The Visual and Performing Arts Academy
at Salem High School

View a brief video overview of the Visual and Performing Arts Academy Program.

The Visual and Performing Arts Academy offers the opportunity for students who have an interest in the arts to select courses that prepare them for postsecondary advanced studies or for a faster entry into arts-related occupations. The balance between artistic development and academic preparation is at the heart of the Academy program. Students are exposed to the humanities and have the opportunity to select a course of study that will best meet their needs and interests.

The Academy is organized into five strands: art, instrumental music, vocal music, dance, and theater. Students will view each strand through the lens of four components: aesthetic perspectives, creative expression, culture and history, and analysis and criticism. While students will select one strand on which to focus, they will be encouraged to explore more than one area of the arts. All strands emphasize performance and exhibition. Literacy is stressed across the curriculum, and all aspects of art are incorporated throughout. In addition, students enrolled in the program explore the cultural influences within the arts and the impact of the arts on history.

The instrumental music strand focuses on developing a student’s understanding of music concepts that serve as the foundation for future development of aesthetic judgment. Students apply knowledge and understanding of the elements of style, form, and cultural heritage to listen to, perform, create, and defend their musical choices. In the vocal music strand, the student’s understanding of musical concepts is developed. Students focus on their own special interests and compare and contrast social, ethnic, and cultural influences on music. As students learn about the individuals who contributed to the area and time period of music studied, they form personal choices of musical performances from all historic periods. In both musical strands, students explore career possibilities in music education, music composition, the music business, and music therapy.

Visual and Performing Arts Academy
Typical Course of Study
Sample Student Schedule
For detailed course descriptions, please refer to the
2009-2010 Secondary School Curriculum Guide.

Course Of Study "Inspiration, Creation, and Realization" are the theme of the Visual and Performing Arts Academy. The Academy is designed to: offer an interdisciplinary curriculum of differentiated academic and applied instruction in the arts; develop individual talent and interest; instill an increased awareness of cultural literacy and the value of the arts in society; and provide varied opportunities for performance and exhibition. Students may earn either an Advanced Studies Diploma or a Standard Diploma based on the options available in the various curricula. Core courses are required of all students in the Academy and include English, mathematics, science, and social studies; however, as part of this unique program, the arts are integrated into these courses. During their freshman year, all students take “The Arts: A Global Perspective.” This semester course exposes students to strands being studied.

Grade 9 English World Studies I Science Mathematics Health/P.E. Foreign Language The Arts: A Global Perspective (required) VPAA Arts Courses Job Shadowing (9 or 10) Grade 10 English World History II Science Mathematics Health/P.E. Foreign Language VPAA Arts Courses Job Shadowing (9 or 10) Most students focus on one strand of the arts and have the option to take courses in more than one of the five strands. During their senior year, students take a course entitled, “Senior Production Project .” This course integrates all the strands in required performances and projects. Through their four years in the program, students attend “topic” seminars and master classes which will be held periodically throughout each school year. These seminars can serve as a basis for an internship as part of the seminar course in the students’ senior year. Students are also expected to participate in presentations and exhibitions during their four years at the Academy.

Grade 11 English VA/US History Science Mathematics Foreign Language VPAA Arts Courses Job Shadowing Grade 12 English VA/US Government Science Mathematics Foreign Language Senior Project

The visual arts strand provides consistent instructional opportunities for students to examine a wide range of forms that are natural and man-made and to create art work using the elements and principles of design. Students’ interests in individual artists and their art forms are encouraged, and they study careers in graphic design, commercial art, art history, preservation of art, art education, art therapy, and arts management.

Students taking classes in the dance strand develop an awareness of the body as an instrument of expression. They refine their skills in dance technique and choreography and increase their ability to move creatively and spontaneously. Exposure to great works of art allows students to analyze the special characteristics of noted performers, choreographers, critics, and impresarios, as well as understand how these individuals have shaped the history of dance.

In the theater strand, students learn to create, perform, analyze, and critique dramatic performances. Class work becomes formalized with the students participating in theatre, film, television, and electronic media productions. As careers and performers are studied, students develop a broad worldview.

Students involved in the music strand develop an understanding of music composition, theory, and production. Through the refinement of their technique, students increase their ability to identify the components of musical sound which enhance their capabilities for composing and performing.

For additional information please call the Academy Coordinator at 757.648-5650 ext. 85675, or e-mail Eva Melatti eva.melatti@vbschools.com at Salem High School.