Performing Arts Where Everyone Belongs

HB’s program instills creativity, passion and community

The explanation of how to have a “dancer’s body” is clearly outlined on the door as students enter the dance studio located in the Adelaide Cobb Ward ’51 Classic Building:

HOW TO HAVE A “DANCER’S BODY”

1) HAVE A BODY 2) DANCE

It is that same spirit of belonging that extends throughout the Performing Arts program at Hathaway Brown. All students are nurtured creatively and supported in their development as artists in music, dance and theatre. “We have a program that is broad and inclusive enough for any student to try something new,” says Laura Main Webster ’91, Performing Arts department chair. “And our program is also engaging for students who want to pursue opportunities beyond HB, including honors classes equal to those found at performing arts schools.” The Performing Arts program spans all ages on campus beginning in the Infant & Toddler Center through the Upper School years. “To have vibrant music and dance educators teaching at the youngest levels means that we are pedagogical and teaching to the whole arts life of a person,” says Webster.

Moving with Purpose

HB’s dance program is one of the oldest, continuously running programs in the country. Early Childhood students focus on creative movement and explore how their bodies move. It’s not unusual to see three and four year olds in dance class pretending to be sea creatures or riding around the studio on an imaginary pony. Primary School students focus on improvisation, technique and storytelling. A recent group of first graders were seen zipping up their imaginary astronaut suits, riding on an invisible spaceship, and thinking about how their bodies would float without gravity or how they would react to an alien invasion! “Students are invited, even at the youngest ages, to think creatively and to move with purpose,” says Jenny Burnett, dance teacher and co-director of Fellowships in Creative Arts. “We practice dancing using effortful qualities and give all students the opportunity to improvise during their dance classes.”

Middle School students focus on modern dance technique, heavier composition in small groups, creating solos and more emotional storytelling. Recent classes explored how students could express themselves in a healthy way through dance, whether that’s expressing rage through strong physical movements or calm through serene, gentle motions. In the Upper School, dance is an elective where students can focus on technique and choreography. “At the heart of Performing Arts in the Upper School is a commitment to student-driven work,” says Webster. “Students not only learn and study technical aspects of dance, they learn improvisation and composition, and create their own choreography.”

Learning the Notes

The Music curriculum is grounded in the historic Orff-Schulwerk tradition, a philosophy integrating creative movement, singing, and instrument playing. The program was started by Primary School Teacher Bea Alexander in 1975, and the faculty have carried on the tradition year after year. Today, HB is nationally recognized for how the Orff approach incorporates imitation, exploration, improvisation, composition and creative expression at all age levels. For example, students in Early Childhood and Prime begin their education with a chant or poem, patting the beat on their lap. Older students build on this with reading music, singing, and playing percussion instruments, xylophones and recorder. Modern elements are also incorporated with electric guitar and pop music. “Incorporating modern band music and instruments is a seamless next step in a student’s Orff-Schulwerk based music education,” says music teacher Chelsea Thiel. “It blends the tenants of the Orff approach with HB’s motto ‘We learn not for school, but for life.’”

Vocal artists in the Upper School are encouraged to write and produce their own music and students often publish their own albums on public music streaming sites. “HB gives students the space and classroom time to create, give feedback, produce and showcase,” Webster explains. Students can also explore a variety of performance styles, including the only solo jazz vocal program in Northeast Ohio. And the Bravuras, a small select ensemble, perform an advanced women’s choir repertoire while paying attention to sophisticated vocal techniques, aural skills and stage presence.

Strings Attached

Along with an extensive Middle School and Upper School Orchestra program, performing arts teacher Linda Simon-Mietus has a “meet the instruments” program for Primary School students where they can do eight week rotations to experiment with woodwind, brass, percussion and string instruments. Here, the early seeds are planted for the students to become musicians in the Hathaway Brown Orchestra program. The HB orchestra has performed in venues throughout Cleveland, collaborated with Cleveland Orchestra musicians, and serves as musical ambassadors of HB by making international tours including Chile, Hong Kong, Toronto and Ireland.

Finding Center Stage

For those that prefer behind the scenes to stage performances, there are opportunities in production and design. T. Paul Lowry is an award-winning technical theater artist who has both a career in professional theater and as HB’s technical theatre director. The production and design program often partners with STEM classes to find new ways to design and build. “When I approach projects, I don’t limit it to the theatre,” says Lowry. “What if you become a scientist or engineer? How can you connect with those different skill sets?”

Performing Arts at HB nurtures creativity in girls, instills passion, and strengthens the sisterhood among its students. “We are building a community in arts at every age level,” Webster says. “It’s important to have those strong bonds and I’m thankful to support our students as they build a lifelong relationship with the arts!”