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Douglas Anderson School of the Arts

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Douglas Anderson School of The Arts
School type Public
Homepage http://www.educationcentral.org/dasota/

Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (commonly referred to as "DA") is a magnet high school in the Duval County (Jacksonville, Florida, United States) school system. The school first opened in the 1930s as a traditional school for African-American students. Over the years, it also served as a Sixth and Seventh Grade Center. Douglas Anderson became an arts school in 1985. It is currently the #1 arts high school in America.

Academics and arts

Students take traditional high school courses such as English, Biology, etc., while concurrently attending arts classes as part of a specific arts program. The "arts areas" in which a student may major are Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Technical Theater, Film/TV, Visual Arts, Piano, Guitar, and Vocal Music. Students are accepted to the school based on auditions offered in the spring of each school year. A number of AP (Advanced Placement) and honors classes are also offered in numerous academic areas. In addition to excelling in their chosen course of artistic study, students are expected to maintain an at least average G.P.A. or they can face probation and/or eventual expulsion.

Music

The Douglas Anderson Music Department offers private and group instruction as well as band, choral, and orchestral ensembles. Performances throughout Florida and the nation occur on a regular basis. The DASOTA Jazz Ensemble I under the direction of Ace Martin has recently won first place in the 2006 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival in NY. Other honors include the Symphonic Band being invited to play at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Festival in 2000 under the direction of Tom Haller. The DASOTA Chorus is under the direction of Jeffrey Clayton. The Orchestra is under the direction of Brian Griffin. The jazz band was also featured in the award winning documentary "Chops." The film followed the jazz band on their journey to the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival.

Creative writing

The Creative Writing Department at Douglas Anderson offers Creative Writing, Editing, Poetry Portfolio, Fiction Portfolio, Editing, Journalism, and Creative Non-Fiction, among others. The department was opened in 1990 and in 2006 became one of the last to receive its own building. The Creative Writing department produces a literary magazine, Elan, and the school newspaper The Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Improviser.

Film/TV

The Film/TV department, established in 1997, is the newest department in the school. Here students can shoot, edit, and produce films and television. The studio is equipped with a state-of-the-art green screen for visual effects. The DA Production company is hired to produce a variety of local videos.

Performance/Musical/Tech Theatre

The Performance/Tech Theater department has existed since the school's inception. With a state-of-the-art theatre, as well as a modern 'black box' theatre, students have all the trappings of a professional theatre. The department averages four shows a year, including a children's show, a musical or Shakespearean play, and a contemporary piece. The course of study includes acting, technical theater, and theater history classes, as well as electives such as Stage Movement, Stage Combat, Plays and Playwrights, Art History, Voice and Dialect, Acting for Camera, Intro to T.V. Film, Issue Base Theatre, Directing 1 and 2 and Musical Theatre. The tech department allows students to assist in design, technical direction, and creation of costumes, props, and sets. The performing theater majors and tech majors are expected to prepare juries at the end of each school year that show their growth over the course of the year. The jury also determines if the student can continue into the next acting level. Students also have the opportunity to visit and compete at the Florida State Thespian Convention, held annually in Tampa, Florida. Furthermore a group of students from Douglas Anderson serve on Work Crew for Florida State Thespians. Work Crew is an organization of students who help organize Florida State Thespians and every year they help run the festival. Douglas Anderson also offers Musical Theatre as a major. This program allows students to enter as either a Theatre, Vocal, or Dance student. Then in their second year all the classes are integrated into their schedule.

Visual arts

In this arts area many students take part in drawing, painting, sculpting, photography, printmaking, and art history. Gallery openings occur throughout the year to showcase the students' talent.

Dance

The Dance department offers many different classes to about 150 students. There are seven dance levels: Dance 2, Dance 3, Dance 4, Dance 5, Dance 6, Dance 7, and Dance Theatre. The two performing groups, Tap Ensemble and Dance Theatre, require an audition to join. Dance majors study everyday with a rotating schedule of modern and ballet/pointe classes. The Dance department also offers electives such as Dance Production I and II, Jazz, Dance Career Prep, Research, American Musical Theatre, Dance Aesthetics, Variations, and Ethnic Dance. Also, all dancers are required to complete a Choreography credit during either their Junior or Senior year.

Design

The school's design utilizes a variety of colors, a "tin" design, and oddly shaped buildings [1]. Some interesting features of the campus are the rotunda, the office area, the sculpture garden, the art gallery, the vocal building, and the theater.

One of the most popular and unique aspects of Douglas Anderson were its courtyards, which featured trees and grass.[citation needed] The courtyards were a popular place for students to congregate during free time; seniors had a courtyard designated solely for them. However, a construction and renovation project led the destruction of the courtyards in 2003, despite protests from the students and unflattering articles in The Improviser.[citation needed]

Notable alumni

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