Student Life

The Arts Program

The Arts Program at Trevor

Trevor’s arts curriculum develops in students a broad vocabulary for different means of expression, and provides the tools to develop their own unique and creative voice. At every grade level, arts are an integral part of the academic program at Trevor. Courses in visual arts, dance, music, and theatre arts ignite a lifelong passion for the arts and for creative expression.

To complement the robust curriculum, Trevor offers students a range of unique opportunities in each of the arts divisions, such as:

  • Choreographing sophisticated, technically demanding performances in Trevor’s iconic dance concert: Choreolab.
  • Singing the National Anthem to a packed crowd at Citi Field.
  • As a Middle School visual art student, juxtaposing the ancient art of mosaics with modern-day coding for graphic design.
  • Studying with accomplished directors to produce collaborative, professional-level performances.

Visual Arts

The visual arts program at Trevor is built upon the following beliefs: All students are inherent artists at individual levels of development, and taking risks in pursuit of artistic expression has a positive impact on every aspect of a student's growth. Throughout their Lower School experience, students explore a variety of media—including collage, drawing, hand sculpting with clay, and painting. Techniques are developed, creativity is nurtured, and students have the opportunity to showcase their growth at grade-level art shows. Middle and Upper School students further develop their artistic process through courses in a wide range of mediums including ceramics, drawing and painting, mosaics, photography, stained glass, and video production. The annual spring Art Show is a powerful culmination of a year-long creative process.

Music

Trevor believes an appreciation for music is integral to students’ growth and development and plays an important role in the school day. In the Lower School, students benefit from the Orff Schulwerk approach to building musicianship, and participate in a wide range of music-related activities including singing, ear-training games, and playing rhythm and pitched instruments. The curriculum also includes drama games, creative movement, and folk dancing. Recorder study begins in 3rd grade, and in 4th and 5th grades, students are learning how to read music.

As students advance to Middle and Upper School, they have the opportunity to learn a wind, string, or percussion instrument and advanced vocal techniques are also taught. The Upper School program offers both open-admission ensembles and higher-level auditioned groups in instrumental and choral music. Throughout the year, there are assembly-based and off-campus performances.

Choreolab

Dance

In the Lower School, the study of dance is woven into the overarching Orff Schulwerk approach to building musicianship through the integration of music, movement, speech, and drama. Such blending contributes to a child's physical, social, musical, and artistic development.

Choreography is at the core of Trevor's Middle and Upper School dance program. In composing dances, students create movement, learn movement, and respond to the movement of others. This three-part approach allows for a deeper understanding of dance, a context for self-exploration, and the opportunity for students to give form to their inner experiences.

Middle School dance students are introduced to the fundamentals of technique and the basic elements of dance composition. Projects are designed to explore time, space, and energy—guiding students towards dance making. All Upper School dance students take a combination of classes in contemporary dance technique as well as improvisation and dance composition. Both serve to enhance the development of a personal movement vocabulary to use in a variety of choreographic methods.

Choreolab, the annual student dance concert for students in 7th–12th grades, is a unique showcase of the department’s vision and the students’ talent and ingenuity. Participating student choreographers create dances—from the germination of an idea to writing a proposal, auditioning student dancers, conducting rehearsals, and performing for an audience. Choreolab is an opportunity for students to explore the creative process and develop their capacity for leadership and collaboration.

Theatre Arts

The Theatre Arts Department provides an inclusive environment and a toolbox of skills from which to explore the creative process, build characters, collaborate with fellow students, and forge a relationship with the audience.

In the Lower School, the study of Theatre Arts is woven into the overarching Orff Schulwerk approach to building musicianship through the integration of music, movement, speech, and drama. Additionally, as part of their MiniTerm studies, 4th and 5th graders have the hands-on experience of staging a musical performance each winter. Recent productions have included The Little Mermaid and Seussical the Musical.

Within the Middle Upper School, Theatre Arts courses include drama, lighting and sound, and theatre production. The program strives to educate each student for creative freedom and artistic excellence. Middle School students stage an annual musical, the crowning event of their MiniTerm study. In addition to performing, students choose between classes in costume design and styling, light and sound, pit band, and set design and props. Recent plays have included High School Musical and Mary Poppins. In Upper School, students produce two plays each year—a dramatic production in the fall and a musical in the spring. Recent productions have included Chicago, Romeo & Juliet, Godspell, and The Secret in the Wings.