Top 10 Best Performing Arts High Schools In The USA

This is a detailed guide on the best performing arts high schools in the USA, I hope it helps you make the right choice of school.

Performing art is a term for arts performed before an audience. The art includes music, dance, and drama.

It is important for anyone who wants to become a performing artist to enroll in a good performing arts high school to become the best.

However, there are many performing arts high schools in the USA but in this article, we have carefully selected the top 10 best performing arts high schools in the USA to ease the stress of doing that yourself.

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10 Best Performing Arts High Schools In The USA

It is not all about getting enrolled in the best performing arts high schools in the USA, it’s all about an individual person having the zeal and passion for performing arts.

There are many things you need to consider before becoming a performing artist, after considering these things, you would then decide if you still want to become a performing artist or not.

The first thing you need to consider is the level of your interest in performing art, if you are not passionate about the field of study, and you are not ready to be committed, then you need to quit to avoid time and material wastage.

Secondly, you need to consider the branch of performing art you would be interested in. Think about what interests you, is it dance, drama, music, etc.

When you know what interests you, you would know the performing art school to enroll in because not all art schools offer all the branches of performing art.

Most performing arts schools are expensive, and you need to consider this before you fill out the admission form. Know your budget and if you do not have enough, you can save up to start or apply for scholarships.

It is important to know that you would be going for auditions as a performing artist, especially if you major in drama and you must be very creative and smart too.

After taking your stance on becoming a performing artist, it is important to consider the below best performing arts high schools in the USA.

1. Julliard School

Julliard school is one of the best performing arts high schools in the USA, it was established in 1905 and since then has become superior in performing arts education.

The school is located at Lincoln Center in New York City, it offers undergraduate and graduates degrees in dance, drama (acting and playwriting), and music (classical, jazz, historical performance, and vocal arts).

It also has an opening for high school students who are enthusiastic about performing art.

Julliard school is the best place for dancers, musicians, actors, composers, choreographers, and playwrights who want to reach the apex of their careers as artists, and leaders.

However, students at Julliard school appear in more than 700 annual performances in the school’s five theaters – Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully, David Geffen halls, Carnegie Hallas, etc.

The school is devoted to enlisting the most talented students regardless of their financial background and the school’s core values are excellence, creativity, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

2. Fiorello H LaGuardia High School of Music & Art

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art is one of the best performing arts high schools in the USA.

LaGuardia is a public magnet high school specializing in teaching visual arts and performing arts founded by Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia in 1936.

The school is the only specialized high school in New York City that receives special funding from the New York State legislature through the Hecht-Calandra Act.

It is also the only specialized high school that does not use the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) as an admissions benchmark.

However, many graduates from LaGuardia can further their studies in universities or conservatories after graduation.

3. Baltimore School for the Arts

The Baltimore School for the Arts is one of the best five public arts high schools located in Mount Vernon, Baltimore, Maryland, United States.

The school offer programs in dance, film, music, stage design and production, theatre, and the visual arts, and it combines a rigorous college-prep program with pre-professional training in the arts.

Students of Baltimore are taught by competent and working professionals and they spent a total number of four hours a day in art classes.

Students in this school do not only learn arts, but they also build skills such as collaboration, time management, discipline, and determination.

Their alumni are doing well for themselves as they are seen on broadway and television, in films, in major galleries, dance companies, etc.

4. Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts is a tuition-free public school operated by the Los Angeles County Office of Education, it is one of the best performing high schools in the USA.

The school was established in 1985 and it offers a specialized program combining college-preparatory academic instruction and conservatory-style training in the visual and performing arts.

The performing arts program of the school includes Cinematic Arts, Dance, Music, Musical Theatre, Tech Track, Theatre, Visual Art

Students at LACHSA after graduation are accepted through juried auditions into departments such as Cinematic Arts, Dance, Music, Theatre, or Visual Arts.

5. Walnut Hill School for the Arts

Walnut Hill School for the Arts is a private boarding school and day school for the arts located in Natick, Massachusetts, United States, it is one of the best performing arts high schools in the USA.

The school offers a transformational educational knowledge to artists in grades 9–12, it offers relentless training in dance music theater visual art, writing, film & media arts.

However, approximately 34% of Walnut Hill students receive need-based financial aid to enable them to complete their studies.

Students of this art school after graduation proceed to study at some of the most prestigious and selective colleges, universities, conservatories, and companies around the world.

6. Las Vegas Academy of the Performing Arts

The Las Vegas Academy of the Arts is one of the best performing art schools in the USA, it is located in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Las Vegas Academy of the Arts consists of four Arts conservatories which are Dance, Theatre, Music, and Visual Arts.

The unique programs of this school are designed to help students develop their artistic talents through learning and experiences.

The school has talented and competent teachers and students are accepted through an audition process.

7. Chicago Academy For The Art

The Chicago Academy for the Arts was established in 1981, it is a private high school for the performing and visual arts located in the River West neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

At The Chicago Academy for the Arts, students also learn the skills necessary for academic success, critical thought, and creative expression.

However, the department of arts in this school offers courses such as Dance, Media Arts (filmmaking, animation, creative writing), Music, Musical Theatre, Theatre, and Visual Arts.

8. The Professional Performing Art High School

The Professional Performing Arts School is a public middle and high school located in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City.

PPAS is one of the best performing arts high schools in the USA, it trains students in dance, drama, musical theater, and vocal and instrumental music while providing them with an all-around and strict academic curriculum.

Admission into this school requires a performance-based audition organized and judged by respective performing arts departments.

9. Philadelphia High School For The Creative And Performing Art

The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts is a magnet school in South Philadelphia, it is one of the best performing arts high schools in the USA.

Students of this school major in one of seven areas which are creative writing, instrumental music, visual arts, theater, dance, vocal music, and media, design, television & video (MDTV).

The school is located on South Broad Street, in the former Ridgway Library.

10. Idyllwild Art Academy

Idyllwild Arts Academy is a private school located in Idyllwild, it was founded in 1946 and is one of the best performing arts high schools in the USA.

Students of Idyllwild Arts Academy pursue creative excellence in Music, Theatre, Dance, Visual Art, Creative Writing, Film & Digital Media, InterArts, and Fashion Design.

However, graduates of Idyllwild Arts Academy are known for excelling in every professional field of the arts including Broadway theatre, primetime television, classical and jazz music, motion pictures, graphic design, photography, etc.

Benefits Of Performing Arts Program In High Schools

The benefits of the performing arts program in the high school cannot be underrated, it has transformed a lot of young minds to become the best of themselves and also become the best in their fields of endeavor.

However, below are the benefits of the performing arts program in high schools.

1. It Enhances Oral Communication Skills

Performing arts helps students to develop the confidence that’s essential to speaking clearly, and thoughtfully, it teaches students how to speak boldly in front of large audiences without stuttering.

Clear and well-organized oral communication is very essential in performing arts and most students develop this after they are enrolled in performing art school.

Communication skills are one of the sought-after skills in the world today and as a student of performing school, you have already developed this skill and can stand on any platform to communicate.

2. It Stirs The Willingness To Work Cooperatively

Working cooperatively is one of the characteristics of performing arts schools.

In theater, different talents are annexed to come up with a beautiful presentation, from writing and editing to designing sets, costumes, and other necessary things.

Teamwork prevails in performing art schools and so students learn the value of collaboration and the ability to work collectively to achieve a common goal.

3. It Teaches Promptness and Respect for Deadlines

Lateness is never accepted in performing arts schools because it shows a lack of self-discipline and a lack of regard for others.

Time management is propagated in performing arts schools, and this has enabled students of the performing arts schools to keep to time in whatever they do and also endeavor to meet deadlines.

4. Ability To Deal With Rejection

The ability to deal with rejection wades off low self-esteem and depression and fuels confidence and relentlessness.

Performing artists deal with rejection daily and the ability to deal with them and be resilient has catapulted them to an enviable height.

However, students who are enrolled in performing are able to forge ahead in the face of rejection.

5. A Goal-Oriented Approach to Work

Performing arts schools teach students how to be goal-oriented and capable of thinking critically to achieve goals.

When you are goal-oriented, you do not allow challenges to weigh you down, you would rather focus on how to overcome challenges to reach your desired goals.

6. It Enhances Concentration And Self Discipline

Concentration and self-discipline are crucial in performing arts schools. Without concentration, there is no perfection, and without perfection, there is no captivating presentation.

Arts students are taught to be focused and this has become part of their lives and transcends to other activities they engage in.

However, performing art helps art students to learn how to be in charge of their lives, and how to discipline themselves even when nobody is there to monitor them.

7. Emotional Intelligence

Performing arts schools help students to become emotionally intelligent. They learn to control their emotions and also recognize and respect the emotions of others.

8. Creativity

The Performing arts and creativity go hand in hand, and students in performing arts high schools learn to think critically to come up with innovative ideas.

Creativity helps students to hone their artistic skills and turn them into a career.

9. Critical Discussion

Education at performing arts schools encourages students to study a wide variety of literature, including everything from classics to contemporary works.

Art students do not just read works of literature for pleasure, they read them with the mind to deeply understand them so they can be boldly involved in a critical conversation with their mates.

Performing arts schools teach students the ability to read, think fast, and be able to engage in critical conversations.

10. Self-Esteem Improvement

Self-confidence is something many children struggle with, and those who attend performing arts schools are always able to overcome it.

Enrolling in performing arts schools allows them to develop their self-esteem and confidence by developing stability and learning about how to overcome their fears.

However, performing schools also help students develop and polish their presentation skills which is an important skill for them as they think about college and their careers.

The performing arts schools help students become more confident in their presentation skills as they learn from their tutors how to make captivating verbal presentations.

Also read: How To Prepare And Pass Any Scholarship Exams