The Performing Arts are taking center stage with two new courses, Intro to Musical Theatre and Wind Ensemble.

The musical theatre class is the brainchild of Amber Petersen.

“When we announced that we would be performing ‘Cinderella’ and bringing back the musical to BHS, students were very excited and showed up to audition in large numbers,” said Petersen. “I thought it would be a great idea to bring even more people into our music community by offering an introductory class that provides a little about each element involved in the diverse world of Musical Theatre.”

The course will bring in multiple elements of the Visual and Performing Arts and meld them together.

“I would love all students to consider taking this class!” urged Petersen. “It is open to ninth-twelfth grades and provides something for everyone: singing, acting, dancing, technical theatre, promotion… you name your strength and there is something for you in Musical Theatre.”

The Wind Ensemble course will be taught by Band Teacher Brian Cosner.

“Students approach the performing arts to satisfy a variety of artistic, social, physical, and academic needs, and there’s no way to capture all of those things all the time with one performing group,” said Petersen. “For that reason, I want the school to be able to provide different options for students who want an instrumental ensemble performance experience.

Target students for Wind Ensemble are dedicated performers who are interested in continuous mastery of their instrument, fine tuning of their artistic expression, and a deeper understanding, and appreciation, for instrumental music.

Students will also have the opportunity to perform with the strings class for full-orchestral compositions.