Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts (Utah)

Academics

The academics program is designed to be a full and comprehensive college preparatory course. Class offerings include four possible years of math credits and an honors alternate; four years of English credits and corresponding honors courses; a three 1/2 credit hour history curriculum; five possible science credits; and assorted technology, health, and social science courses.

In 2007, Tuacahn was selected as Innovative Charter School of the Year. In 2010, it was selected as Outstanding Charter High School. In 2011, math instructor Christi Hall was selected by Utah State Office Education as Outstanding Charter School Teacher in Utah.

Academies

Due to the fact that Tuacahn High School is an arts-specialty high school, there is an opportunity to graduate from an "academy" specializing in a category of the arts. These include an Actor Training Academy, Dance Academy, Music Academy, Musical Theater Academy, Tech Theater Academy, and a Visual Arts Academy.

Actor Training Academy

The Actor Training Academy at Tuacahn seeks to provide the foundations for theatre actors through a four-year curriculum. The academy mentor is Kyle Lewis, a theatre actor and director with over 25 years of experience in a variety of projects including full scale classic musicals, Shakespeare, and both traditional and experimental plays. The actor training program at Tuacahn provides not only a four-year curriculum but also a multitude of possible acting experiences. Theatre Foundations I acts as an introduction to the fundamentals of drama for beginning actors with little to no previous acting experience. Theatre Foundations II focuses on the development of skills used in the performance of modern plays. Theatre Foundations III focuses on the further development of classic theatre skills including improvisation and Shakespeare performance. The final class in the curriculum, Theatre Foundations IV, seeks to prepare students with the skills necessary for the college and eventually professional work in the field.

In a normal school year, the Actor Training Academy puts on one or two stage plays, takes a Shakespeare production to the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and sometimes performs at other small events.

To graduate from the Actor Training Academy, students must complete all four Theatre Foundations classes and two additional elective courses.

Dance Academy

The Tuacahn Dance Academy seeks to further the technical and performance ability of its students to a high level. Jennifer Dail, Bachelor of Dance Performance from Southern Utah University and Master of Dance from University of Wisconsin, is the mentor of the Tuacahn dance academy. She teaches a Dance History course, and a three-level dance course that provides instruction in a variety of styles including ballet, jazz, tap, and modern. Dance I provides an introduction to basic dance technique to those with little to no previous dance experience. Dance II is a continuation of the course that seeks to further skills needed for dance performance including strength, flexibility, endurance, coordination, and total fitness. Dance III, or Advanced Dance, continues with the development along with the extension of the dancers' vocabulary and knowledge of history.

Dance Company is Tuacahn's premiere, audition-only group. Along with being a continuation of the skills developed in previous experience, students are required to choreograph a dance for one of the concerts through the year.

The Dance Academy puts on two concerts throughout each school year, in fall and spring. In both concerts, pieces choreographed by the students themselves are performed.

To graduate from the Dance Academy, students must complete the following: Dance I courses, Dance II courses, and four additional elective courses.

Music Academy

The music program at Tuacahn is separated into two categories: vocal and instrumental music.

Vocal

J.P. Kentros, the vocal music mentor, double majored in Music Education and Theatre Education at SUU. The vocal music program consists of four choirs and a Vocal Techniques class. The choirs include Concert Choir, a mixed choir that serves as the foundation for beginners; Radiante, the advanced women's choir; Men's Choir, the advanced men's choir; and Madrigals, the top advanced audition-only a cappella choir. All of the choirs are directed by Kentros. Under his direction, the choirs have consistently scored high in competitions and perform often. Some of these awards include first place at the 2011 Shakespeare Festival Madrigal competition and second place in 2012 and 2013.

In a normal school year, the vocal music division of the Music Academy has a concert series theme with four performance series. The choirs attend regular competitions and the Madrigals choir usually goes on one or two tours. The choirs usually perform at several other small events such as at the St. George Tabernacle or the St. George Temple lighting.

The choirs participate in two or three major competitions every year. The Madrigals attend the annual Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City. They tied for first in 2010, won first in 2011, placed second in 2012, and tied second in 2013.

Instrumental

Jason Bonham, the instrumental music mentor, is the principal violist of the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra. He has worked in several symphonies including the Chicago Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, and the Milwaukee Symphony. At Tuacahn, he directs two ensemble groups and a String Techniques class. The ensembles include Tuacahn Strings, a beginners' non-audition orchestra; Wind Ensemble, an ensemble course for wind, brass, and percussion; and Titan Chamber Orchestra, an elite, audition-only orchestra that showcases the top string players of Tuacahn High School.

Brenna Powell is a teacher at Tuacahn who is the director for the Wind Ensemble and the Jazz Band.

Dave Andersen, Master of Music Performance, and Bachelor of Music Education from UNLV, directs the guitar program at Tuacahn. He teaches a Music Theory course and directs three guitar ensembles. Beginner Guitar Ensemble provides an introduction to guitar for those who have never had any previous guitar experience. Intermediate Guitar Ensemble attempts to further the students' technical and performance level. Titan Classical Guitar is an audition-only ensemble that attempts to further the technical skill of the students and provide them with a variety of style experience.

In a school year, there are two main concerts for the instrumental music academy. The ensembles also participate in yearly competitions and other possible small events. As of the 2013-2014 school year, members of the instrumental music academy also participate in stage productions when instrumental music is needed.

To graduate from the Music Academy, students can take, and repeat, any ensemble class and any other elective courses to reach a total of six elective courses.

In the 2013-2014 school year, the Chamber Orchestra and the Madrigals Choir learned "The Sunrise Mass" by Ola Gjeilo, a four-movement mass. Together, the group toured Seattle and performed concerts in Nordstrom Recital Hall.

Musical Theatre Academy

The Musical Theatre Academy seeks to help students excel to the highest point in singing, dancing, and acting all at once, creating a "triple-threat." Kyle Lewis, the actor training mentor, and J.P. Kentros, the vocal music mentor, are co-mentors for this academy. The academy classes consist of three main classes. MDT I is an introduction to the "triple-threat" curriculum and seeks to teach students the basics of using the music, dance, and acting to tell a story. MDT II is the intermediate course that seeks to take students to an advanced level in musical theatre. Hyperion is an audition-only course designed to prepare students for a professional career in music.

The Musical Theatre Academy puts on one or two stage musicals and at least one on the Tuacahn Amphitheatre Stage. Early in the year, MDT students participate in a Renaissance Feaste to showcase the Actor Training academy's Shakespeare monologues and production. There are also two yearly showcases, one at Christmas and one at the end of April.

To graduate from the Musical Theatre Academy, students must complete the following courses: Theatre Foundations I, Theatre Foundations II, MDT I, and three additional elective courses.

Tuacahn High School's 2014 production of South Pacific broke all previous box office records for a high school show opening night, selling over 1,100 tickets. It was also the first production from the high school to feature a full pit orchestra.

Theatre Tech Academy

The technical theatre program at Tuacahn is divided into two subcategories, technical theatre and theatre construction/maintenance.

The technical theatre academy, instructed and run by Tyler Stubbs, emphasizes instruction on the electronic side of technician training, namely audio, electrics/lighting, and visual learning, as well as stage etiquette and stage management. Select members of the technical theatre program participate yearly in the SUU Shakespeare Festival Tech Olympics.

To graduate from the Theatre Tech Academy, students must complete the Theatre Foundations I and II courses, the Technical Theatre I and II courses, Fashion and Interior Design, and one additional elective course.

Visual Arts Academy

The Visual Arts Academy seeks to take students to their highest artistic performance and artistic best, whether in painting landscapes, portraits, or even modern expressive artworks.

Steven Stradley, the Visual Arts Academy mentor, has a bachelor's in art education from USU and a Master in Fine Arts in Painting from MSU. His artwork has been featured in exhibitions throughout Utah and Michigan.

The visual art academy provides a number of classes including an Art History course designed to provide a complete overview of all visual arts through history. Painting Technique mainly emphasizes the use of color and other processes, including opaque painting. 3D Art & Sculpture is a one-year course designated to introduce students to the skill of creating three-dimensional works of art. Fashion and Interior Design is a one-year class that focuses on fashion design, interior design, color themes, and portfolio creation.

Aimee Bonham is the other visual art instructor at Tuacahn. She has a Bachelor in Fine Arts from BYU. Bonham's abstract works have been featured in many exhibitions and her street paintings have been featured worldwide. She teaches all but one of the drawing courses at Tuacahn. Drawing I and Drawing II provide a means to develop to an advanced level of creativity, technique and originality.

To graduate from the Visual Arts Academy, students must complete Drawing I, Painting Technique, Art History, Fashion and Interior Design, and two additional elective courses.

Clubs

A variety of clubs provide additional activities, both academic and artistic, for the students.

Art Club

The Art Club at Tuacahn lets students participate in art activities such as the Kayenta Street Painting Festival and other art festivals in southern Utah.

Drama Club

The Drama Club at Tuacahn provides participation in extra-curricular activities such as "BLAST!", an activity in which student playwrights write a play in 12 hours and student directors are given a cast and must direct the play in another 12 hours before it is performed that night.

Film Club

Film Club is in charge of recording life at Tuacahn High School, including dances, theater productions, dance concerts, and music concerts.

National Honor Society

National Honor Society is part of a national society of students devoted to the ideals of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. The club holds various activities and service projects throughout the year.

Star Wars Club

Star Wars Club is a club for students who are fans of science fiction and/or fantasy.

Video Game Club

Throughout the year this club holds meetings where its members play a variety of genres of games.