The Departments
The Summer Arts Conservatory is an advanced training program for students interested in exploring the curriculum utilized at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. The Summer Arts Conservatory utilizes a rotational class schedule very similar to the daily schedule utilized at LACHSA. In the mornings, ALL the students will attend 5 classes from each of the departments listed below. In the afternoons, students are divided into their chosen departments in which they will take 3 Conservatory Intensives.
CINEMATIC STORYTELLING
Mornings - All students
From writing screenplays and drafting scripts to drawing storyboards and framing shots, this course will give students the skills and technique required to create original stories for the cinema from both a written and visual perspective.
MUSIC VIDEO INTENSIVE
Afternoons - CA students only
In this project, students will begin to explore creating a narrative thread in their work. Using a song of their choice as a springboard for storytelling, each student will have a chance to strengthen their filmmaking skills.
COMMERCIAL INTENSIVE
Afternoons - CA students only
In the first week, students are given the opportunity to shoot an original digital commerical. From the initial storyboarding to the final cut, each student will learn the core principles behind creating an effective commercial.
SHORT FILM INTENSIVE
Afternoons - CA students only
With this final project, students are given the opportunity to construct a fully-realized digital short. Working in small teams, theory and practice are integrated at every step as the students plan, write, shoot, and edit a short film.
CINEMATIC ARTS
The Cinematic Arts Department is structured to teach the fundamental technical skills of digital film production. Students will study screenwriting, storyboarding, script breakdown, directing actors, cinematography, sound recording and editing. The department is project based with the students completing several assignments over the course of the session!
BIOMECHANICS
Mornings - All students
Designed to help students improve their physical coordination and spatial awareness, this class utilizes the movement theory of Meyerhold through a select combination of yoga, biomechanics and gymnastics.
BALLET INTENSIVE
Afternoons - Dance students only
This class covers classical ballet principles, technique, and terminology. Special attention is placed on developing strength, flexibility, and artistic interpretation while providing a foundation in classical movement.
JAZZ INTENSIVE
Afternoons - Dance students only
In this course, students will study the style, choreography and technique of jazz in order to develop a deeper understanding of the historical cultural context in which this uniquely American dance form evolved.
CONTEMPORARY INTENSIVE
Afternoons - Dance students only
This class serves as an introduction to contemporary dance as an expressive medium, building technical skills at the beginning level. Pattern variations are analyzed in time, space, design, and kinetic sense.
DANCE
The Dance Department is designed to train young dancers into powerful and expressive artists with the skills and versatility to perform in multiple dance genres. With daily classes in ballet, biomechanics, jazz, modern and hip hop, students are encouraged to appreciate and care for their bodies though proper conditioning, dance technique, rest and nutrition.
MUSICAL THEATRE
Mornings - All students
In this course, students will have the chance to study and perform selected musical theatre songs. Additionally, students will explore proper vocal technique and learn how to correctly support the voice while maintaining pitch, tone and resonance.
CLASSICAL INTENSIVE
Afternoons - Music students only
This class is designed to introduce the students to a wide range of classical choral music. Special attention is given to certain compositional elements of music, such as tonality (major, minor, and modal) and functional harmony.
MUSIC THEORY INTENSIVE
Afternoons - Music students only
In this class, students will have the chance to study basic music theory including staff notation, note and rest values, time signatures and tempos, major and minor chords, key signatures, the circle of fifths, intervals, triads and scale degrees.
JAZZ INTENSIVE
Afternoons - Music students only
Students are given the opportunity in this class to train and perform in the genres of gospel, blues and jazz. Emphasis is placed on building a jazz ensemble while developing solo techniques including vocal improvisation.
MUSIC
The Music Department allows students focus on the acquisition and development of proper vocal technique. Through a combination of scales and breathing exercises, the students will strengthen their ability to correctly support the voice while maintaining pitch, tone and resonance. In addition, the fundamentals of music theory and staff notation are taught utilizing ear training and visual aids.
IMPROVISATION
Mornings - All students
Centered around classic improv games, this class focuses heavily on imagination, creativity and "impulse dialogue". Students are strongly encouraged to free associate ideas and words to avoid "overthinking" the situation.
SCENE STUDY INTENSIVE
Afternoons - Theatre students only
In this course, students are given a concrete technique for creating a character using the text and their imagination. Specific attention is placed on script analysis, emotional characterization, vocal production and organic movement.
STAGE COMBAT INTENSIVE
Afternoons - Theatre students only
In this class, students will learn how to safely engage in armed stage combat using rapiers, cutlasses and broadswords with an emphasis on maintaining proper distance, targeting, footwork and "combat characterization".
AUDITION INTENSIVE
Afternoons - Theatre students only
This class provides students with the skills and confidence to successfully audition. Students will focus on contemporary and classical monologues, cold reading technique, resume construction and industry expectations.
THEATRE
The Theatre Department is designed to provide a multi-dimensional experience that captures the breath and depth of theatre as an art form and exposes students to a wide range of theatre genres. The program emphasizes individual growth and personal discovery while building confidence through daily classes in scene study, monologue work and stage combat.
DRAWING
Mornings - All students
This drawing lab course integrates fundamental drawing principles (including composition, value, structure, contrast, line, shape, pattern, space and rhythm) with an emphasis on building a formal visual vocabulary.
PAINTING INTENSIVE
Afternoons - VA students only
Students are introduced to the fundamentals of painting with special emphasis placed on technical procedures, tools and materials. Conceptual and formal concerns are addressed to help students implement their ideas.
THEORY/HISTORY INTENSIVE
Afternoons - VA students only
MIXED MEDIA ARTS INTENSIVE
Afternoons - VA students only
This course provides a broad survey of art history beginning with ancient and medieval art, continuing through the Renaissance and baroque period up to the impressionists, pop art, minimalism and modernism.
This class presents techniques for creating layers, layer effects, painting, blending and color modification. Different mediums will be used to gain a deeper understanding of various art forms and materials artists can work with.
VISUAL ARTS
The Visual Arts Department provides visual art students with critical skills and techniques in various media while focusing on concept exploration and ideas. Students will enjoy a diverse curriculum of classes including Drawing, Painting, Mixed Media Arts, and Theory/History. At the end of the session, students will have the opportunity to exhibit their work!