Alcuin - Arts (Dallas, Booker: credit, theatre, middle school)

[rucha_kale06]

If we search for good schools for Arts, then Alcuin school, Dallas is highly ranked on niche for arts. Do they have good arts programs?

[barnicles]

Yes, Alcuin is considered 2nd in Arts only to Booker T Washington (the Arts magnet high school) for high school. They also have good arts programs in middle school and elementary school. This is from a perspective of overall arts education and the arts schools that the students are admitted to upon graduation. This does not mean that they excel in all age ranges at all different types of arts--- there are many years where students at Alcuin won't have the opportunity to work with some types of Art and some arts they never teach.

So they are wonderful overall, but if your child is drawn to a specific type of art (say, they are an excellent Cellist or only want to be a painter and have no interest in other types of fine arts), you might find another school is set up better for their specific art. For instance, Jesuit is a great place to be if your child is into Ceramics, as is St. Marks. TCA has an excellent Performing Arts/Theatre program as does Hockaday... etc. Booker T is wonderful for all kinds of visual and performing artists....

What fine/performing art are you curious about? I may be able to help as this is my background.

[rucha_kale06]

Thank you Barnicles for your reply with great information. My daughter is interested in singing, drama. She participates in musical theatre and drawing and painting for which she is taking private classes.

[rucha_kale06]

My daughter is accepted in Alcuin for 6th grade and is wait-listed for Hockaday.

[barnicles]

Theatre is great at Alcuin. She would have the opportunity to do some theatre during the next year as it's part of the curriculum for the 6th grade. She would have the chance to participate in the spring musical production, as part of the choir/ensemble, I believe. The roles go to high school students. The theatre director/teacher at Alcuin has broadway credits and is supposedly a wonderful teacher, director and person, although I don't know him personally.

Alcuin doesn't have quite the facilities for performing arts that Hockaday has, and that program at Hockaday is much older and more established, as the high school grades at Alcuin are a newer part of the school. Hockaday students likewise have several options to be involved in theatre in throughout Middle and High School.

Both schools have great facilities for visual artists as well- beautiful art studios which you may have seen upon touring. I think a child wanting to excel in either drama or painting would be well outfitted with great instructors, opportunities and facilities at both of these schools and I know students from both who have gone on to arts colleges and to have careers in the arts.

Of course for High School, Booker T Washington will be considered the best theatre as well as visual arts option (9-12) but it's not the only option if she wants to go to drama or art school for college, and it's not the right fit for every student. Also, if you don't live in DISD, it's nearly impossible to get into these days. From my perspective, if my daughter wanted to go to booker T and that was the main goal, I wouldn't move her at 6th and then again for 9th, as the transition from one of these rather small private schools to a big school like Booker T might be overwhelming.

If you are choosing strictly between these two and hoping to have your daughter continue through 12th, I would consider the type of student and individual she is. Middle and High school girls at Alcuin and Hockaday seem quite different creatures to me on the whole (and I have experience with both), and so I imagine one of the schools will feel a better fit.

Regardless, a student with interests like your daughter will certainly have the opportunity to excel and flourish at Alcuin. They do a phenomenal job with artistic types, from my experience there so far. I have been involved with schools all over the world and it is certainly one of my favorite if not my very favorite. There's a production of Beauty and the Beast coming up this spring and you could attend and see how the younger students are able to be involved in the high school production. Let me know if you have any more questions. You are welcome to reach out privately as well.