Academy Purpose

The Allentown Academy of the Arts is dedicated to providing high school students with maximum opportunities to grow and develop through a high quality, comprehensive and integrated education in music, theatre, dance, and the visual arts. We are committed to furthering students’ academic abilities and performing talents while preparing them to pursue their arts interest in life, college, or career.

Program Description

The Allentown Academy of the Arts believes that the arts constitute one of the five fundamental components of basic education, along with language, mathematics, natural sciences, and social studies. We further believe that strong arts programs should be an essential part of every school system and that arts programs within the school should be suited to the needs of the students. Therefore, the Allentown Academy of the Arts believes that high school students who have a strong interest and potential for success in the arts must be identified and provided an opportunity for artistic growth.

We further believe that artistic young people have special needs and abilities, and those talented students should be provided opportunities to develop their talents through intense study in their artistic disciplines. They should also be taught to evaluate, analyze, and interpret their art form through studies in technique, creative expression, and craftsmanship. Additionally, students should be afforded performance opportunities that will serve as vehicles for self-expression, artistic growth, and pre-professional training. These talented students should also be provided artistic exposure to all fine arts areas in order to further their knowledge of an appreciation for all art forms.

The Allentown Academy of the Arts believes that providing talented students with specialized training will enhance their appreciation and understanding of all art forms. It will provide them an advantage in post-secondary arts studies; it will teach essential socialization, organizational, and leadership skills; it will provide them a strong advantage in work-related, college, and scholarship opportunities; and it will enhance their enjoyment of the arts throughout their lives.

Academy of the Arts Recommended Curriculum

Dance Courses

The dance program will work to teach students to dance while helping them to increase their awareness of themselves and their bodies. The program will assist students in developing an aesthetic awareness of the art form. Directionality, spatial orientation, visual, and kinesthetic perception will be explored. Participation will satisfy the physical education requirement each year.


Dance Studio Concepts - No. 733AA
Prerequisite: Dance I 
Grade 11, 12      Year 1       5 Periods       1.0 Credit
Dance Studio Concepts students will study how dance elements and techniques influence movement and personal expression. Students will demonstrate advanced levels of ballet, jazz, and modern techniques.  The course will also emphasize elementary dance composition, and help students gain a clear understanding of the physics of dance.  Students will be required to perform mini solos in front of their classmates. Analysis and technique should give the student experience in demonstration, conceptualization, and dance execution. An additional semester arts elective is required.
 
Dance Studio I - No. 734AA
Grade 11, 12      Year 1       10 Periods       2.0 Credit
Dance Studio I is an intermediate technique course which will include vocabulary, movement concepts, positions and combinations in ballet, modern, and jazz dance. Dance history and composition will also be studied. Performance is required. Audition and teacher recommendations are required.

Dance Studio II - No. 735AA
Prerequisite:  Dance Studio I or Dance Studio Concepts
Grade 12      Year 1       10 Periods       2.0 Credit
Dance Studio II is for advanced students and continues to expand and develop the concepts and techniques learned in Dance Studio I. There will be extensive work on composition and the creation of an exit project. Performance is required. An audition and teacher recommendations are required

Music Courses

Music Arts Concepts - No. 753AA
Grade 11, 12      Year 1       5 Periods       1.0 Credit
Musical Arts Concepts students will experience the elements of music including melody, harmony, form, and color from a theatrical and practical perspective. Students will also gain music literacy skills as they learn to play the piano. In addition, the class will study the different types of music from around the world. Students will have the opportunity to gain first-hand musical experience through in class performances.  An additional semester arts elective is recommended.

Instrumental and Vocal I  - No. 754AA
Grade 11, 12      Year 1       10 Periods       2.0 Credit
Instrumental and Vocal-I students will further develop their understanding of music theory, literature/history, aural studies, keyboard skills and performance techniques.  An audition and teacher recommendation is required.

Instrumental and Vocal II - No. 755AA
Grade 12      Year 1       5 Periods       1.0 Credit
An audition and teacher recommendation is required.  This course is run in conjunction with Music Theory - Advanced Placement.

Music Theory – AP* - No. 750AA
Prerequisite:  Instrumental and Vocal I 
Grade 12      Year 1       5 Periods       1.0 Credit
Music Theory AP is designed for the highly motivated student interested in the serious study of music. Components include the study of musical terminology, score analysis and notational, composition, and aural skills. Students prepare to take the Advanced Placement Examination in Music Theory.  This course runs in conjunction with Instrumental and Vocal II.

For Allentown Academy of the Arts music students, this level of courses will include:

Music Theory
Students will participate in a thorough study of advanced chromatic harmonies and modulations, composition in various forms (Theme and Variation, Fugue, and Sonata-allegro), basic concepts in standard orchestration techniques and a survey of 20th century composition techniques and trends.

Music Literature and History
Students will complete further analysis of form of all style periods, study of comparative performance practices and styles. A survey of the history of jazz, American folk music, rock and musical comedy (operetta and Broadway) is also part of this activity.

Aural Studies
Students will work toward further mastery of techniques in sight singing with advanced chromatic and modulatory material with an emphasis on 
harmonic dictation. Aural recognition of modes, meters, performance media, forms and styles in relation to historical periods will be stressed.

Performance

In addition to their personal private instrumental or vocal studio work, included will be solo performance and recital seminars, master classes, ensemble experience and coaching.

Theatre Courses
The Theatre program is designed to provide students with a broad background in all aspects of the theatre including theatre movements and styles, history, script analysis, dramaturgy, design directing, stage management and acting. Students who complete the program will have an appreciation and understanding of how all elements of the theatre combine to form an artistic whole. Participants in the program may choose to focus in acting, directing, criticism/history/dramaturgy, or design/technology.

The acting studio emphasizes the union of feeling, thought, and action for the actor and seeks to integrate psychological, intellectual and physical processes into the technique of acting. Action and intention are underscored as the actor learns to work toward an objective.


Acting Studio Concepts-No. 743AA
Prerequisite: Theatre I or Acting Studio Integrated
Grade 11, 12      Year 1       5 Periods       1.0 Credit
Students will explore theatre through partner scene work and solo monologue work. Different concepts will be explored such as method acting, sense memory, and emotional recall, along with improvisation and relation techniques. A unit on musical theatre will be investigated.  Students will be asked to write their own scene and direct it.

Acting Studio I-No. 744AA
Grade 11, 12      Year 1       10 Periods       2.0 Credit
Acting Studio I is for the serious acting student. Students will gain hands on experience by being involved in the inter-workings of the theatre, from scene shop and costumes to the technical aspect of lights and sound, acting techniques and the marketing of productions. Dramatic literature and theatre history will be studied and analyzed. Involvement in the fall play and the spring Main Stage Musical at Allen is required. An audition and teacher recommendation is required.
(Auditions can be a monologue, a scene with a partner, or a vocal audition with a Broadway show tune.)

Acting Studio II  - No. 745AA
Prerequisite:  Acting Studio I or Acting Studio Concepts 
Grade 12      Year 1       10 Periods       2.0 Credit
Acting Studio II is for the advanced acting student. This course will build on the skills and techniques developed in Acting Studio I with the addition of a group project of writing a short One Act play and performing it. Students will be responsible for sets, lights, costumes, directing and performing the piece. Involvement in the fall play and the spring Main Stage Musical at Allen is required. An audition and teacher recommendation is required.
(Auditions can be a monologue, a scene with a partner, or a vocal audition with a Broadway show tune.)

Visual Arts Courses

Studio Art – AP*  -No. 720AA
Prerequisite: Visual Arts I
Grade 12      Year 1       5 Periods       1.0 Credit
Studio Art Advanced Placement is a quality oriented studio course. Included is concentrated theme and media development. An individualized professional portfolio will be finalized, meeting the standards of evaluation and described in the College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement Program. This course prepares the student to take the Advanced Placement Examination in Studio Art. A portfolio review and teacher recommendation is required.  This course is run in conjunction with Visual Arts II.

Visual Arts Integrated - No. 722AA
Prerequisite: Art I  
Grade 10        Year 1       5 Periods       1.0 Credit
This course is focused foundation program in studio art that emphasizes integrating the arts historically through World Cultures and English II.  This course is designed to develop strong drawing and design skills by working with a variety of media  A student sketchbook is required.
WAHS: Work completed can be used as the portfolio to apply to the Arts Academy at the end of the sophomore year.  Students interested in the Arts Academy are encouraged to take this course.

Visual Arts Concepts - No. 723AA
Prerequisite: Art I or Visual Arts Integrated 
Grade 11, 12      Year 1       5 Periods       1.0 Credit
Visual Arts Concepts extends experiences in drawing, composition, color, and design to provide experiences with techniques and idea development involving various drawing and painting mediums as well as relief printing, photography, computer graphics, ceramic design, fibers, wood, metal, and glass. A student sketchbook is required and an additional semester arts elective is recommended.


Visual Arts I -No. 724AA
Grade 11, 12      Year 1       10 Periods       2.0 Credit
Visual Arts I is for those students interested in an intense preparation for future study of the visual arts. Studio experiences involving: drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, metals, glass, fibers, communication design, and computer graphics. A working knowledge of techniques, principles of design, personal course concepts, and media culminate in a portfolio review at year’s end. This course prepares the student for the presentation and continued development of a professional portfolio. A portfolio review and teacher recommendation is required.


Visual Arts II  - No. 725AA
Grade 12      Year 1       5 Periods        1.0 Credit
Visual Arts II is for advanced students who wish to continue to expand and develop the concepts and techniques learned in Visual Arts I. This course is run in conjunction with Studio Art – Advanced Placement.