenery, lighting, sound, and costume. Students can study stage management, arts administration, and prepare for leadership positions on crews and production teams.

Visual Arts

The Visual Arts program encourages its students to explore personal visions through a variety of mediums and materials. Visual Arts students are offered coursework that includes art history, photography, painting, digital photography, three dimensional art and printmaking. Academy students will be required to keep sketchbooks while developing portfolios which will serve to document their artistic growth and showcase skills that take them to the next stages of their education or into their professional careers. The central philosophy of the Visual Arts Academy is that to truly learn a discipline, one must learn by doing and not just study it in a classroom. Our visual arts program combines in-class lectures to familiarize students with the fundamentals of their discipline, instructor-supervised workshops to ensure students are comfortable with their equipment and independent projects that allow students to bring their ideas to life.