(a) General requirements. Students may fulfill fine arts and elective requirements for graduation by successfully completing Musical Theatre, Level III (one credit). A suggested prerequisite is Musical Theatre, Level II or by audition.
(b) Introduction.
  (1) The fine arts incorporate the study of dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts to offer unique experiences and empower students to explore realities, relationships, and ideas. These disciplines engage and motivate all students through active learning, critical thinking, and innovative problem solving. The fine arts develop cognitive functioning and increase student academic achievement, higher-order thinking, communication, and collaboration skills, making the fine arts applicable to college readiness, career opportunities, workplace environments, social skills, and everyday life. Students develop aesthetic and cultural awareness through exploration, leading to creative expression. Creativity, encouraged through the study of the fine arts, is essential to nurture and develop the whole child.
  (2) Four basic strands--foundations: inquiry and understanding; creative expression; historical and cultural relevance; and critical evaluation and response--provide broad, unifying structures for organizing knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. Through the foundations: inquiry and understanding strand, students develop a perception of self, human relationships, and the world using elements of drama and conventions of theatre. Through the creative expression strand, students communicate in a dramatic form, engage in artistic thinking, build positive self-concepts, relate interpersonally, and integrate knowledge with other content areas in a relevant manner. Through the historical and cultural relevance strand, students increase their understanding of heritage and traditions in theatre and the diversity of world cultures as expressed in theatre. Through the critical evaluation and response strand, students engage in inquiry and dialogue, accept constructive criticism, revise personal views to promote creative and critical thinking, and develop the ability to appreciate and evaluate live theatre.
  (3) Musical Theatre will expose students to a wide range of on-stage performance disciplines, including acting performance, vocal performance, and dance performance. The course will also provide an atmosphere in which students benefit from a teaching and learning experience in these performance disciplines of musical theatre. Students will receive comprehensive and rigorous instruction so that they may make informed choices about the craft, college, and the profession. The course will enhance and cultivate the creative gifts of each student while encouraging a sense of self-confidence. The course will enable students to study and perform the varied styles of musical theatre with special attention to the principles of stage movement, stage vocal technique, stage choreography, acting, characterization, and other aspects of a musical production.
  (4) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
  (1) Foundations: inquiry and understanding. The student develops concepts about self, human relationships, and the environment using elements of drama, dance, music, and the conventions of musical theatre. The student is expected to:
    (A) create theatrical, dance, and vocal music preparation and warm-up techniques;
    (B) develop stage movement, pantomime, and dance skills in various genres such as ballet, tap, jazz, ballroom, and Broadway;
    (C) develop acting techniques in song, dance, and spoken dialogue;
    (D) model professional audition techniques such as musical selection, monologue performance, dance and movement, and the relationship between accompanist and performer;
    (E) analyze the dramatic structure of musical theatre;
    (F) perform a character from a musical incorporating physical, intellectual, and emotional dimensions;
    (G) collaborate effectively with all artistic partners in a musical theatre production; and
    (H) employ the language of musical theatre such as stage terminology, elements of musical theatre, or theatrical conventions.
  (2) Creative expression: performance. The student interprets characters through acting, singing, and dance using voice and body expressively and creates dramatizations called for in a musical script. The student is expected to:
    (A) apply appropriate safety measures in vocalization, dance movement, and theatrical movement;
    (B) appraise creativity as it relates to self and ensemble in musical theatre;
    (C) create and sustain believable characters through acting, singing, and dancing;
    (D) model proper voice usage and correct vocal production skills such as vocal placement, vocal phrasing, vocal tone production, and vocal consistency in a performance situation;
    (E) analyze lyrics of a song as a monologue, dialogue, or ensemble scene for interpretation, characterization, vocalization, and dance; and
    (F) collaborate to produce material related to musical theatre such as monologues, scenes, lyrics, or choreography to convey meaning to the audience through live performance or other media forms.
  (3) Creative expression: production. The student applies design, directing, choreography, and musical theatre production concepts and skills. The student is expected to:
    (A) model safe and effective use of technical elements of musical theatre;
    (B) create musical production plans such as rehearsal plans, technical designs, blocking, choreography, and solo and ensemble musical numbers;
    (C) demonstrate responsibility and creative problem solving as a leader in one or more areas of musical theatre or musical media production such as actor, director, choreographer, and musical director; and
    (D) collaborate with others to perform a role such as actor, director, choreographer, designer, technician, and editor in a musical theatre or musical media production.
  (4) Historical and cultural relevance. The student relates musical theatre to history, society, and culture. The student is expected to:
    (A) articulate historical and cultural influences and developments on musical theatre;
    (B) examine the historical development of musical theatre as a uniquely American art form;
    (C) experiment with contemporary forms of musical theatre such as new composers and their composition styles, multicultural styles, practices and principles of contemporary musical theatre, and popular musical theatre;
    (D) defend musical theatre as a reflection of life in particular times, places, and cultures; and
    (E) articulate the influences of musical theatre forms such as theatre, television, and film on past and present society.
  (5) Critical evaluation and response. The student responds to and evaluates musical theatre performances. The student is expected to:
    (A) model appropriate audience behavior at various types of performances;
    (B) defend musical theatre as a creative art form and evaluate self as a creative being;
    (C) evaluate the interdependence of all musical theatre elements such as dramatic spoken text, vocalized text, dance, costuming, set design, lighting, and sound;
    (D) evaluate self and peer performance using constructive criticism;
    (E) discuss musical theatre, musical film, or other musical media using precise musical theatre vocabulary;
    (F) experiment with a career opportunity in musical theatre, musical film, or other musical media and analyze the training, skills, self-discipline, and artistic discipline needed for personal success;
    (G) relate musical theatre skills and experiences to higher education and careers outside of the theatre; and
    (H) document and present information in a clear and coherent manner using technology in a resume or portfolio format.

Source Note: The provisions of this §117.321 adopted to be effective July 28, 2013, 38 TexReg 4575