Performing Arts

The Middle School Performing Arts curriculum aims to allow students to explore Music, Drama, and Dance in Grades 5 and 6. In Grades 7 and 8, students specialize in their choice of Performing Arts concentration and can continue to explore the extracurricular offerings. The Middle School Dance Company will continue to meet after school on Mondays, and participation in Dance will not conflict with any of these choices.

Music

The Middle School music curriculum explores elements of musicianship through listening, history, composition, and performance. Students sing, play instruments, listen to and analyze a wide range of musical genres and traditions, along with working on collaborative and creative projects.

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Grade 5: Chorus and General Music

In Grade 5 music students explore as creators, performers, collaborators, and reflective learners. Through singing, playing instruments, listening, performance, and composition projects, they build foundational musical skills. Students engage with diverse musical styles and cultures through music history assignments. In collaboration with their peers they develop creativity, communication, empathy, and artistic voice.
Grade 6: Introduction to Composition and Music Theory

Students continue to engage with music elements: beat, rhythm, melody, dynamics, meter, and tempo. They learn these terms by experiencing each element through singing, moving, playing, reading, arranging, composing, improvising, and writing. The trimester-long music class develops their music making experience by incorporating movement in creating music and improving their literacy skills.
Grades 5-6: Chorus Elective

Extracurricular Elective meeting during midday club time
The 5–6 Choir is a fun and collaborative space where students come together to create music. It is exciting to learn a variety of songs from different cultures, and uplifting to move and sing as a group during rehearsals. Students will work on strengthening their voices, improving breath control, and expanding their vocal range. We will also develop music reading skills and explore singing in different languages, including canons, unison pieces, and two-part harmonies.
Grades 5-6: Orchestra Elective

Extracurricular Elective meeting during midday club time
The Grade 5/6 Orchestra is open to students in Grades 5-6 who play violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, and percussion. In this ensemble, students focus on learning fun and challenging pieces each semester, learning individual parts in coordination with the larger musical collective. Students learn to collaborate with one another, connecting musically through personal and group expression, deep listening, and musical negotiations as a full ensemble. Repertoire ranges from Baroque through the 21st century. The Grade 5/6 Orchestra performs in both Winter and Spring Ensemble concerts in addition to other events each year. Come join us!
Grades 7-8: Chorus Elective

Yearlong Performing Arts Concentration Elective for Grades 7-8
If you love to sing and enjoy collaborating with others, the Middle School Chorus is the perfect place for you! Members will have the opportunity to develop their vocal skills in rehearsal, improve music reading abilities, and explore a variety of exciting repertoire. Students will learn to sing unison, two-part, and three-part harmonies, as well as canons. The focus will be on choral blend, breath control, intonation, and enunciation. We also incorporate body percussion and movement to enhance musical understanding. Join us for a rewarding musical experience! Participation is required in the Winter and Spring choral concerts with the US Choirs at Brick Church. Other performances may include the All School Assembly, MS Assembly, and Interschool MS Choral Festival.
Grades 7-8: Digital Music-Making Elective

Yearlong Performing Arts Concentration Elective for Grades 7-8
Digital Music-Making class introduces students to the creative world of music production. Students will explore essential music concepts such as rhythm, melody, harmony, and song structure to create original pieces. Using GarageBand, they will create their own beats, record sounds, experiment with virtual instruments, and arrange full tracks while developing basic audio editing skills. Projects will include a film scoring collaboration with drama, where students learn how music enhances storytelling. They will analyze how soundtracks influence mood and emotion in scenes, then compose their own original scores to accompany short video clips. By the end of the year, students will have a portfolio of original compositions and new creative musical skills.
Grades 7-8: Guitar Ensemble Elective

Yearlong Performing Arts Concentration Elective for Grades 7-8
Students will focus on the fundamentals of guitar playing, including finger placement, strumming, sight-reading, groove, and chord placement. Students will also learn how to care for their instrument and tune the guitar. The class will also include music theory: notation, meters, rhythms, scales, and positions. Emphasis is placed on building dexterity and technique. Repertoire will span from classical pieces to current hits. Players of all levels are invited to join.
Grades 7-8: Orchestra Elective

Yearlong Performing Arts Concentration Elective for Grades 7-8
Calling all musicians! Our growing instrumental group invites musicians of all levels to join. You will develop your technique, music reading skills, and play repertoire ranging from classical to pop music. This group will focus on collaboration, skill development, and expression. This is a fun way to grow as a musician and contribute to our school community! The orchestra will participate in the Winter and Spring Instrumental Ensemble Concerts. Other performances may include assemblies and festivals.

Dance

The Middle School dance curriculum aims to develop students’ dance skills and kinesthetic awareness in terms of dynamic alignment, balance, articulation, isolation, efficiency, weight transfer, and the initiation of movement in the body. Classes are taught in a supportive environment in which students are encouraged to express themselves creatively, take individual initiative and experiment with dance forms. The art of choreography is emphasized as students progress through the program. Students in Grades 6 through 8 can join performance ensembles that participate in the annual Dance Concert.

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Grade 5 Dance

In this course, students are introduced to the fundamental concepts of creative theatrical play. Classwork aims to strengthen each student's ability to make the imaginative choices that lead to creating character and setting. Basic pantomime and techniques for physical and vocal expression are addressed in improvisational games and exercises. Group cohesion, trust, and respect for one's peers are emphasized as each student develops her skills in creating characters and scenes that will form the basis for more sophisticated work in theater.
Grade 6 Dance

Dance 6 is a dance class with an emphasis on technique and choreography. Students learn to connect new movement concepts to an existent knowledge of jazz and modern dance. The class focuses on the development of a common movement vocabulary in which students can demonstrate technical skill with stylistic nuance. The class reinforces a fundamental dance vocabulary focusing on the individual strengths of each student. More advanced concepts of movement and technique are introduced, allowing students to explore the varying degrees of dynamic movement.
Grade 6 Dance Company

Extracurricular Elective meeting after school
This group is open to all Grade 6 students interested in dance. The dance company meets once a week after school to explore new movement vocabulary and composition. Attention is focused on the development of a choreographic work and the elements of the rehearsal process are established. Students in this group perform the finished choreographic work in the annual Dance Concert.
Grades 7-8: Middle School Dance Company

Extracurricular Elective meeting after school
This group is open to all Grade 7 and Grade 8 students interested in dance. Students are offered the experience of rehearsing and performing the works of resident and guest choreographers in the annual Dance Concert. Ballet-based modern vocabulary comprises the repertoire of work for the students in these groups. These works explore broad social and cultural themes while continuing to build individual dance and performance skills. Cooperation among students is encouraged and a sense of ensemble is formed.

Drama

The Middle School drama curriculum helps students establish and develop a foundation of techniques in exercises, immersive projects, and presentations. It gives students the opportunity to work in a collaborative environment where they can enhance artistic and creative talents, develop problem solving strategies, foster strong communications skills, encourage independence and imagination, broaden understanding of personal growth and self-awareness, and develop a life-long appreciation of Theatre.

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Grade 5: Introduction to Drama

In this course, students are introduced to the fundamental concepts of creative theatrical play. Classwork aims to strengthen each student's ability to make the imaginative choices that lead to creating character and setting. Basic pantomime and techniques for physical and vocal expression are addressed in improvisational games and exercises. Group cohesion, trust, and respect for one's peers are emphasized as each student develops her skills in creating characters and scenes that will form the basis for more sophisticated work in theater.
Grade 6: The Actor in an Ensemble

In this course, students dive into ensemble building and collaborative playmaking. Trust, mutual respect, and active participation are essential, as no one student can create a play alone—it takes a team. Through a variety of exercises and assignments, students explore the power of collective storytelling, develop their ability to make imaginative choices, and work together to create original theatrical pieces. The course emphasizes process over perfection and encourages students to take creative risks as they discover what it means to build a performance from the ground up.
Grade 7 : Theatre Company and Theatre Tech Elective

7th Grade Theatre Co. is divided into two parts: acting and design. Students work on vocal technique, physical expressiveness, and character objectives through scene work and exercises. Students also explore playwriting, crafting, revising, and rehearsing original short plays-along with directing-blocking, working with actors, and bringing a script to life. The design part of the course will explore the essential elements of theatrical design, including costume design, set design, prop design, and sound design. Through creative projects, group collaboration, and guided instruction, students learn how each design discipline contributes to storytelling on stage. They study the basics of visual and auditory aesthetics, learn to sketch and plan designs, experiment with materials, and develop their own design ideas. This course culminates in a Scene Night performance in May.
Grade 8: Theatre Company and Theatre Tech Elective

8th Grade Theatre Co explores acting and design. Actors work on character development through the study and performance of monologues. Designers dive into the creative and technical aspects of theatrical design, developing their understanding of set dressing, prop construction, scenic painting, and collaborative design planning. Focusing on practical application, students will gain hands-on experience using tools, materials, and techniques used in professional theatre environments. Their work will contribute directly to the 8th Grade Play, taking their concepts from sketches and models to real-world implementation. This course emphasizes creative problem-solving, teamwork, time management, and artistic responsibility, giving students the confidence and skills to contribute meaningfully to a full-scale theatrical production. The Grade 8 Play will be presented in June.