The arts have long been revered by both classical and modern civilizations. Students exposed to music, art, and theatre in school are given unique outlets for their creativity to flourish. Our educators invest their extensive talents, passion, and knowledge to enrich our students’ creative abilities, supporting each student as they learn to hone their interests and skills. Our youngest students all the way up to our graduating seniors have the opportunity to participate in vocal and instrumental music classes, in addition to explore their theatrical and artistic talents.
Students who participate in any one of our Fine Arts programs learn to test their limits, defy their creative boundaries, and integrate these learning experiences into their everyday lives. Vanguard students are encouraged to enter competitions and find incredible success in doing so. Our art students consistently win awards at the local, state, and national levels. Over the last ten years, our high school music program has had twenty-nine students selected as members of the prestigious All-state Choir! The Vanguard Chamber Singers, one of our talented choirs, have been selected to perform at the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference, a tremendous honor for them and our music program.
Through this experience, students are able to develop courage as they take risks, strength while displaying finesse, competitive intensity while exhibiting generosity of spirit, and mental as well as physical endurance. While the focus is to facilitate the development of each student’s athletic potential, the greater hope is to instill motivation to continue lifelong physical activity.
Youth choir at the Vanguard School is an elective, created to give students the opportunity to learn and master technique, practice, learn to read music, and many other skills that will enhance their Elementary, Junior High School, and High School educations.
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Vanguard’s classical curriculum places an importance on the fine arts because the arts have been and continue to be an important way of understanding and expressing our humanity. At The Vanguard School, all high school students are required to take a semester course in both Art History and Music History. The study of the fine arts allows students to understand and appreciate the quality and implications of the fine arts across various periods and provides students a foundation upon which to create and critically evaluate art and music.
All grades have the opportunity to enroll in basic and advanced art and music courses as electives.
Junior high and high school students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of dramatic presentations over the course of the year. The fall semester is focused on the high school musical. The spring semester offers a junior high presentation of a play from Shakespeare, a high school play, and a children’s musical performed by a combined cast of junior high and high school students.
Part of the Junior High English curriculum is to read a play by William Shakespeare. In alignment with this curriculum, the Junior High students will then produce that same play. All actors and stage crew are Junior High students. The abridged script stays true to Shakespearian English. Auditions are held, and actors are cast into the various roles. Rehearsals are held; lines are memorized; characters are developed. Stage crew helps to build the sets and assists back stage during the performance. Staff members from various departments assist with directing, stage, make-up, costumes and more. High School students also help to support in these areas. The work and learning culminate with two exciting performances to public audiences.
