Visual and Performing Arts

Express yourself like a Tiger.

Art has the potential to expand and transform every Tiger in miraculous ways. Many NDB students share their artistic skills with their peers and have an opportunity to teach others. Some students arrive feeling as if they are not creative, only to find an opportunity to unleash a talent they had only imagined! NDB students explore a variety of artistic mediums including drawing, painting, printmaking, dance, theatre, video production, photography and graphic design. No matter what career our students choose, whether it be the arts, education or medicine, NDB’s Visual and Performing Arts program empowers students to learn to express themselves and utilize design thinking that can be applied to all aspects of life.

Arts Concentration

Launching with the Class of 2028, the Arts Concentration immerses students in creative expression in the classroom, on the stage and in the studio. Students explore historical and cultural meanings of art to intensify visual perceptions. Students gain insight into the technical processes involved in the production of art while they learn how to both express and create something greater than themselves, in and out of the classroom.

Who is an Arts Tiger?

An Arts Tiger doesn’t quite “fit the mold,” their expansive mind wildly beautiful and unique. Quirky, imaginative and creative, the mind of an Arts Tiger is visionary. Whether they are drawing a scene created from the depths of their mind or acting out the experience of a charismatic, complex character in a play, an Arts Tiger is expressive and dynamic. Unapologetically innovative, an Arts Tiger paints their own path and expresses themselves without limitations.

Arts Concentration Students Develop:

An understanding of art history
Skills to conduct the technical processes involved in the production of art
Confidence to express themselves in innovative ways
Exposure to all facets of film; language, genre and visual and narrative structures
Creative self-expression

Courses and Opportunities

AP and Honors Courses

Electives

Additional Opportunities

AP Studio Art students (both 2D and 3D Art) achieved 100% pass rate on AP Exams, exceeding CA and global scores!

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The Luggage Project

“'What would you take with you if you had to leave home and could only take three things?' This was the question asked of beginning sculpture students at Notre Dame Belmont by sculpture teacher, Ms. Kuntz. Students designed a piece of luggage with three meaningful objects to place inside. For many, thinking abstractly posed a challenge. How would you show your love for your family without depicting one’s family? From a childhood tree growing up and out of a suitcase, to a row of houses and three teacups—the photographs exhibited represent the work of Notre Dame Belmont students who challenged themselves to think beyond the obvious.

Read the full Article at SFO Museum

The Mannequin Project: Fashion as Sculpture

Fashion is in the eye of the beholder. This Sculpture II assignment asks students to bring fashion and sculpture together using found materials based on a personal theme. Each of the final art pieces displays a vision of the world we live in.

Fall Play "As You Like It"

Spring Musical "The Addams Family"

Tri-School Productions

Live theatre offers the best of both worlds to students who are interested in the performing arts and in technical design. Tri-School Productions students shine on stage and unleash their creativity by participating in the fall play and the spring musical. There are numerous opportunities to act, sing, dance and help by building sets, sewing costumes, and working on lighting and sound.

Explore the Tri-School Advantage

NDB InStep Dance Company

The NDB InStep Dance Company provides a professional dance experience for students like no other. Students choreograph numerous dances that are performed for the school community, at Open House and more.

An Evening of the Arts

An Evening of the Arts features 15+ live performance pieces by the InStep Dance Company and dance levels I-IV and an art and sculpture showcase.

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Career Examples:

Choreographer

Graphic designer

Photographer

Videographer

Actress

Dancer

I have been an international recording artist and touring musician for 20+ years. I have released 11 albums and have toured all over the world. Notre Dame gave me the confidence I needed to find my voice. When I used my voice to speak up about issues and values that I held dear, I found great support among my classmates - the bonds between us were incredibly strong thanks to the community spirit encouraged by NDB. Those members of faculty who supported me as I used my voice made me feel safe, seen and loved during those years when a young adult is most vulnerable. I have needed to trust in my voice as I make my way through a male-dominated industry, as I find the courage to put pen to paper and compose music and words, and as I step on stage and perform my work in front of thousands of strangers.

Participating in classes and extracurricular activities such as Orchestra, Video Production, and Tri-School Productions helped me develop a solid understanding of filmmaking and the roles music and storytelling play in that. At the same time, the rigor of my Honors and AP classes prepared me for managing multiple film projects, and the experience I gained in various leadership positions helped me navigate the collaborative nature of the film industry. Being involved in Performing Arts and leadership positions at NDB prepared me for my career as a film composer managing her own composing business.

I am appreciative of NDB’s variety and rigor of coursework, which prepared me for the next chapters in both education and life. The most important benefit of an all-girls education is a growing sense of confidence. By the time I graduated from NDB, I was ready to take on the world.