The Dance Department at ACMA has multiple mission objectives.
- First, the department teaches dance to all students within the school, serving as the core physical education curriculum for the entire school.
- Second, the department educates students within the school and throughout the Portland area for an appreciation of dance art.
- Third, the department trains pre-professional dancers in professional operations and practices.
Dance West is a performance dance company, the pre-professional training ground for students who come to Arts & Communication Magnet Academy with a desire for in-depth technical study and performance experience. The company is comprised of dancers ages 13-19 who have auditioned for placement in the school. A daily schedule, which includes core academic study, dance technique classes, and a two-hour rehearsal where dancers learn a repertoire of diverse concert works, is required of each student. With this intensive training, the students begin to understand the commitment necessary to pursue dance as a career.
Students who audition and are selected for the company make a full-year commitment to attend daily technique classes and company rehearsals. Performance opportunities in the form of lecture demonstrations, special event fundraisers and business or industrial shows, give the students outlets for developing their technical and presentation skills. Concert tours and lecture demonstrations provide the dancers with the opportunity to experience life in the professional world of dance. A staff of skilled audio and lighting technicians, costume designers and guest choreographers further enhance this educational process.
Master teachers, with extensive dance careers, bring a professional approach to the classroom by sharing a wealth of experience to aid serious minded dancers in achieving their goals for professionalism. The company’s repertoire is selected to reflect history, cultural diversity, human spirit and artistry, and contains renowned choreographic works set for Dance West by guest artists from around the world.
ACMA has been recognized as a “Star” School by the International Network of Performing and Visual Arts Schools; a Magnet Schools of America “School of Merit”; received “Exceptional” ratings on the Oregon State Report Card almost every year since 2001; and was named the top high school in the state and one of the top high schools in the nation by U.S. New & World Report in 2008. Administrators and teachers at the Academy work on the cutting edge of education, preparing students for life in the 21st century. The rigorous arts-infused academic curriculum, enhanced with specialized professionals, provides unique opportunities for our students. They experience the kind of education that prepares them with life-long skills necessary for success in higher education and in their chosen career path.