About Us
ACADEMIC & ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE!
Our goal for the Academy of the Visual and Performing Arts is to provide our students with a solid foundation in the arts through a sequence of academic courses, career exploration opportunities and inspiring interactions with fellow students, faculty and professional artists.
Engagement in the visual and performing arts deepens students’ overall knowledge and skills, as well as their social and emotional development. Research shows that students involved in the visual and performing arts are more successful in school, more involved in their communities, and perform better on standardized tests.
The Visual & Performing Arts Academy at Coral Reef Senior High School offers six strands of specialization: Band, Chorus, Dance, Orchestra, Theatre Arts, and Visual Arts; and is comprised of actors, singers, dancers, musicians, and artists who strive for excellence in academics and creative expression, in a nurturing family atmosphere. Students spend two hours each day over a four-year period immersed in the theory and practice of their particular discipline. Extensive art, sculpture and photography labs, dance and music studios, and black-box theatre serve as settings for our academy students. Our professional arts teachers all share in the same endeavor: to further the training of career-minded arts students and produce life-long learners who respect and appreciate the role of the arts on the lives and the life of our community. With diligence and application, students develop their maximum potential!
About Our Staff
We provide intellectually stimulating and educationally challenging classes in the arts for students who, through the audition and portfolio review process, demonstrate a talent in a particular art form
Our Services
Students and teachers engage in a continuous exchange with numerous opportunities to develop and showcase their talents.
Audition Guidelines
“Academic & Artistic Excellence”
DANCE - Applicants will:
- bring a one page résumé of their dance experience and attach one picture of themselves, not to exceed 5x7. (Please put your name on your picture.)
- participate in a ballet class, modern across the floor and jazz combination.
- perform a short solo dance, not to exceed 1 minute. The solo may be from classic or contemporary repertory or be an original work composed by the student or his/her teacher. Each student must provide his/her own music on a Smart Device.
- demonstrate acceptable proficiency on a dance terminology survey and be interviewed individually.
- wear appropriate dance attire for the audition. Do not wear sweats or jewelry. WOMEN – Leotard, tights and ballet shoes. Hair in a secured slicked back bun. MEN – Black tights or pants, solid white T-shirt and dance shoes.
THEATRE – Applicants will:
- bring a one page résumé and attach one picture of themselves, not to exceed 5x7. (Please put your name on your picture.)
- participate in a practical session including theater games and improvisations. Students are advised to use creativity.
- perform a memorized monologue from a published theater work. This monologue must not exceed 1 minute and should be reflective of the applicant’s age group. Judges will be looking for naturalness, honesty, vocal projection and focus.
- be interviewed individually.
- demonstrate acceptable proficiency on a theater terminology survey.
- Optional: Sing 16 bars from a Broadway Musical (a cappella) and/or bring a technical theatre portfolio.
VISUAL ARTS – Applicants will:
- bring a one page résumé including a brief Artist Statement and attach one picture of themselves, not to exceed 5x7. (Please put your name on your picture.)
- bring a portfolio containing ten examples of their best independent artwork using a variety of media. No cartoons/anime.
- bring a sketchbook reflecting the range of their independent artistic explorations.
- participate in a studio session which will test their ability to draw from observation and imagination with a variety of media.
- be interviewed individually.
CHORUS – Applicants will:
- bring a one page résumé and attach one picture of themselves, not to exceed 5x7. (Please put your name on your picture.)
- perform a memorized song of classical or Broadway style. The song must not exceed 2 minutes. Pop/jazz is not appropriate.
- sight-sing using numbers, fixed or moveable “do” or neutral syllable.
- show proper vocal technique and good stage presence.
- provide one of the following: accompanist, CD or Smart Device which contains only the musical accompaniment for the solo.
- demonstrate acceptable proficiency on a music fundamentals examination.
- dress professionally/business casual and be interviewed individually.
ORCHESTRA (Strings only) – Applicants will:
- bring a one page résumé and attach two pictures of themselves, not to exceed 5x7. (Please put your name on your picture.)
- perform two contrasting classical solo pieces of music (no etudes). The selections should be Grade Two or higher from the Florida Orchestra Association list or Suzuki Book Two or higher. Bring two copies of your selections to the audition.
- perform a two or three octave major or melodic minor scale with arpeggio. (Student’s choice)
- sight-read music of average difficulty.
- demonstrate acceptable proficiency on a music fundamentals examination.
- be interviewed individually.
BAND (Instrumental-Winds and Percussion) – Applicants will:
- bring a one page résumé and attach one picture of themselves, not to exceed 5x7. (Please put your name on your picture.)
- Brass and Woodwind applicants will perform one solo Grade 2 or higher from the Florida Bandmasters Association list. (Solos can be found at www.flmusiced.org/fba). Please bring two copies of your selection to the audition.
- Percussion applicants will perform a solo Grade 2 or higher on Snare Drum and a solo Grade 1 or higher on a Mallet instrument. (Solos can be found at www.flmusiced.org/fba). Please bring two copies of your selections to the audition.
Percussion applicants will also be asked to demonstrate the following Basic Rudiments: Paradiddle, Flam and a Long Roll (24 counts at Metronome Marking = 80 beats per minute) with a Crescendo and Diminuendo.
- Brass, Woodwind and Percussion applicants will perform the following types of scales:
(Percussion applicants will perform on mallets):
- A) Six scales and arpeggios, (in concert pitch) by memory: F, Bb, Eb, Ab, G and C.
- B) One two-octave chromatic scale by memory (in concert pitch) starting on F, Bb or C.
5) sight-read music of average difficulty. Percussion applicants will sight-read on mallets.
6) demonstrate acceptable proficiency on a music fundamentals examination.
7) be interviewed individually.
Note: All students in the Band program are required to participate in the marching band. Sports and Clubs are encouraged; however, Band Magnet rehearsals and performances take priority. The Barracuda Marching Band rehearses two days per week until mid-November.
Follow Coral Reef’s Visual & Performing Arts Academy @reefvpa
Contact Us
Lead Teacher
Ms. Martha Cabrera
marthacabrera@dadeschools.net
305-232-2044 ext 2121
Office Hours
A-Days: 7:20am – 2:20pm
B-Days: 7:20am – 2:20pm
Counselors
Mrs. Shari Gayton
Counselor for VPA Art and Dance
sgayton@dadeschools.net
305-232-2044 ext. 2115
Office Hours
A-Days: 7:20am – 2:20pm
B-Days: 7:20am – 2:20pm
Ms. Maite Lopez
Counselor for VPA Band, Chorus, Drama and Orchestra
malopez@dadeschools.net
305-232-2044 ext. 2106
Office Hours
A-Days: 7:20am – 2:20pm
B-Days: 7:20am – 2:20pm