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The Arts
Visual Arts
Introduction to Drawing
This dynamic art course teaches students the fundamentals of fine art drawing. They will study the personalities of line and shadow, composition, and the application of color theory in their work. Students learn to draw with energy and spontaneity, as well as to finely render, with attention to variety in their mark-making. They will soon develop their own unique and masterful style of drawing!
Arts & Crafts
This course allows young children to have fun while developing their creative thinking and skill. Students will create a variety of art projects, from 2D creations to inventive collages and seasonally-themed objects. They will have the opportunity to finger-paint, use watercolors, draw with colored pencils, and make their own greeting cards.
Young Picassos
From finger paint to fine art media, children will harness and develop their creativity through a series of fun projects. Working with paper crafts, drawing, and painting, students learn to observe, depict, and most of all, to enjoy expressing themselves artistically!
This course can be adapted to groups of elementary through high school ages; mediums used, exercises, and art/artists studied will suit age-group.
Creating Comic Books!
Students will learn all aspects of the comic book, from content to creation to production. This class will discuss popular titles, trends, and the full spectrum and tradition of comics, from small serial publications to exquisite graphic novels. As they learn about storylines, design, inking, coloring, and lettering, students will create their very own comic book!
Anime/Manga
This course studies anime and manga (Japanese animation and comic books). Now a household name, this art form combines vivid expression and meticulous design with extraordinary storylines. The class learns about the use of themes, imagery, culture, and the history of anime and manga, from the beginnings of the anime wave to current popular series and films being shown in Japan. (Please note: all studies and materials will be age-appropriate).
Cartooning
Anyone can be a great cartoonist! The careful placement of lines and shapes is taught in this class, such that students can break down what they see into funny and familiar cartoons. Students learn to draw cartoon people, animals, situations, and scenarios using easy-to-learn, effective drawing methods and tricks.
Fashion Design 101
If fashion is your passion, then Fashion Design 101 is the class for you! Appropriate for true beginners, this class studies the principles of design and color, and how to apply them in one's own style. Students illustrate textiles, work with fabric swatches, render technical sketches, and learn couture embroidery and lacing. They design their own garments via numerous fun "challenges" - assignments in the vein of Project Runway that ignite creativity. Fashion design fuses imagination, artistry, and panache!
Digital Photography
Learn how to use a digital camera and to edit photos using a computer. Practicing techniques such as framing and exposure adjustment, students have the opportunity to practice their skills taking pictures both indoors and outdoors, uploading the images and editing them in a personal, journalistic, or artistic style.
Experimental Sculpture
Experimental Sculpture teaches the principles of sculpture and relief, and then allows the students to explore molding and sculpting with various media, such as aluminum and wire. Students will create their own works as well as a collaborate work for their final project.
Ceramics
Students in this class discover the exciting world of clay! Basic hand-building techniques teach the students how to create their very own clay objects and simple pottery.
Introduction to Polymer Clay
Welcome to one of the most popular and versatile of crafts. Students learn how to make beads, millefiori canes, jewelry, figurines, hair ornaments, picture frames, amulets and more. Students can even assemble larger pieces from the smaller ones they have created.
Found Art
With some everyday materials and a lot of imagination, students create one-of-a-kind sculptures. Students collect an array of fun objects – such as feathers, beads, plastic objects, rocks, shells, and paints, among others – that they will transform into complete and meaningful works of art.
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Dance
Hip-Hop
Hip-Hop is an upbeat and energetic dance form which builds self-esteem while lending all the benefits of physical exercise. This class teaches dance moves from films such as the High School Musical movies as well as from other sources, and the latest improvisations on basic urban-themed dance. In learning movement and dance, students develop body awareness, coordination, and improve their self-expression and confidence.
Classical Ballet
Open to all students, our ballet focuses on beginner techniques and basic principles of traditional ballet. In addition to learning the art of ballet, students also learn discipline and coordination. Posture, flexibility, musicality, and integration of basic movements such as turnout, strength, and line are major tenets of the course. Many of these concepts may be applied to other dance styles; therefore, students are encouraged to take ballet in conjunction with other dance classes.
Dance With Me!
Designed for boys and girls ages 5-7, this is a fun way to build self-esteem and coordination through rhythmic exercise. Children attain improved self-expression, confidence, and comfort in body movement.
Jazz I
Jazz I is an introduction to this dance style that is a foundation for all modern dance movements. The class is highly recommended for students interested in joining a dance or cheerleading team and is sure to improve overall flexibility, coordination, and athleticism.
Jazz II
Jazz II is for students with previous ballet or jazz experience. This class is designed to hone students' overall dancing skills and broadening their shown talents. Students will also develop their kicking, turning, and leaping skills.
Tap
Tap dancing is a fun and excellent way for children to get exercise and learn rhythm. This program is designed for children of all ages. Students learn the fundamentals of tap dance while improving their coordination and self-confidence. Tap is easy and enjoyable!
Modern Dance
This class introduces the basic elements of contemporary dance. Using compositional exercises and improvisation, students explore space, time, energy, and body awareness, while concurrently developing technical skills, including alignment, balance, strength, and endurance. Open to children of all ages.
Ballroom Dance
As media like Mad Hot Ballroom, Take the Lead, and Dancing with the Stars suggest, ballroom dancing is not just for people in retirement homes! Ballroom dancing is a great way for anyone to learn how to dance, develop self-confidence, and improve social skills. This class introduces students to various social ballroom dances including Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Rumba, Swing, and Cha-Cha.
African Dance
This vibrant dance and culture class involves two types of African rhythm, one that is high energy, and one with a slower pace. Along with learning the techniques used in each of these types, students also gain familiarity with the environments and contexts where these dances are performed (including weddings, naming ceremonies, festivals, etc.). The different modes of dress for both types will also be discussed.
Fun With Improv!
Children explore space, body locomotion, differentiation of body parts and simple rhythms. Younger children learn self-control, body awareness, class structure, tempo, and breadth of movements. More experienced dancers have the opportunity to expand their range of motion, articulation, and locomotion while putting movements together to express ideas.
Sizzling Salsa
Salsa dancing is an exciting and energetic way to stay fit, have fun, and build self-esteem. Lessons regarding choreography and technique develop students’ sense of rhythm, tempo, and body articulation, while building habits of positive attitudes, respectful behavior, stress management, and social skills. Open to students age 11 through 18.
Lyric Dance
The lyrical dance form can best be described as a mixture of both jazz and ballet dance traditions. The focus of this program is on control, musicality, balance, and expression. Those who love both jazz and ballet will certainly enjoy and benefit from this class.
Interpretive Dance
Movement is our first language. This course teaches students to translate particular feelings and emotions, human conditions, situations, or fantasies into movement and dramatic expression. This course also discusses the origins, cultural influences, rhythms, movements, meaning, and intonations of traditional ethnic dance, essential to the evolution of contemporary dance. Through interpretive dance, students are able to express that which truly exceeds word.
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Music
Turn It Up! – An Appreciation of Music
From Bach to rock, country to hip-hop, students will listen to, interpret, and appreciate a variety of musical pieces and disciplines. They will experience melody and rhythm as they progress and evolve through the ages. This course celebrates music as a powerful art with the capacity to heal, calm, energize, and excite!
Change-Ringing on Hand Bells, Developed by Dr. Ann Martin
If you enjoy the sweet chiming of bells and rhythmic patterns of rounds, this class is for you! Change-ringing is a medieval art created in England in the 16th century. You may have heard bells sounding in change-ringing patterns in footage of a Royal Wedding. The essence of this art is striking a set of bells – any number from 6 to 12 – repeatedly in different orders according to pre-established patterns. The only prerequisite for learning this art is a good sense of rhythm and an ability to count to ten backwards and forwards. The class may include a field trip to the Washington Cathedral or the Old Post Office Tower at 12th and Pennsylvania.
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Drama
The Passion of Theater
Step out of your skin and inhabit the life of a new character! In this course, students will scale the heights of their creativity as they portray different personalities through classical and method acting. The class is highly interactive and a great builder of self-esteem. Join us as we put on a theatrical production to entertain parents, teachers, and friends.
Fun With Improv!
Learn the art of dramatic improvisation in this exciting and animate class. Through games and cooperative activities, students learn the fundamentals of performance while gaining confidence and having a great time. This class teaches students to think on their feet and enhances their interpersonal and group skills, which will serve them on and offstage, alike!
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Hand-Crafts
Creative Hand-Crafts
This class is designed for the novice, teaching the basics of crocheting, knitting, macramé, sewing, and quilting. Students will be able to add some pizzazz to plain items or make a one of a kind accessory. Additionally, students will have a chance to learn more about the techniques that interest them the most.
Crochet
Crocheting is an art form that, for hundreds of years, has been implemented in creating useful and beautiful things. In this class students will learn to chain and practice the single crochet stitch, and to make patterns using just these two basics. They will then expand their knowledge to double and triple crochet stitching, and will be able to make handbags, afghans, beautiful edgings, and many more items!
Crazy Quilting
Learn a modern twist on an art form that has been around since the Victorian Era! Crazy Quilting is a blast, and makes good use of fabric scraps of all sizes and textures. Students will start by making several small items, and then learn to apply the techniques in creating decorations, pillow tops, or even start their own quilt. Crazy Quilting can also be used to trim clothing (patch pockets) or use like fabric to make clothing (vest).
Knitting
Learn how to knit! Hear the ooh’s and aah’s of friends and family when presenting them with a hand-knit gift, or fashioning a beautiful item for your own wear. This is a class for the true beginner, teaching students the basics of the knit stitch and casting on as they create a draw-string bag. (An added bonus is making the twisted drawstring and adding fringe!) Students will then knit a hat as they master the purl stitch and understand how to ‘increase’ and ‘decrease’. Then, with the guidance of the instructor, students will pick out a pattern of their choice to match their level of skill.
Puppet and Mask-Making
Children design and assemble their own masks and puppets, based on themes of personality, animals, culture, and more. Fun materials such as feathers, paint, papier-mâché, fabric, and sequins are used to ignite imagination!
Jewelry Workshop
Make your own jewelry in a hands-on introduction to this exciting and creative art form. Students make professional-looking beaded jewelry using a variety of materials. Among the items created are earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pins, and rings.
Beadwork and Beyond
Create fun and fashionable jewelry through the art of beadwork and embroidery. Students learn the history and origin of the craft. They design their own line of accessories, which may include a denim bag, hat, shirt, or even jeans.
Hemp, Beads & Friendship Bracelets
This class is a great way to impress your friends, and to create something to share with them. Students will create beautiful necklaces, bracelets, and accessories using hemp string, embroidery floss, and beads.
Yarn Club: Knitting
For beginner and intermediate students, this course teaches the ins and outs of knitting. The techniques learned include purling, circular knitting, and using multiple yarns. Students knit colorful hats and scarves, while more advanced knitters can apply their knowledge to new and challenging projects. Students may explore techniques such as felting, modular knitting (patchwork-style squares), using beads and entrelac (basket weave knitting).
Beginning Sewing
So – a needle pulling thread! Designed for beginners, students work from the ground up, learning to cut, mark, press, and use tools and varied stitches. When students have solidified their knowledge of these fundamentals, more advanced pursuits can begin, and may encompass sewing-machine work. Projects include creating placemats, pillowcases, decorative pillows, and other useful and attractive items.
Scrap-Booking
Enter the fun, creative world of this popular new fad. Scrap-booking is a great way to document life, expand and express creativity, and preserve dear memories. Using photos, mementos (such as ticket stubs, drawings, pictures, poems) and art supplies (feathers, stickers, glitter, etc.) students learn how to cut, glue, arrange, and decorate a book to present their life-stories to the class.
Creative Felting
Felt-making is a unique and fun medium to learn. The course covers the basics of this ancient technique, including flat felting, felting on a ball, surface design and sculptural elements such as handles and appendages. Students learn to create their own hats, bags, and other items.
Nature Crafts
Discover all the fun things that we can create just by visiting the great outdoors. From picture frames bound of sticks to beautiful leaf rubbings to sculptural collages, see what nature has to offer!
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