PERFORMING & VISUAL ARTS

Middle School Choir & Orchestra NAIS Conference Performance

Dawson belongs to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), a non-profit that co-creates the future of education by providing services to more than 2,000 schools and associations of schools in the United States and abroad. The NAIS Annual Conference was held in Las Vegas this past February, and our Middle School choir and orchestra students were honored to perform two songs, “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King and “A Million Dreams” from the movie The Greatest Showman

3rd-Grade Musical Music Matters

The third-grade music curriculum uncovered why music matters to each student individually and how it helps us connect with others. This musical performance further allowed students to Level Up their learning through the exploration of popular songs with two-part harmonies and the meaning behind the lyrics. Students were challenged to make a connection with one concert song and write about their experiences, which then served as the introduction to the songs during their performance.

1st-Grade Musical A Tale of a Shark

A Tale of a Shark is based on the children’s book The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark . Song selections are from the Rat Pack era and included fun tunes by legends Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darrin, and Dean Martin.

EC-8 Spring Sing-A-Long

This all-school sing-a-long was held in celebration of Dawson’s commitment to Leveling Up and the desire to dream big through different genres and styles of music selected by Dawson students. Songs included “Let it Go” from the movie Frozen, “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus, “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars, and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell. Students also saw a special performance by our new Bears Band, an ensemble of musically talented faculty and staff. This event was a super joyful experience for our community!

Community Arts Expo

This celebration of Dawson’s student artists welcomed families to campus to enjoy displays of student artwork throughout the hallways of our campus from Early Childhood through the eighth grade, as well as live musical performances from our middle school choir and orchestra students.

5th & 6th-Grade Acting Showcases

Our fifth and sixth-grade theater acting students took the stage by storm during the second semester! Fifth grade performed Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Middle School (But Were Too Busy Being Stuffed in a Locker to Ask) , a comedy guide to middle school, and sixth grade performed Bestest Bedtime Stories As Told By Grandpa ( Who Messes Them Up ), a fun twist on childhood fairytales. The students flourished on stage and off, building their talents and gaining the confidence to share their voices.

Middle School Choir & Orchestra Dream Big Concert

This was Dawson’s first-ever combined choir and orchestra concert! Our Middle School students showcased their talents during a special spring celebration of music and collaboration. Building upon the skills they learned during the first semester, our fifth through eighth-grade students continued to perfect their work as individuals and as an ensemble. Our students find a lot of reward through public performances, which includes culminating concerts that allow them the chance to express their passion for music, singing, instruments, and community.

Early Childhood Spring Showcases

All five Early Childhood classes participated in developmentally-appropriate spring musical showcases that fostered self-esteem, creative thinking, and teamwork. They learned new songs and played bells, and this was their first time taking the stage in the Music Building to perform in front of a live audience. Additionally, students each chose their roles for the performances, and the classes were involved in all of the preparation for the shows, including design and creation of their costumes, save-the-dates, backdrops, and programs. The springtime theme complimented students’ second-semester studies of the life cycle of bugs and butterflies.

7th & 8th-Grade Musical Performance of The Wizard of Oz

This stage adaptation of the classic movie was a fun opportunity for our musical theater students! The timeless cast of characters were exciting roles for our seventh and eighth-grade students. And for the first time, our fifth and sixth-graders were thrilled to be cast as supporting characters, including the Munchkins and the Flying Monkeys. The musical was complete with beautiful stage and prop designs courtesy of our tech theater students, digital backgrounds provided by our digital art students, and Flying Monkey drones provided by our aeroSTEM students.

Early Childhood Obliteration Room

Our EC students learned about artist Yayoi Kusama during the beginning of the second semester. She incorporates polka dots into all of her work, from painting to fashion, and creates installation areas called obliteration rooms. These rooms begin as a blank “canvas” with furniture and details all blended together in white.

Art teachers Kara Blais and Lony Klein created a similar room on campus, and as visitors happened upon the dedicated white space, they used polka dot stickers to decorate the area until it grew to become a unique explosion of color! It was an inspiring and calming space for everyone to enjoy.