(a) General requirements. Students may fulfill fine
arts and elective requirements for graduation by successfully completing
Musical Theatre, Level IV (one credit). A suggested prerequisite is
Musical Theatre, Level III or by audition.
(b) Introduction.
(1) The fine arts incorporate the study of dance, music,
theatre, and the visual arts to offer unique experiences and empower
students to explore realities, relationships, and ideas. These disciplines
engage and motivate all students through active learning, critical
thinking, and innovative problem solving. The fine arts develop cognitive
functioning and increase student academic achievement, higher-order
thinking, communication, and collaboration skills, making the fine
arts applicable to college readiness, career opportunities, workplace
environments, social skills, and everyday life. Students develop aesthetic
and cultural awareness through exploration, leading to creative expression.
Creativity, encouraged through the study of the fine arts, is essential
to nurture and develop the whole child.
(2) Four basic strands--foundations: inquiry and understanding;
creative expression; historical and cultural relevance; and critical
evaluation and response--provide broad, unifying structures for organizing
knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. Through the
foundations: inquiry and understanding strand, students develop a
perception of self, human relationships, and the world using elements
of drama and conventions of theatre. Through the creative expression
strand, students communicate in a dramatic form, engage in artistic
thinking, build positive self-concepts, relate interpersonally, and
integrate knowledge with other content areas in a relevant manner.
Through the historical and cultural relevance strand, students increase
their understanding of heritage and traditions in theatre and the
diversity of world cultures as expressed in theatre. Through the critical
evaluation and response strand, students engage in inquiry and dialogue,
accept constructive criticism, revise personal views to promote creative
and critical thinking, and develop the ability to appreciate and evaluate
live theatre.
(3) Musical Theatre will expose students to a wide
range of on-stage performance disciplines, including acting performance,
vocal performance, and dance performance. The course will also provide
an atmosphere in which students benefit from a teaching and learning
experience in these performance disciplines of musical theatre. Students
will receive comprehensive and rigorous instruction so that they may
make informed choices about the craft, college, and the profession.
The course will enhance and cultivate the creative gifts of each student
while encouraging a sense of self-confidence. The course will enable
students to study and perform the varied styles of musical theatre
with special attention to the principles of stage movement, stage
vocal technique, stage choreography, acting, characterization, and
other aspects of a musical production.
(4) Statements that contain the word "including" reference
content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such
as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Foundations: inquiry and understanding. The student
develops concepts about self, human relationships, and the environment
using elements of drama, dance, music, and the conventions of musical
theatre. The student is expected to:
(A) create and lead theatrical, dance, and vocal music
preparation and warm-up techniques;
(B) arrange stage movement in a musical theatre performance;
(C) choreograph various dance genres such as ballet,
tap, jazz, ballroom, and Broadway in a musical theatre performance;
(D) develop effective use of voice and diction in spoken
dialogue to effectively express thoughts, feelings, and actions;
(E) develop appropriate singing technique in vocalized
solo and ensemble repertoire to effectively express thoughts, feelings,
and actions;
(F) model professional audition techniques such as
musical selection, monologue performance, dance and movement, and
the relationship between accompanist and performer;
(G) perform a multi-dimensional character from a musical
incorporating singing, dancing, and acting; and
(H) collaborate effectively with all artistic partners
in a musical theatre production.
(2) Creative expression: performance. The student interprets
characters through acting, singing, and dance using voice and body
expressively and creates dramatizations called for in a musical script.
The student is expected to:
(A) model appropriate safety measures in vocalization,
dance movement, and theatrical movement;
(B) defend creativity as it relates to self and ensemble
in musical theatre;
(C) analyze characterization in musical theatre styles;
(D) model proper voice usage and correct vocal production
skills such as vocal placement, vocal phrasing, vocal tone production,
and vocal consistency in a performance situation;
(E) analyze lyrics of a song as a monologue, dialogue,
or ensemble scene for interpretation, characterization, and physicalization;
(F) create and sustain believable characters through
acting, singing, and dancing; and
(G) collaborate to produce material related to musical
theatre such as monologues, scenes, lyrics, or choreography to convey
meaning to the audience through live performance or other media forms.
(3) Creative expression: production. The student applies
design, directing, choreography, and musical theatre production concepts
and skills. The student is expected to:
(A) model safe and effective use of technical elements
of musical theatre;
(B) create musical production plans such as research,
rehearsal plans, technical designs, blocking, choreography, and solo
and ensemble musical numbers; and
(C) cast and direct a musical theatre or musical media
production.
(4) Historical and cultural relevance. The student
relates musical theatre to history, society, and culture. The student
is expected to:
(A) conduct concentrated studies on historical and
cultural influences on and developments in musical theatre;
(B) justify musical theatre as an original American
art form;
(C) depict musical theatre as a reflection of life
in particular times, places, and cultures; and
(D) defend the influences of musical theatre forms
such as theatre, television, and film on past and present society.
(5) Critical evaluation and response. The student responds
to and evaluates musical theatre performances. The student is expected
to:
(A) evaluate and practice appropriate audience behavior
at various types of performances;
(B) defend musical theatre as a creative art form;
(C) compare the nature of musical theatre elements
to other musical media;
(D) appraise self and peer performance using constructive
criticism;
(E) evaluate musical theatre, musical film, or other
musical media using precise musical theatre vocabulary;
(F) experiment with a career opportunity in musical
theatre, musical film, or other musical media and analyze the training,
skills, self-discipline, and artistic discipline needed for personal
success;
(G) relate musical theatre skills and experiences to
higher education and careers outside of the theatre; and
(H) document and present information in a clear and
coherent manner using technology to build a resume or portfolio.
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