Special arts classes require applications and auditions

LILY O’GORMAN Editor in Chief

Episcopal is well known for its Fine Arts Department–with classes from ceramics, dance, and moviemaking to, you named it, newspaper, there’s just about nothing you can’t do on the grounds of this campus.

Some students, though, who want to go above and beyond in the arts, opt to take special, exclusive application/audition only arts classes. These classes offer more advanced and curated opportunities for students to hone their craft in both the visual and performing arts.

On the performing arts side, the Dance Program offers multiple audition only classes: Advanced Dance, Repertory Dance, and IMPACT Dance Ensemble. Each has differing prerequisites, with some classes requiring participation in the fall dance concert, preseason training, or performances at pep rallies.

EHS Onstage, Episcopal’s renowned theater program, similarly provides an exclusive opportunity for student actors with its MASQUE Acting Ensemble. The class consists of only upperclassmen, and emphasizes leadership in the Theater

Program, writing and performing original material, and perfecting specific acting skills.

On the visual arts side, there is a wide-ranging buffet of classes. To start, Portfolio Development offers students the chance to build a portfolio of original art in preparation for college applications or other arts opportunities beyond the Episcopal Campus. ETV, Episcopal’s advanced moviemaking class, allows upperclassmen to write, direct, and produce their own short films, music videos, documentaries, and more.

Students in photojournalism (PhotoJ/ Team Photo) take crucial photos of school events, sports games, and more for use in The Hexagon (yearbook,) the school website, The Knight Times, and other schoolwide publications. Finally, in the Publications Department, two rival classes battle for dominance: yearbook and newspaper. The Hexagon produces an incredible award-winning yearbook each year, focusing on graphic design, deadline management, and page layout skills. The Knight Times, the school newspaper, creates a paper each month, emphasizing journalistic writing skills, interview and research, and deadline management.