Fine and Performing Arts Department

Fundamentals of Art is offered exclusively to 9th grade students. Each trimester they will work with a different Brewster art teacher and focus on one of three disciplines within our arts program: Music & Theater, Movement, and Visual Arts. Moving through each trimester-long experience with their cohort, students will be better prepared for the topics and techniques in the higher level art courses here at Brewster, and will get a better sense of their interests within the breadth of programs offered within the Arts. Advanced Fine Arts Students in their Junior or Senior year will engage in a full year, portfolio arts course to continue their growth in mediums of their choice. This is a student-driven course that will give participants the opportunity to build out their portfolio, and complete a capstone project curating, and designing an art exhibit of their own work. Students in this course are encouraged to enroll in the Arts Signature Program. Prerequisites for Advanced Fine Arts include a demonstrated

Students in their Junior or Senior year will engage in a full year, performing arts course to continue their growth in performing arts disciplines of their choice. This is a student-driven course that will give participants the opportunity to build on their skills as a performer, and complete a capstone performance showcasing their work. Students in this course are encouraged to enroll in the Arts Signature Program. Prerequisites for Advanced Performing Arts include a demonstrated engagement in the arts with a minimum of three trimesters in other performing arts courses.

Students in their Junior or Senior year will engage in a full year, portfolio arts course to continue their growth in mediums of their choice. This is a student-driven course that will give participants the opportunity to build out their portfolio, and complete a capstone project curating, and designing an art exhibit of their own work. Students in this course are encouraged to enroll in the Arts Signature Program. Prerequisites for Advanced Fine Arts include a demonstrated engagement in the arts with a minimum of three trimesters in other fine arts courses.

This course is designed for singers or instrumentalists who wish to gain and develop their performing skills in a group-oriented, critique-based setting. Students practice independently for portions of each class and come together to sing or play their music for each other in a critique setting at least once per week. Students are expected to bring these skills to each performing opportunity throughout the school year such as coffee houses and all-school assemblies.

This class will develop beginning guitar and ensemble techniques through daily practice and rehearsal. In addition to ensemble skills, students will develop the notational and theoretical concepts of music essential to performing within a group. Reading standard musical notation will be essential to cover this material; however, no prior reading experience is required.

This course is for the aspiring pianist, from beginners to advanced players. Students will delve into the foundational elements of piano playing, focusing on essential skills such as music literacy, basic notation, rhythms, time signatures, and intervals. Whether you're starting from scratch or seeking to refine your technique, this course offers a supportive environment where each student can progress at their own pace. Beyond mastering the fundamentals, piano will encourage students to take their playing to new heights through an individualized program of study.

This course is open to all interested students in the upper school who enjoy group singing. Rehearsals focus on developing vocal technique, musical literacy, and the styles and principles of presentation. Chorus pulls its repertoire from rock, jazz, classical, pop, theater, television, and movies. Members will learn to improve their vocal singing with an emphasis on good technique, ear training, sight-singing, theory, and rehearsal methods while strengthening their ability to listen and harmonize clearly.

This course will survey a variety of kinesthetic performance techniques. Students will develop, implement and perform physically expressive theatrical characters and scenarios through spatial awareness and body control. This course will examine the use of fight and violence in a theatrical context for the stage. Topics that will be covered include creating the illusion of violence without causing harm to self, an acting partner, the audience, or scenery to create a safe working environment in the classroom and in a professional setting. The basics of unarmed stage combat: punches, blocks, falls, rolls, found objects as weapons. Single sword skills including proper footwork, defenses, attacks, and disarms. This class has strong physical components.

Students will explore the development of theater, dramatic literature, major theatrical movements, and styles and plays from the ancient world to present. This course will include a survey of the Western theater tradition beginning with the ancient Greeks, continuing with the development of English language theater and ending in contemporary American theater. This course will also touch on non-Western theater traditions, including the theater of Islam, East Asia, and other locations. Students will be expected to present to the class.

This course will begin with an overview of theater buildings and spaces. Students will select a specific structure, a script and develop a storyboard/moodboard. Designs will begin with basic sketches and progress to scale models of the stage and the scenery. Scenic design should be informed by the script and also respond to the culture and community to which they will be presented. Students will be expected to present to the class.

This course will begin with the basics of the acting methods. Students will select a monologue, read the script for themes, and to help develop their understanding and empathy for their character. Once the actors are familiar with their scripts and characters, they will begin to memorize and present to the class for direction and feedback. The goal of this course is to develop acting and auditioning skills. Performance is required for this course.

In this course, different styles of modern dance will be presented with an emphasis on improving anatomical awareness and alignment, developing integrated movement patterns and internal connections, rhythmic awareness and using dance as a form of expression. Contemporary & Modern Dance students will work to find freedom in the use of movement while developing their technique and building a strong foundation. We will enrich our understanding of dance practice through collaboration, deep listening, and rigor.

Students learn to throw on the potter’s wheel and practice basic techniques of hand-building. The emphasis for newcomers to pottery is learning how to work with clay to produce technically sound work. A series of projects are assigned, each slightly more complex and encompassing new skills. Concentration and personal discipline are needed to complete projects; creativity and personal expression are encouraged. As students advance, they will gain greater expertise on the wheel and learn some sculpture techniques as well. Students work toward greater control of the medium as they undertake more complex projects and develop more independence.

An introductory course to digital illustration using iPads, this course includes the study of illustration as a visual interpretation of narrative, color theory, and typographical design elements. Students will learn basic software skills while developing drawing abilities in a digital environment. Strong emphasis is placed on planning, sketching, color theory, and critique.

Students will cover the fashion design process starting with visual research, sketching ideas, and crafting jewelry stories. Students will explore a design-thinking modality and problem-solving strategies as they explore form, material, and shape. Students will have an opportunity to learn the basics of jewelry fabrication.

Students will be introduced to a host of painting techniques including gouache, watercolor, acrylic, pour painting, and printmaking. This course will emphasize color theory, technique, and composition while exploring themes of sustainability and identity. The purpose of the course is to provide a basis for creative growth and expression and to build on learned and new techniques.

Students will cover the fashion design process from researching and figure sketching to alterations and garment construction. Students will explore a design-thinking modality and problem-solving strategies as they explore form, material, and shape through projects including upcycled fashion, recycled fashion, and pattern construction. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the basics of fashion design and clothing production.

Students will be able to demonstrate mastery in camera settings and compositional rules to produce their own desired photographic results. Students will be able to use film cameras to expose and develop black and white film. Students will learn mastery of using the darkroom to enlarge and develop black and white prints.

Students will be able to demonstrate their own total understanding and abilities in each camera technique and composition rule to produce their own desired digital photographic results. Students will be able to demonstrate their own abilities and understanding of digital software such as Photoshop to further enhance their photos to achieve greater results.

Students will have the skills necessary to conceptualize an object in three dimensions and build that model. Students will understand how to 3D print that model and how to use 3D software to engineer a product and 3D print a prototype. Students will then learn how to conceptualize a 3D environment and an animation. Then, they will be able to model the shapes in 3D, create the animation in 3D, and render that animation to produce a short animated segment or a short video.

Students will learn the skills necessary to create digital art from scratch in Photoshop. Students will learn the basics and good practices in design to conceptualize a visual idea and be able to use Photoshop to create that image. Students will then learn how to use Photoshop to make visual edits to existing images. Editing photography or making additions to a scan of physical work brought into the program. Students will then learn how that final art can be presented as digital work in a computer presentation or as printed work.