Performing Arts
Dance
Our curriculum is designed to help you to build robust classical and contemporary technique and prepare you for the profession as a confident, versatile and technically strong dancer. You will graduate with the skills required by conservatory programs as well as the ability to communicate effectively with an audience through the performance of a wide variety of classical, modern and contemporary choreography. Throughout their LIHSA years, students have many opportunities to learn from and perform varied repertory with renowned faculty and guest artists.
LIHSA has a partnership with the American Ballet Theatre with ongoing master classes throughout the year. LIHSA dancers work one-on-one with faculty and guest teachers and choreographers, rehearsing daily throughout the academic calendar, and performing multiple different programs each school year, including classical and contemporary works. Through the Master Class Program, LIHSA students has worked with dancers of companies such as Martha Graham, Paul Taylor Principal Dancer (and alumnus) Michael Trusnovec, Savion Glover, dancers from Pilobolus Dance Theatre, Parsons Dance, Twyla Tharp Dance, Rioult Dance NY, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Music: Vocal, Instrumental & Digital
Instrumental Performance: Do you welcome new ideas and embrace challenge? Are you an aspiring performer? An innovative composer? Our music program is a highly specialized set of courses for performers and composers. We value hard-working, talented and experimental students and, in exchange, we support your learning in a creative and nurturing environment. Our curriculum is designed for you to become an expert in your chosen field whilst critically evaluating your progress and challenging you to fulfill your individual potential.
Vocal Performance: The Vocal program has an excellent team of instructors. Their goal is to ensure you develop your individual voice and become the best singer you can possibly be. Classes are for auditions, performance skills, and vocal pedagogy. The Vocal program is busy and challenging, working in an atmosphere of varied inspiring performances and with each singer, perfecting your craft, yet also finding the emotional honesty, which lies behind truly great singing.
Digital Music: LIHSA’s digital music program prepares students within a landscape of rapidly evolving tools and techniques. Through in-studio classroom experience, hands-on project work, and exposure to visiting industry professionals, you learn to collaborate effectively with others in numerous musical settings through participation as a composer and producer.
Drama and Musical Theatre
LIHSA has been teaching the best actors, musical theatre performers, dramatists and directors on Long Island for nearly five decades. With intensive training, you will have the opportunity to explore your individual creativity in acting, voice and movement, both in class and through performance, in preparation for a career in theatre and screen.
LIHSA gave me the tools I needed to make my passion my career. Once I entered the professional world I felt one step ahead of the game.
Program Requirements
All students accepted in the Performing Arts program are required to take 3.0 core credits over the course of 2 years. Students in all three program strands will complete an additional .5 credits in Career and Financial Management coursework, a requirement of a CTE program. Beyond the required core, students take additional electives in the performing arts, with different semester offerings.
Activism and Performance
This course explores the intersection of performance, politics, and social transformation by studying and experiencing the work of activist artists in both traditional and nontraditional forms from across the globe. Students in the class will examines the texts, theories, compositions, choreography and other practices of international artists committed to ethical reasoning, social change, peace building, human rights, and community empowerment. Students create improvisation work drawing from the work that has been studied. This class culminates in the creation of an original activist performance.
Artistic Direction and Production
This class offers working knowledge of lighting and sound equipment, crew work, wardrobe, and other technical requirements for production. It provides students with a clear vision of the context in which performance is produced and performed. Students will learn in detail the importance of communication and develop the requisite vocabular in the real-world terms of production, while examining pieces that have been previously performed, applying elements to future works and further developing a toolbox to execute their artistic vision.
Careers in the Arts
Students in this course will engage in an exploration of options available to artists after high school, matching industry requirements with pathways, including, college admissions and cost associated with it. Students will complete portfolios, engage in mock interviewing and develop resume related material. Students will also research related trends in the creative arts sector, types of jobs available and professional organizations affiliated with different sectors. Traits that are valuable for artists to possess will explored and students will learn about advocacy and networking in the professional arts world.
Rhythmic Explorations
Students will investigate the relationship between percussion instruments and the body as an instrument in order to effectively communicate across disciplines and express their artistic potential. Through this course, students will cultivate an appreciation for music and movement collaborations within a global context. Students will examine reoccurring patterns that emerge across a global context. This course provides students with opportunities to create and perform a collaborative music and movement work that can be shared through public performance.