Performing Arts

Lower School

Music

Lower School students in preschool through grade five participate in weekly music classes to develop an appreciation and understanding of all styles of music and to stimulate their creative expression. Children also develop performance skills. As fifth graders they participate in Chorus, fourth and fifth graders perform in Lower School Band and String Ensemble, and third graders play recorders. Individual students play in recitals and assemblies, and all Lower School students perform vocally and instrumentally for the annual winter and spring concerts. In addition, the primary and intermediate grades alternate to produce and perform a musical every year.

Theater

Lower school students perform in a musical every other year. There is a musical offered for 3rd through 5th grade and another for junior kindergarten through 2nd grade. Two separate musicals allow for greater involvement by all students, encouraging performance skills at an early age. They also experience a storytelling class that utilizes yoga poses in kindergarten and 1st grade and a beginning improvisational games class for 2nd and 3rd graders. These opportunities enhance the imagination and stress the importance of play at this stage of development.

Middle School

Music

During the regular school day Middle School students are offered opportunities to participate in the chorus and ensemble, and many take instrumental instruction at school. Two concerts each year feature these groups as they perform works from various periods and in various styles. The music groups also perform either at the state capital or at an adjudicated festival each spring, and a few students also participate at the district level in chorus and/or band.

Theater

Middle School students have the opportunity to be involved with two main stage productions during the school year. Acting beside Upper School performers nurtures the talents of these younger actors. Rehearsals are held every weekday after school with additional Saturday rehearsals when necessary. The 8th grade theatre class works as a complementary study of the art form.

Upper School

Music

There are many performance opportunities in Upper School. The upper school music department features three major concerts on the LCDS campus per year, plus countless performances on tours, at special campus events, and at public venues throughout the central Pennsylvania region. Students can participate in ensemble, chorus and jazz ensemble, and/or they may collaborate in small groups on special performance projects. All genres and time periods are included in the music curriculum. Students can also learn more about the underpinnings of musical structure by enrolling in music theory. Students that participate in the large performing groups may individually audition for the LLMEA county and PMEA district level music festivals.

Theater

Upper School students have the opportunity to be involved with three main stage productions during the school year. In addition to acting, students run sound, lights and video, as well as hold the positions of Assistant Director, Stage Manager and Costume Assistant. Through this process, students are exposed to the collaborative nature of theatre. Rehearsals are held every weekday after school with additional Saturday rehearsals when necessary. These productions are supplemented with the Beginning and Advanced Acting classes offered each trimester.

Dance

Dance develops an appreciation of the human body as a vital and expressive instrument. Dancing increases body awareness and explores how the human form exists in and relates to the space around it. Although considered a performing art, students do not need to perform to benefit from the study of dance. Improved posture, a stronger core, increased flexibility, better balance and the ability to move through life with grace and confidence are a few of the many rewards students will receive.

Classes explore several styles of dance including ballet, modern, jazz, ballroom, musical theater and improvisational movement. Students with a strong interest in dance have the opportunity to create and perform their own choreography. All students gain a greater appreciation of dance as an important component of the performing arts.