Dance - Garrison Forest School, Inc.

Dance - Garrison Forest School, Inc. Dance Garrison Forest School offers an exciting and eclectic dance program for Middle and Upper School students with multiple opportunities to perform in the 401-seat Garland Theater. Home to a chapter of the National Dance Honor Society, GFS offers dance companies in both Middle and Upper School, as well as opportunities for younger dancers to learn more. We are proud to be home to a chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, which celebrates the artistic merit, leadership and academic achievements of exceptional dance students. Upper School Middle School Lower School Beginner and Intermediate dance classes are offered during the academic day for an Art or PE credit while Advanced Dance continues to be a staple of one of our after school activities. Dancers build strong technique, confidence, and artistic self-expression through three levels—Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced/Company—in styles including contemporary modern, ballet, jazz, and lyrical. Performance opportunities include informal showcases and full two-evening concert productions each May. As part of an exploratory arts program, 6th, 7th and 8th Graders collaborate on structured creative movement exercises that follow the National Standards for Dance guidelines. Students are introduced to some of the basic technical vocabulary of contemporary dance, ballet, lyrical and jazz styles. While dance in the Middle School focuses on basic ballet, modern, and jazz technique, young artists are also given the opportunity to explore their choreographic and artistic voice. At the end of each semester, all dance students perform as part of the season Middle School arts showcase. Students wishing to further explore dance can audition for the Middle School dance company, Blue Adage. As part of the 4th and 5th Grade Physical Education curriculum, all students do a rotation of riding, polo and dance that provides a foundational understanding and appreciation of three of our signature offerings for older students. 5th Grade dancers showcase what they’ve learned during the seasonal performing arts programs. All Lower School students can participate in the annual performance of Nutcracker in the Forest, a GFS take on the holiday classic. This has quickly become a beloved community tradition in the winter. Director of Dance Fondly known by her dancers as Ms. Heather, Heather Malone-Wolf brings passion, artistry, compassion and a wealth of experience to her role. Prior to joining the faculty at Garrison Forest School in 2014, she danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, North Carolina Dance Theatre, the Oakland Ballet and the Nashville Ballet, among many others. Heather graduated from Baltimore School for the Arts and attended Mercyhurst College before joining the Dance Theater of Harlem and going on to become the first African-American Clara in the Oakland Ballet's Nutcracker. She is co-founder of the Independent Dance Network for independent schools. Explore the Arts From first marks to final masterpieces, visual arts at GFS nurture creativity, exploration, and expression. From first notes to advanced ensembles, music at Garrison Forest fosters skill, creativity, and community at every grade level. On stage or behind the scenes, theater at GFS sparks creativity, confidence, and collaboration.