Performing Arts Courses
2024-2025 Performing Arts Course Offerings
Acting Shakespeare
Description: Students will learn techniques for understanding and acting Shakespeare’s works. Most important is that students find acting Shakespeare fun and enlightening. Emphasis will be put on learning to turn Shakespearian acting into a physical experience including stage combat, appropriate expressiveness, and clowning. The student will come away from the class wanting more Shakespeare in his/her life.
Advanced Acting Techniques
Description: In Advanced Acting Techniques, students will build on techniques learned in Basic Acting and Performing Arts Seminar. The course will include Michael Chekhov’s Acting Techniques, the basics of the Stanislavsky Method, and Boleslavsky’s ideas in his book Acting. Students will gain an understanding of acting through the ages from Greek chorus to Victorian melodrama to modern theatre. A performance piece will be chosen, and students will be required to take on a character or characters and present a performance to the public.
Arts Management Internship
Description: In Advanced Acting Techniques, students will build on techniques learned in Basic Acting and Performing Arts Seminar. The course will include Michael Chekhov’s Acting Techniques, the basics of the Stanislavsky Method, and Boleslavsky’s ideas in his book Acting. Students will gain an understanding of acting through the ages from Greek chorus to Victorian melodrama to modern theatre. A performance piece will be chosen, and students will be required to take on a character or characters and present a performance to the public.
Basic Acting Techniques
Description: Basic Acting Techniques is a course for beginners or a refresher class for seasoned actors. This course builds actors' creative confidence through active learning, creativity, and play. This course covers a broad range of acting techniques.
Dance Concepts
Description: Dance Concepts is a studio course that explores the dance activities of improvisation, technique, choreography/composition, and performance. Students will create and perform short and informal dance studies in a variety of styles and will use movement analysis, choreographic concepts, and personal reactions to write about and critique dance performances, both informal and professional. Students will engage in creative/critical conversations that challenge their awareness of arts making, individual creative voice, and the overall process of discovery. Close attention will be paid to an ethical creation of work and the authentic use of voice.
Eagle Hill Jam
Description: Eagle Hill Jam aims to bring together Eagle Hill’s experienced performing musicians and provide a learning experience to improve musicianship and ensemble skills. Musicianship includes developing advanced performance technique, an intermediate understanding of music theory, and an appreciation for the history of music. Ensemble skills include building community, learning productive ways to collaborate with other musicians, and programming interesting recitals and concerts. To develop these skills, students will focus on applying Eagle Hill’s core values of honesty, respect, kindness, and purpose to practice, create, and perform diverse music. Students will be assessed on their commitment to daily practice and regular presentations and performances.
Improvisation
Description: This course builds students' confidence and improvisational skills. They practice acting in improvisational situations, using their voices, creating songs, and using props. In addition, students learn to act with partners on the stage and to understand the methods of improvisational performance.
Instrument Exploration
Description: This course builds students’ confidence and improvisational skills. They practice acting in improvisational situations, using their voices, creating songs, and using props. In addition, students learn to act with partners on the stage and to understand the methods of improvisational performance.
Introduction to Guitar (3 terms)
Description: This course will give students hands-on instruction in playing the guitar. The instruction will begin at an entry level with scaffolding and advanced challenges provided. Students will learn how to play notes, scales, chords, and songs. Students will also be taught various rhythmic techniques, such as alternating strumming patterns and finger picking.
Introduction to Guitar (6 terms)
Description: This course will give students hands-on instruction in playing the guitar. The instruction will begin at an entry level with scaffolding and advanced challenges provided. Students will learn how to play notes, scales, chords, and songs. Students will also be taught various rhythmic techniques, such as alternating strumming patterns and finger picking.
Introduction to Lighting
Description: The class will explore the theories of theatrical lighting design. We will begin with learning the different lighting instruments and the safe process of rigging and hanging the lights. Students will learn how to cable and operate the dimming system and focus all fixtures. Following that, the course will introduce the ETC ION lighting board. Students will learn how to write cues and program the board for performances.
Introduction to Technical Theater
Description: The Introduction to Technical Theater class will work with students who have an interest in exploring the world of backstage work. They must demonstrate attention to detail, teamwork, organizational skills, responsibility, initiative, and a can-do attitude. They will work with faculty members designing and implementing lighting, sound, rigging, and set construction, and running the technical functions for each concert and production—in addition to less glamorous but equally important labor such as setting up risers and other furniture, and helping to keep equipment organized and well-maintained. This introductory class will be an opportunity to see if the Technical Theater Intern program is a good fit for the student.
Introduction to the Performing Arts
Description: Introduction to the Performing Arts is an exploratory course focused on performance art. Integrating the study of world music, instruments, artistic theory and history with the practice of singing, playing, acting, and dance, the course introduces students to a variety of performance opportunities and arts knowledge. Students will be challenged to create, practice, and perform each day as they discover different ways they are interested in interacting with the arts. Topics to be introduced include but are not limited to: percussion and rhythm, instrumental practice, choral singing, spoken word, songwriting, improvisation, music in social justice, production, and dance, as well as brief introductions to some of the visual art offerings at Eagle Hill. This class is a prerequisite for EHS Chorale, Jam Band, and IB Music.
Modern/Contemporary Dance (1 term)
Description: Modern/Contemporary Dance is a studio technique course that allows students to develop expression through movement. This style of dance focuses on body and core strength, spatial awareness, and the use of breath, body weight, and release/recovery. Students will build from the techniques of modern dance pioneers José Limón and Martha Graham. By the end of the term, students will have learned a full-length dance utilizing these techniques.
Modern/Contemporary Dance (3 terms)
Description: Modern/Contemporary Dance is a studio technique course that allows students to develop expression through movement. This style of dance focuses on body and core strength, spatial awareness, and the use of breath, body weight, and release/recovery. Students will build from the techniques of modern dance pioneers José Limón and Martha Graham. By the end of the term, students will have learned a full-length dance utilizing these techniques.
Musical Theater Dance
Description: Musical Theater Dance is a studio technique course that develops jazz technique and performance quality for the stage. Students will examine the styles of well-known Broadway choreographers, such as Bob Fosse (Chicago, Pippin), Jerome Robbins (West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof), and Michael Bennett (A Chorus Line). In addition to creating new choreography as a class, students will also have a chance to learn pieces of original Broadway choreography.
One Act Competition
Description: An advanced acting course for students who want to be involved in dramatic competitions with other schools. Students would have to audition or be screened by me to take part in the class. The commitment would mean that students would agree to all that is required by the Massachusetts High School Drama Guild including attending technical rehearsals and Performances as scheduled by the Guild. In addition, they would make a commitment to attend all rehearsals called by the director. Students would receive state recognition for their efforts as well as having the experience of performing in a competitive venue.
Performing Arts Exploration
Description: In Performing Arts Exploration, students will spend time exploring dance, music, and theater in unique ways. Each course will begin with a basic review of each discipline. Through conversation, exploration, and creative assignments, Performing Arts Exploration students will help dictate the different elements of performance their course covers. Topics may include, STOMP!, a capella and chant, improvisation, song and dance games, and scene development. The students’ understanding and engagement in the performing arts will be evaluated on class participation, willingness to collaborate and create, and regular presentations.
Public Speaking
Description: A fun, practical course to improve your ability to communicate with others and become an effective student and leader.
Set Building and Design
Description: This course exposes students to the technical and creative aspects of set designing and building. Students design and build sets to be used in productions at Eagle Hill School. Using hand drawings and theater software, students create interactive 3-D computer models of theater or performance spaces where the systems usually associated with performance (lights, sound, fly bars, revolves, and trucks) are used. Basic carpentry and electrical skills are learned while building sets, as well as painting and color coordination for dramatic effect. In addition, students learn about 'dressing the set' for performances
Stage Combat
Description: In Stage Combat, students learn about stage combat and how to fight safely on stage. The two areas they will be working on are hand-to-hand combat and single-sword combat. Hand-to-hand combat entails falling, slaps, grabs, chokes, pushes, tackles, punches, and kicks. Single-sword combat is sword fighting with one sword. Students will learn the parts of a sword and terms of the trade. The class will train in the fighting techniques and will perform in front of an audience.
Technical Theater Internship
Description: Students manage and run the state-of-the-art theatrical lighting, sound, and rigging systems at the Cultural Center for our own plays, concerts and other functions and for visiting productions. Interns must be interested in technical theater and ready to be a responsible, reliable, devoted member of a team. Student interns participate in intensive training. Then, they take on responsibilities such as consulting with performing artists about their technical needs, designing and implementing lighting, sound, rigging, and set, and running the technical functions for each concert and production. Ongoing professional development helps interns hone their practice of technical arts. Interns work at scheduled times but must also be available as-needed. They earn academic credit, but more importantly, they benefit from the exciting experience, becoming expert in theatrical systems, collaborating with performing artists, and building unusually substantive resumes.