HARLINGEN — “Dancin’! Dancin’! Dancin’!”
The Harlingen school district is accepting applications to its new Fine Arts Academy at Lee Means Elementary.
Parents must submit an online application along with a video clip of their children delivering a little song or dance act.
“It’s amazing how we have received applications with really cute auditions,” said Veronica Kortan, director of organizational development for the school district.
“We’ve already received quite a few applications,” Kortan said. “The types of auditions that we have, they’re dancing to their favorite kind of music, some of them are singing their favorite songs and we had one that was reading a poem.”
The Fine Arts Academy is the latest in a series of “academies” or set of specialized courses, being created throughout the district. The Fine Arts Academy will offer elementary school children the chance to learn more about arts in its many forms, including music, dance and creative arts.
“We will have music strands, theater and drama strands, and dance strands,” said Lori Romero, assistant superintendent for elementary education.
“We’re going to expose the kids to that,” Romero said. “Those are all the pieces the committee is still working through. What is that going to look like, what are we going to be offering the children?”
Many of the strands, or pieces, will be extensions of subjects already offered at Lee Means.
“Music, we already have music, but we’re going to extend that and expose them to more things,” Romero said. “Same thing with the dance. They already have folklorico there. What other pieces of dance can we bring to the kids?”
And of course, what is an elementary school without visual arts? There will be more of that, too.
“What can we do with the arts to teach them a little more about the different types of art?” she asked rhetorically.
The academy will also introduce children to theater and drama. Of course, students already attending Lee Means will be able to participate in the academy. Students not enrolled at the school can apply.
“Of course the academic core is the most important part,” she said. “That will still be there. They do very well academically. All we’re doing is infusing some art.”
Applications can also include a picture of a youngster’s artwork.
Kortan cautioned that the auditions and art works are not going to be scored.
“The purpose of the audition is so that we can know a little bit more about our students as they are coming in,” she said. “We just want to know a little bit more about their passion for the arts.”
The Fine Arts Academy is still in the planning stages. School Board President George McShan has hailed the creation.
“I think it gives opportunities to parents and students to make decisions early on about art, what it will do to inspire them to be creative young people,” McShan said.
Applications can be found at www.hcisd.org/finearts
A number is listed on the site where parents can get help filling out the application and sending in the audition.
Deadline for turning in the application is April 13.
