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The Visual and Performing Arts Department offers students opportunities for self-awareness, self-expression, and artistic growth in a safe environment that promotes both skill development and personal character. Students explore, discover, and develop their innate artistic abilities while gaining an enhanced understanding of the interrelatedness of the world around them. The arts do not stand alone, but are an aspect and expression of the core values of any culture or discipline. While studying the arts at New Hampton School students will augment their understanding of all the other academic disciplines they are studying.
Visual Arts students experience significant self-exploration through our multi-leveled studio art, photography, graphic design, and film courses. Students learn the universal elements and principles of visual expression, develop technical skills, grasp concepts, and gain confidence through strategically structured assignments. All courses reflect a discipline-based art education involving critique, production, art history, and aesthetics.
In the Performing Arts, our wide range of classes and co-curricular activities in dance, theater, technical stagecraft, music, and recording provide students with a solid foundation of basic skills. They then learn process, technique, and conceptual thought. The Performing Arts are about self-exploration and our students gain confidence and self-awareness through the program’s core values of respect, responsibility, and relationships.
Students wishing to continue their arts education at the college level will gain the necessary solid foundation as well as the knowledge and understanding of advanced skills in their chosen area.
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| | Intermediate / Advanced Art This course requires diligence and desire by the student to work independently and with persistence to obtain a significant body of work. Sketchbook journals will be used to collect ideas, thoughts, and reflections. During the course of the year, students will be meeting and discussing their work regularly with one another, learning dialogue and critiquing skills essential to grasping the means and meaning of advanced visual expression. This course is an exciting challenge and journey for the art student to develop his/her own voice and artistic style! By the end of the year, AP students* will have fulfilled college-level focus in completing their portfolios. *Advanced Placement Portfolio option upon instructor’s recommendation. |
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| Dance Technique III This course is designed to further the development of the serious dance student by focusing on musicality and artistry. The course emphasizes ballet and modern technique but also incorporates jazz and hip-hop. The curriculum concentrates on choreographic principles, basic anatomy, composition, performance skills, and dance history. Prerequisites: Dance Technique I and Dance Technique II, or with prior dance experience by permission of the instructor. |
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Courses - Single Semester Graphic DesignGraphic designers work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computer-generated images (pictures), but they also design the letterforms that make up various typefaces found in movie credits and TV ads; in books, magazines, and menus; and even on computer screens. Graphic designers create, choose, and organize these elements—typography, images, and the negative space around them–to communicate a message. Design informs, persuades, organizes, stimulates, locates, identifies, attracts attention, and provides pleasure. Students will complete course work using the global standard software for design: Adobe Creative Suite in a dedicated Macintosh publications lab. Understanding the role of graphic design in a socially responsible context is emphasized equally with the student’s individual artistic growth. The course is open to students at all grade levels. |
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| Dance Dance Technique I (frist semester course)
This course is designed to develop the technical ability of the beginning dance student. Students will be introduced to various dance styles and will concentrate on ballet, modern, jazz, and hip-hop. The basic concepts of proper body alignment and spatial awareness will be the main focus of the course.
Dance Technique II (second semester course)
This course is designed to continue the technical development of the dance student by increasing his or her movement vocabulary and through the introduction of self-corrections skills. The course will offer an in-depth study of one of the following dance disciplines: ballet, modern, jazz, or hip-hop. Students will also begin to explore choreographic principles. A basic dance history component is included in this course. Prerequisite: Dance Technique I or Dance Training for Athletes, or with prior dance experience by permission of the instructor.
Dance Technique III (full-year course)
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| Music Beginning Guitar I (frist semester)
This class will develop beginning guitar and ensemble techniques through daily practice and rehearsal. In addition to ensemble skills, students will develop the notational and theoretical concepts of music essential to performing within a group. Reading standard musical notation will be essential to covering this material; however, no prior reading experience is required.
Beginning Guitar II (second semester)
Continuing to develop upon previous ensemble, notational, and theoretical concepts, Guitar II finds students ready to apply their knowledge to actual classical guitar repertoire. Guitar II students will choose from selected works from the masters such as Fernando Sor, Andres Segovia, Francisco Tarregga, and more. There will be the opportunity for performance.
Beginning Piano I & II (full semester courses)
This one-semester course focuses on the technique of playing the piano, and learning to read piano music. Students will follow an approved text with supplemental material provided. In-class performances are required, along with written assignments. Beginning Piano II is a continuation of Beginning Piano I. Greater emphasis will be on speed and accuracy of playing and sight-reading.
Music Technology (both semesters)
Students will learn the history and application of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface system. They will learn instrumental techniques, compositional techniques and theory, and will create a portfolio of finished work as the final project. This class serves as an introduction to working with a full-on audio sequencer.
Contemporary Instrumental Stage Ensemble (offered both semesters by permission of instructor)
This class will develop ensemble techniques through daily practice and rehearsal. In addition to ensemble skills, students will develop the notational and theoretical concepts of music essential to learning and performing within a group. We will cover the many forms and genres of popular music from the twentieth century, as well as classical repertoire. All instruments are welcome.
Jazz Band (offered both semesters by permission of instructor)
Jazz Band is a limited enrollment class dedicated to the learning and performing of jazz compositions in a small ensemble. Enrollment is limited to one bassist, drummer, pianist, and guitarist plus three or four brass and/or woodwind players. A vibist, cellist, and/or violinist would also be considered. This course is open to advanced players only and all students interested in participating must audition. We will cover a variety of styles within the jazz idiom, including Brazilian and Latin jazz as well as fusion, funk, and modern progressive jazz.
Chorus (both semesters)
Chorus is designed for anyone who loves to sing. Repertory includes standard choral works supplemented by pop and jazz arrangements. Daily sight-reading and rhythm exercises are required. This is a performance-oriented course.
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| Photography Photography I: Digital or Film (both semesters)
In Photography I students learn the principles and elements of design, how to maximize the potential of the camera for personal expression, and fine printmaking. Film students use the traditional, wet darkroom; digital students learn the digital workflow using PhotoShop.
Photography II & III (Advanced Placement option):Digital or Film (both semesters)
In Photography II, students begin to develop their own personal vision and have a higher degree of “creative license” in their assignments and projects. Students learn finer control in their processing and printmaking, including the use of toning, papers, and color management. In Photography III students continue with new assignments that are structured for the individual student. In addition, students are expected to create a body of work that illustrates their own personal vision and ideas. Students may also choose an Advanced Placement option.
Experimental Photography (second semester)
This photography class enjoys the breadth of the potential of photography for creative expression. Students learn processes such as hand coloring, toning, solarization, double exposure, infrared photography, polarcolor transfer, cyanotype, and Van Dyke Brown. Students draw from past photography work to determine which processes best suit the communication of their individual vision. Prerequisite: Photo I
Media Productions (second semester)
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| Studio Art 2D Design (first semester)
This course will introduce students to the elements of design. Line, shape, size, texture, color, and value will be emphasized in this class through direct observation and exploration. Students will use different dry media such as pencil, charcoal, conté crayon, marker, and colored pencils.
3D Design (first semester)
This course is for the student who would like to explore the realm of sculpture and 3D.This is an introductory course exploring “seeing in the round” and the application of skills and techniques for fabricating freestanding art forms. Students will problem-solve technical and conceptual ideas through reductive and additive building techniques, using cardboard, plaster, paper maché, clay, soapstone, found objects, and mixed media.
Environmental Art (both semesters)
Students will explore the outdoors and use the environment as their palette. Experimentation and group work will be emphasized along with discussion and sketchbook use. Work will include stone, wood, snow, flowers, water, and twigs. Books and videos of the artist Andrew Goldsworthy will provide inspiration and motivation.
Painting (second semester)
Printmaking (second semester)
This introductory course will teach students the exciting world of printmaking. Students will learn about monotypes, monoprints, print collage, and the painterly print, depending on time and experience of each artist. Sketchbook journals will be kept so that an ongoing visual dialogue will encourage and enhance creative development in each artist.
Intermediate/Advanced Art (full-year course)
Graphic Design (both semesters)
Graphic designers work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computer-generated images (pictures), but they also design the letterforms that make up various typefaces found in movie credits and TV ads; in books, magazines, and menus; and even on computer screens. Designers create, choose, and organize these elements—typography, images, and the so-called “white space” around them—to communicate a message. Graphic design is a part of your daily life. From humble items like gum wrappers to huge things like billboards to the T-shirt you’re wearing, graphic design informs, persuades, organizes, stimulates, locates, identifies, attracts attention, and provides pleasure. Students will complete their course work using Adobe Creative Suite software (InDesign and PhotoShop) in a dedicated Macintosh publications lab.
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| Theatre Introduction to Improv (both semester)
Through a series of games, exercises, and activities, this class will provide an introduction to the art of Improv. This course is open to all students and will allow them to develop skills that will help them to think on their feet. Students will learn how to positively and productively tell stories to an audience without the benefit of a script.
Public Speaking (both semesters)
This class will introduce students to the specific art of creating comedy on stage. Through a series of scene studies and play studies, the students will learn certain techniques that are “funny.” They will then learn to incorporate some of those techniques into a performance.
Theatre Studies: Introduction to Design for Theatre (first semester)
This is a course that can take on many different forms. Areas of study may include Acting, Scene Study, Directing, Shakespearean Acting, Devising Theatre, Auditioning, Theatre History, or Technical Theatre. These courses are open to all interested students.
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| | Visual and Performing Arts Syllabi | |
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