Dance and Theater Arts
Trevor aims to foster a lifelong sense of wonder about the artistic mediums of dance and theater arts. The faculty collaborates with students in creating and sustaining a safe, inclusive community where diversity is honored. In developing an open environment, students are encouraged to engage actively in the creative process while developing the necessary skills for each discipline. Risk taking and play are central to our study. We strive to educate each student for artistic excellence.
The Middle School dance program incorporates an exposure to dance technique, improvisation, and composition. Students develop their own movement potential through individual and collaborative projects in which they are presented with a series of compositional concepts and problems. Students have the opportunity to perform the work they create for their peers. Middle School students in Grades 7 and 8 may participate in Choreolab, an annual student dance concert. Rehearsals for Choreolab are primarily after school.
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The 6th-grade arts workshops focus on self-discovery. Students spend half a year in performing arts and the other half in visual arts. Areas of study include acting, dance, drawing, and painting. They explore principles that form a thread through all of the performing and visual arts: multiple perspectives; visual balance; rhythm and movement; contrast and affinity; and color and light.
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In this class, dance, movement, and drama serve as the gateway to storytelling. Movement exercises and theatre games introduce the expressive potential of the body and voice. In dance, students develop an awareness of their bodies moving in space to discover meaning in movement and choreographic form, as well as to support basic story structure. In drama, theatre games and in-class projects allow students to explore physical and vocal expression, storytelling, and performance. Students collaborate to create dances and short plays that they present to the group—providing performing practice and an understanding of audience etiquette.
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The Middle School dance program incorporates dance technique, improvisation, and composition. The program’s focus is on self-expression and awareness through dance. Students develop their own movement through individual and collaborative projects that explore a series of compositional concepts and problems. Middle School students who are enrolled in a dance class may participate in Choreolab, an annual student-run dance concert for grades 7–12. (Rehearsals for Choreolab are held after school.) Grade 7 Dance This class introduces students to the building blocks of choreography through the concepts of space, time, and energy. Collaboration is emphasized. Students are encouraged to create their own movement and explore new styles of physical expression. This is done through collaborative choreographic projects that are presented in class. Students are asked to reflect upon their work and that of their peers. Students enrolled in Grade 7 Dance are eligible to participate in Choreolab.
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In this class, students continue to develop their ideas through further exploration of space, time, and energy. There is a greater focus on individual expression, musicality, and the creative process. In addition to small-group work, students collaborate as a class on compositional projects. Students also begin to develop the basic skills of contemporary dance. They are introduced to technical vocabulary and concepts as they learn structured warm-up sequences and movement phrases. Students enrolled in Grade 8 Dance are eligible to participate in Choreolab.
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Choreolab is a coeducational, extracurricular dance program open to Middle and Upper School students in grades 7–12. Choreolab embodies many of Trevor’s rich values: It embraces the creative process; it empowers individuals who collaborate as a group; and it enriches the larger community. Choreolab’s magic and power lie in the fact that it is entirely student-driven and student-executed. Students devote hundreds of hours to create, collaborate, choreograph, direct, and eventually perform for the entire Trevor community. A program that students consistently describe as a highlight of the year, Choreolab is facilitated by expert faculty and serves as a model for Trevor’s inquiry-based learning environment.
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These courses include the study of the many facets of drama and theatrical arts, which students explore as a means to better understand themselves and the world. The focus is on ensemble collaboration and the building blocks needed to create a theatrical performance.
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This elective focuses on the art of theatre and drama. Students explore acting, storytelling, and design, through original collaborative projects, games, and skill-building activities. The classroom works as an ensemble to create theatrical projects from the ground up. Students learn how to express themselves in a collaborative group while also discovering their individual artistry. The class culminates in a presentation at the end of the year. This class is appropriate for experienced actors, designers, and other artists, as well as students new to theatre and drama.
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In this course, we develop and refine the basic skills needed to be an actor. Through games, skill-building activities, scene study, and reading plays and original work, the classroom ensemble explores many aspects of performing. Students learn how to see the world from a different point of view. They start to build their own identity as an artist while simultaneously learning about group collaboration. The class culminates in a performance at the end of the year. This elective is appropriate for any student who previously took Drama, Theatre Arts, or Dance—or who has experienced drama study in the past.
Lisa Kolotouros
Jennifer RathboneUpper School Performing Arts Teacher and Advisor, Production Manager, Class of 2028 Dean and Performing Arts Department ChairBio
