(a) General requirements. Students may fulfill fine arts and elective requirements for graduation by successfully completing Musical Theatre, Level IV (one credit). A suggested prerequisite is Musical Theatre, Level III 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 and lead theatrical, dance, and vocal music preparation and warm-up techniques;
    (B) arrange stage movement in a musical theatre performance;
    (C) choreograph various dance genres such as ballet, tap, jazz, ballroom, and Broadway in a musical theatre performance;
    (D) develop effective use of voice and diction in spoken dialogue to effectively express thoughts, feelings, and actions;
    (E) develop appropriate singing technique in vocalized solo and ensemble repertoire to effectively express thoughts, feelings, and actions;
    (F) model professional audition techniques such as musical selection, monologue performance, dance and movement, and the relationship between accompanist and performer;
    (G) perform a multi-dimensional character from a musical incorporating singing, dancing, and acting; and
    (H) collaborate effectively with all artistic partners in a musical theatre production.
  (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) model appropriate safety measures in vocalization, dance movement, and theatrical movement;
    (B) defend creativity as it relates to self and ensemble in musical theatre;
    (C) analyze characterization in musical theatre styles;
    (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, and physicalization;
    (F) create and sustain believable characters through acting, singing, and dancing; and
    (G) 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 research, rehearsal plans, technical designs, blocking, choreography, and solo and ensemble musical numbers; and
    (C) cast and direct 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) conduct concentrated studies on historical and cultural influences on and developments in musical theatre;
    (B) justify musical theatre as an original American art form;
    (C) depict musical theatre as a reflection of life in particular times, places, and cultures; and
    (D) defend 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) evaluate and practice appropriate audience behavior at various types of performances;
    (B) defend musical theatre as a creative art form;
    (C) compare the nature of musical theatre elements to other musical media;
    (D) appraise self and peer performance using constructive criticism;
    (E) evaluate 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 to build a resume or portfolio.

Source Note: The provisions of this §117.322 adopted to be effective July 28, 2013, 38 TexReg 4575