Las Vegas Academy

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The Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts, commonly referred to as L.V.A., is a magnet high school located in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. Boasting the area's top performing facilities and faculty/administration, L.V.A. attracts high school students who are serious in their commitment to the arts. Students are accepted through an audition process and claim a "major" pertaining to performing arts, visual arts, or foreign languages [see "Majors" Section]. Many alumni of L.V.A. are seen acting on television, films, and stages, and heard in prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and the White House [see "Notable Alumni" section]. The school, for its achievements, has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards. Zoned in the Clark County School District, L.V.A. is located on South 7th Street, 89101.

Las Vegas Academy
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
Information
Principal Stephen Clark
Enrollment

1455
Type Magnet School
Campus Las Vegas
Mascot Majors (Civil War era)
Color(s) Teal, Silver, and Black
Established 1992
Homepage [1]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Las Vegas High School

The Las Vegas Academy's campus is located at the original site of Las Vegas High School, which was constructed in 1930 and opened in the fall of 1931. Las Vegas High was the first high school in Las Vegas but caused much controversy at the time for its location. In the early 40's, the High School was considered to be quite distant from the rest of the town and was a commute for some students. The school originally was comprised of three buildings, the tri-level Main building on the corner of 7th and Bridger, the Gymnasium, and a third building that was torn down in 1950. Las Vegas High School is now a landmark in Las Vegas for it represents the best of the Art-Deco Style Architecture of the 1930s. The school's outer appearance has been maintained but the interior has been changed quite a bit since the original construction in the 30s. The building is scheduled to be repainted back to its original "rust" color in the summer of 2008.

[edit] Las Vegas Academy

In 1992, the Clark County School District began to plan the magnet school for the arts, and on August 23, 1993, Las Vegas High School was reopened as the Las Vegas Academy by founding principal Bob Gerye (now the principal of Spring Valley High School). Starting with 735 students, the student body has more than doubled and continues to grow with each passing year. Now there are currently over 1100 students attending this nationally accredited magnet school for the arts and whom of which are currently pursuing majors in the performing/visual arts and international studies.

[edit] Theatrical Venues

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The Las Vegas Academy has three performing venues.

  • Performing Arts Center (Commonly referred to as the "PAC")

The Performing Arts Center is the original theater, built in the 1950s and rumored to be haunted by the ghost of Mr. Petrie (whose identity is unknown). It has 1427 seats, and features art deco façade and old ceramic sculptures on the walls. This building is one of the oldest performing arts structures in Las Vegas. Recent renovations have made the building safe and user-friendly, and includes winch motor electrics, newly renovated stage floor, theatrical lighting, rigging and sound systems. The PAC is also used locally as a rent able theater for various ceremonies and productions as required. There are rumors that there are goats living under the stage to entertain the ghosts.

  • Las Vegas Academy Lowden Theater for the Performing Arts

The Lowden Theater [or The Theatre for the Performing Arts] began construction in 2004, and was completed along with the Visual Arts building in time for the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year. The theater is unique and designed specifically with the needs of Las Vegas Academy in mind. Amenities include a theater technologies studio and computer lab, as well as a fully equipped shop and yard for construction. The stagehouse features a full fly system, extensive trap and link lift orchestra pit, and a fully-enclosed dark maple orchestra shell. There are two large dressing rooms and a green room that functions also as a communal makeup room. The soaring lobby espouses a modern art deco theme, which ties the old architecture from around the campus into the clean lines of modern utilitarianism. The Lowden Theatre was named after 2 Las Vegas art veterans, Rob and Sue Lowden.

  • Academy Theater Black Box

Located at Vocational Hall on corner of 10th & Lewis the Black Box theater is a versatile and intimate space that was recently renovated. This renovation has allowed to be a performance space as well as a classroom when no production is performed. Several of the theater class showcases take place in the Black Box, as well as the Studio Series introduced in the 2006-2007 school year. The Black Box features a wooden floor, a wall of mirrors, and a complete Z-bar riser system which allows for many arrangements and anywhere from 40 to 150 seats, depending on the needs of the show at hand. It is not one of the most commonly used venues at the Academy as far as theatre productions come.

[edit] Majors

The Las Vegas Academy boasts a selection of majors for which students audition and then focus on throughout their four years alongside standard academic coursework. Students go through a selective and comprehensive audition process in order to be admitted to the Academy. Along with a successful audition, in order to receive a successful admittance to the Academy, a student must have a grade point average [GPA] to a 2.0 or higher and must either be in 8th grade or higher [other than 12th graders].[1] The major areas study are:

Dance- introduces students to a wide range of dance experiences and activities that will enhance basic movement technique and creativity. Instruction is given in modern dance, ballet, jazz, and ethnic dance, as well as choreography, creative movement, dance history, and improvisation. The classes go from Technique and Theory I to Elements of Dance II. There are dance electives for students who are not dance majors in which students can take instead of gym class. [2]

International Studies- provides students with an instructional program that is appropriate to the student’s potential and individual style of learning. Integrated areas of study include foreign language, geopolitical understanding, multicultural appreciation, and knowledge of world regions. The language programs incorporate total immersion in the student’s target language with cultural aspects of those linguistic regions. The subcategories in the international studies major are French, Japanese, Spanish.

Music- allows students to participate in comprehensive activities that include instruction in brass, guitar, percussion, piano, strings, vocal, woodwinds, basic musicianship, history, music technology, theory, and world music. Students have the opportunity to participate in bands, guitar ensembles, madrigals, Mariachi ensembles, mixed choirs, orchestras, jazz ensembles, piano ensembles, wind ensembles and small ensembles in both rehearsal and performance settings. The subcategories of the music majors are:

  • Choir- The choir program is a program for 180 of Las' Vegas most talented vocal students. There are four choirs in which students can audition can place into: Women's Chorus(for freshman who were successfully admitted onto the Academy), Advanced Women's Chorus(upperclassmen placement as audition at end of freshman school year only), Advanced Mixed Choir (upperclassmen. It's a mixed choir with both boys and girls.), and the Las Vegas Academy Singers(upperclassmen. [3]
  • Band- There are several band programs at the Academy, jazz band, chamber band and symphonic band. Students get to go on several trips through the school year. The bands are divided up into three skilled placement sections: Varsity 1(freshmen and a successful admittance to the Academy), Varsity 2(sophomores or freshman who successfully placed in this level of playing) and Varsity 3(juniors and seniors or freshman/sophomores). During the 2007-2008 school year, the Varsity 2 and Varsity 3 band majors attended a music festival in Santa Fe, New Mexico.[4]
  • Guitar- The guitar program at the Las Vegas Academy contains 86 of the most talented guitar players in the Las Vegas valley. The guitar program was started in the 2002-2003 school year with current guitar instructor and of the Las Vegas Academy Music Department, Bill Swick. As with the band program, the guitar program also contains a Varsity 1(freshmen and a successful admittance to the Academy), Varsity 2(sophomores or freshman who successfully placed in this level of playing), and Varsity 3 level(juniors and seniors/upperclassmen).
  • Mariachi- The mariachi program at the Academy is one of the less known majors at the Academy. Most of the Academy students who are admitted into an acceptance play music from mariachi literature during several of the mariachi concerts during the school year. The mariachi program contains students from all over Clark County who play in a mariachi ensemble with either a violin/viola, guitar/guitarron, or trumpet. [5]
  • Orchestra- The orchestra program at the Las Vegas Academy is one of the most select and premier orchestras for some of the most talented orchestral students in the Las Vegas Valley. Students also receive the opportunity to play in the Las Vegas Youth Orchestra.There are currently four levels of orchestras at the Las Vegas Academy. Students play music from orchestra literature during their various orchestra concerts during the Academy school year. (one orchestra in fall, one orchestra in spring, one orchestra in winter).[6]
  • Piano- The piano program is the major program of choice for piano players. The piano program at the Las Vegas Academy has three levels of piano classes for each individual student at the Academy. There's Beginner's Piano for students with beginning piano playing skills, Intermediate Piano for students with intermediate piano playing skills, and Advanced Piano for students with Advanced Piano playing skills. [7]
  • World Jazz Studies- The World Jazz Studies program works in syncopation with the band program and contains students for three very select and premier jazz bands in the country. Students go through a rigorous and competitive audition process in order to be admitted to the Academy. Jazz students have played for George W. Bush and other very well known people in society. There are three levels of jazz bands: Jazz 1, Jazz 2, and Jazz 3. They also currently work in conjunction with Anita Brown, the jazz musician composer. Students study 10 hours.[8]

Theatre contains two components, Acting and Theatre Technologies. *Academy Theatre, the name of the Las Vegas Academy Theatre Thespian Troupe has produced several celebrated productions throughout its 14-year history, including five productions staged at the International Thespian Festival, and now grows to be including The School Premiere Edition of Sweeney Todd which will be shown at the International Thespian Festival in this June of 2008. [9]

  • The Acting component provides an overview of theater and gives participants many opportunities to perform, from small classroom scenes to major productions. Basic acting skills are developed through improvisation, movement, and exercises for the actors. Acting students learn a broad cross-section of theatre theory and philosophy, and work toward placement in strong college theatre programs throughout the country. The Acting program at the Las Vegas Academy is noted and known nation wide as one of the best high school performance programs in the country. Recent productions at the Academy include Sweeney Todd, Cats, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Little Women, The Grapes of Wrath, Miss Saigon, Once On This Island, Les Miserables, Jekyll and Hyde, Execution of Justice, and The Laramie Project
  • The Theatre Technologies component provides students with training in lighting, sets, sound and design for productions held in both large and small venues. Using various forms of technology, and class work that centers on proper terminology, safety and backstage procedure, technical theatre majors develop and build computer skills necessary for the entertainment world. Internships with Celine Dion Associates, as well as partnerships with other companies in Las Vegas, such as the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas, provide real-world insights and experience and professional contacts. Students work with many technical theatre tools in the classrooms and on the sets of plays.
  • Visual Arts- offers young artists personalized instruction and in-depth studio experiences in drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, computer graphics, textiles, sculpture, ceramics, aesthetics, art history, and videography. Visual Arts majors participate in various art shows throughout the school year in order to showcase their various art works to the general public and community. The three subcategories within the Visual Arts major include Broadcast Journalism, Visual Design and Photo. [10]

[edit] Notable Alumni

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Music:

  • Shaffer Smith: R&B artist, also known as Ne-Yo.
  • 702 (band): female R&B trio.
  • Leah Dizon: former import car model, currently a singer in Japan.
  • Raymond Sicam III, cellist: performed in groups for icons like Celine Dion
  • Isabel Castelvi, cellist: performs with contemporary ensembles
  • Alexandria Le, pianist: international competition winner

Film/Television