Fine Arts

Express Yourself!

At Davis, we believe in self expression! The Davis Academy has developed the Fine Arts as an exciting and diverse program for students in every grade. Our faculty teach fine arts theory, history and technique and encourage the development of talent and creativity. Davis students regularly win arts-related awards, honors and competitions. Our program consists of:  

Art

It is just as important for a student to experience the process of learning about art as well as creating art. Throughout the year, students are taught art history and art appreciation by learning about different artists, art criticism by comparing and contrasting works of art, and art production by creating their own personalized artworks. Students explore a variety of mediums including but not limited to, watercolors, tempera paint, chalk and oil pastels, markers, pencil, printing, and clay and other sculptural tools. Students also learn about the various elements and principles of design required to make an interesting piece of artwork. Our goal is for students to develop an appreciation for art and become visually literate problem-solvers who can creatively express themselves in a variety of mediums as well as interpret art.

Music

The Davis music curriculum is designed to instill an appreciation for music through a dynamic program that fosters the growth of the well-rounded child. Performance opportunities are an important part of the program. Our younger students participate in creative movement and expression, singing and playing rhythm instruments, as well as creating short compositions.  Students learn proper music reading fundamentals and develop keen listening skills. Classes are geared to expose students to music from different historical time periods and cultures. Fourth graders play the recorder during their music rotation, while fifth graders study basic piano skills in preparation for music learning opportunities at the middle school level. Our music room is equipped with a myriad of instruments and tools that help promote creative listening and learning, including an Orff-Schulwerk barred instrument set, Boomwhackers, and an entire classroom set of keyboards, SmartBoard resources, and many other traditional rhythm instruments. The renowned Davis Academy Lower School chorus practices after school hours and performs during Shabbat and community events.   

The Davis Academy Middle School music program is an exciting program offering students guitar and percussion classes and the opportunity to play with performance bands. Special guest artists such as Liberty DeVitto (former Billy Joel drummer) and other world class musicians conduct workshops with Davis students. The Davis Decibelles, comprised of 15 female voices, are Davis Academy’s very own accomplished Glee group and perform at both school and community events.  

Theatre

Imagine a class reaching Fourth -Eighth graders on a regular daily basis where students form vocally confident and empowered identities, develop an awareness of the world around them; and learn to work collaboratively. At Davis, Theatre is connected into every other class content area from Jewish Studies to Science.  Over 65% of the students at Davis Academy are involved in the Theatre Program whether in the annual musical,  the exploratory, electives, or after-school programming. Students are introduced to the building blocks of Theatre Arts skills and knowledge through applying basic theatre terminology, stage directions, physical skills, kinesthetic movement, emotional recall, playwriting, collaborative design and group performance projects   The Davis Academy is leading the way nationally in comprehensive, integrated Theatre Arts Education. 

A sample of our program:   

• Annual Fifth grade Hanukkah play, Sixth Grade Shakespearean Olympics, Fourth grade Colonial Plays for Colonial Days. Eighth graders create their own non-profit theatre companies
• Field trips and visiting guest artists
• Our middle school stage is equipped with a state of the art lighting and sound system
•  An award winning comprehensie Shakespearean Studies program created by Davis Academy's Theatre award winning professional Director Kendrick Phillips 
• Faculty enjoy opportunities for theatre-related professional development
• The only school with Theatre Arts curricula using improvisation, Stanislavksy based acting techinque, storytelling, voice, movement, playwriting, dramaturgy, design, Shakespearean Theatre, Theatre History, and theatre criticism 

• An active and exciting nationally recognized annual musical production in which more than 200 Mechina through Eigth graders and 90 Davis Alumni participate in each year, as supporting and lead cast and crew members
• The Teen Alumni mentoring program, created in conjunction with sponsorship of the award winning Metropolitan Theatre Conservatory and the International Thespian Society, allows Alumni to complete community service hours, earn theatrical production credit, and accrue leadership positions, all of which are eligible for high school transcripts and transferrable to college credits in the performing arts.  Alumni excel at the best high school and professional stages following their years at Davis.   
  
  

  Click here to see some exciting video samples of our Theatre Program