Etobicoke School of the Arts
Encyclopedia
The Etobicoke School of the Arts is a specialized public arts-academic high school located in Etobicoke
area of Toronto
, Canada
. Founded on September 8, 1981, the Etobicoke School of the Arts has the distinction of being the oldest, free standing arts focused high school in Canada. It has been publicized in Maclean's
, The Toronto Star and in a national newspaper, The Globe and Mail
. In the September 2006 issue of the Toronto
arts magazine Toronto Life
, ESA was named Toronto's best arts high school. This is in addition to being the feature of CTV
's Canada AM
in September 2006.
and accepts students from all over southern Ontario
from Grade 9 to 12. The school runs on a two-day schedule with 4 periods a day. Each week is either week A, or week B, and based on which week it is, the 2 afternoon classes are switched in order to ensure a student does not miss the same class every week for rehearsals or appointments. The female-to-male ratio of the school is about 8 to 1.
In the fall of 1979, the board visited the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
in New York City
. They came away convinced that a successful arts school would have to have an exclusive program, that is, a program that would function on its own, without sharing space within an existing secondary school. To ensure that the right students enrolled, they also agreed that admission would be subject to an audition.
The school was opened on September 8, 1981 at a closed Queensway Senior School.
In September 1983 ESA moved to its current home in the building of Royal York Collegiate which had been closed in June 1982. The school gained a strong reputation over the next decade as one of Toronto's best secondary schools. Students began to apply from all over the Greater Toronto Area
and southern Ontario.
, Dance
, Visual Arts
, Music
(Band
or Strings
), Film
and Musical Theatre
, after undergoing an application process and passing an audition the year before. They must submit their grade seven, last term report card and grade eight, first term report card as well as a letter of reference from an academic teacher (previous or present) and principal and (optionally) from an arts instructor in their area of interest. They must also submit a filled-out form indicating their preference of arts major(s) and minor, their preference of in academic subjects (academic, applied or locally developed) and their past instruction in their area(s) of interest. As part of the audition process, they must write an essay on a suggested topic (known only on the day of the audition) and undergo an interview with some distinguished individuals from the school (graduates, instructors, etc.) in their area of interest. Each year approximately 1000 students are auditioned and 200 students are accepted, primarily at the grade 9 level, however, some students may be accepted at higher grade levels should places become available.
, Dance
, Visual Arts
, Film
, Music
(Band
or Strings
) and Musical Theatre
. At ESA students have the chance to work with an experienced arts faculty as well as numerous professional "visiting artists".
classes were held in makeshift old typing and business study rooms. Even then however the view and reach of the department was grand in scope. Mainstage, the departments headliner production has been held since the school opened in 1981. The department participates in many competitions such as the Sears Ontario Drama Festival where it has won many awards in its history.
The curriculum of the Drama Department is broken up into four years, each year building on the last. With the culmination of this work, students produce their Drama Showcases, performed through the final months of the school year.
The department has created several murals and pieces on commission. Some of the murals have included those for Norseman Public School, Humber Valley Village School, Future Bakery, Toronto City Hall
, the Daily Bread Foodbank and Woodbine Race Track.
As well as exhibitions at ESA, many off-campus shows have also been held. Notable exhibitions were held at Board of Directors during Nuit Blanche 2009, the Woman's Arts Resource Centre, Harbourfront
, Praxis, Gallery 44, Whippersnapper Gallery, Arts Junktion and the Yukon Arts Centre Public Art Gallery
The ESA Visual Arts program is considered by US post-secondary art schools to be one of the top high school visual arts programs in North America. ESA Visual Arts Students are accepted into arts/architecture/design/fashion programs around the world, including those at USC, Parsons the New School of Design, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Central St. Martins, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and all programs across Canada.
In Grade 9 and 10, students begin to perfect their skills, both as individual performers and ensemble players in groups. Technique work is focused on, as well as overall ability. In theory, the focus is on basic theory work (taken from the RCM Elementary and Grade 1 Rudiments both as individual performers, and ensemble players in groups. Technique work is focused on, as well as overall ability. In theory, the focus is on basic theory work (taken from the RCM Elementary and Grade 1 Rudiments Curriculum), as well as the History of Music. Through help from their theory and instrumental teacher, students focus on personal improvement, both in their practical classes and in theory work. In Grades 11 and 12, students move towards perfecting a personal playing style, as well as focusing on their technique.
In theory, Grade 11 completes the History of Music, and broadens theory skills to proficiency in fields such as composition, harmonization, and listening skills. Grade 12 students take the Orchestration course, which focuses on abilities pertaining to writing, transposing and organizing music, as well as a History component.
The culmination of a music student's career at ESA is their Grade 12 recital. Alone, or in groups of 2-3 members, students are responsible for mounting a full musical recital, including rehearsals, staging, lighting, and publicity.
Performing Groups
ESA Stage Band - A full stage band, the group performs in many styles of big band jazz music, including swing, Latin, and funk.
TOJO - Originally known as the Junior Stage Band. TOJO is an acronym for "The Other Jazz Orchestra".
MOSAIC - Also known as the ESA Jazz Combo or simply Combo, MOSAIC is a small group of jazz
specialists in the Music department. MOSAIC has appeared as a Silver award recipient at the finals of Musicfest Canada, and at many corporate functions and Toronto District School Board events.
Symphonic Band - Originally known as Junior Concert Band. It is open to anyone students Grade 9 and 10 who play an instrument and wish to play. It is mandatory for all Band
Majors to join.
Concert Winds - Originally known as Senior Concert Band. It is open to anyone students Grade 11 and 12 who play an instrument and wish to play. It is mandatory for all Band Majors to join.
"Sinfonia Strings" - It is mandatory for all grade 11 and 12 string majors to join.
Concert Strings - It is mandatory for all grade 9 and 10 Strings
Majors to join.
Stradivarius Strings - Commonly abbreviated to "Strad". This is an invitational group of approximately fifteen String players, who are the handpicked best of ESA. They are known for their incredible playing ability and dedication to their discipline.
Etobicoke School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra - Consisting of ninety members accepted on completion of a successful audition, Symphony is ESA's largest performance group. They play at all music concerts and have performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
.
Pit Orchestra - The pit orchestra is the most unique, as it is the only ensemble at ESA solely used for the musicals run by the music theatre department. The size of the ensemble changes every year depending on the orchestration of the musical. Each year, musicians are hand-selected by conductor Michael Vieira, who normally accompanies the ensemble on piano. Although top performers within the student body are invited, there have been occasions where more experienced musicians have been hired to perform.
At the beginning of May, the dance department puts on a year-end show called Dance Night, involving all dance majors and company members.
The department also runs an extracurricular dance company called DancESAtion. In the past, this company has performed in many professional settings, including with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Performing Groups
SPLASH – Performers are required to be able to sing and dance. They have had the privilege of working with distinguished professional choreographers including Milton Myers, Danny Austin, David Connolly, Mark Kimelman, Marianne McCord, and Gerard McIsaac while performing at all Musical Theatre shows, they have performed all over Toronto and Canada.
Chamber Choir - In addition to school performances, the choir has been a guest participant at the International Bach Festival, and they have performed in many venues including the Ontario Vocal Festival, and National MusicFest in Ottawa, Ontario, receiving a grade of gold in their national grouping.
Treble Choir - Treble choir is sometimes formed from the Chamber Choir audition. An all-girls choir usually consisting of girls from the Chamber Choir among others.
Bass-Baritone-Concept (B.B.C) - Under the direction of the performers themselves. By audition into Chamber Choir. An all boys group that made its debut in the 2006 spring show, Collage. This group is currently not performing due to the maternity leave of Mrs. Warnock, the founder.
JAMME - A small mixed voice jazz choir.
"Lunch Bunch" - Lunch Bunch is ESA's largest choir as it is mandatory for all students in Musical Theatre to join consisting of over 200 students. Lunch Bunch rehearses every Wednesday. Students are marked on attendance, that is, part of a Music Theatre student's report card includes attendance percentages. This is considered controversial as student rights
in Ontario conclude that marking based on attendance is prohibited.
Throughout the year film has several different showcases such as the 60 second film festival in December and the Summer film festival in June amongst several others that are open to all of the students participating in the major. In its first year alone the film program received much attention , not only from Canada, but from around the world. Many students of the film program have participated and received awards and recognition in various film festivals worldwide.
Additionally the Film Program has worked to build links with the outside film community. The department has built a relationship with Shaftesbury Films
who have generously given them access to their experts in the field. Over the last two years the film program has also had the opportunity to speak with individuals such as Nancy Beiman
, Peter Raymont
, and most recently Laurent Cantet
.
The Drama Department puts on a yearly production known as "Mainstage". The Dance Department produce "Dance Night" in which all the dance students perform, most notably ESA's dance company "DancESAtion". The department also produces two choreographic workshops of staff and student pieces which perform in the fall and spring.
The Visual Arts
Department hosts an annual art show which student artwork is showcased and sold, and produces an annual fashion show, which is also its largest fundraiser.
The Music and Musical Theatre Departments conduct three performances each year: the December holiday concert, "Festive Celebration", a collective Spring show "Collage" and the culminating production of the annual Musical.
ESA shows are renowned for their professional quality and its performances draw crowds from all over Toronto. Throughout the year, all the departments have smaller shows that focus on work produced in class.
During the year, two concerts called "Goatstock" and "Solstice" are put on. Goatstock serves as a fundraiser for World Vision
. Solstice is a school concert near the end of the year strictly for the students enjoyment. These concerts usually include "rock" styled bands which play a variety of music from rock and roll, indie, ska, jazz, blues, fusion and many others.
In 2007, ESA's photography students participated in Gallery 44's exhibition Cameralinks 2007 - URBAN.
ESA's main performing venue, The Nancy Main Auditorium which is named after the founding principal, is 571 seat proscenium arch style theatre. The Nancy Main is well equipped and is constantly updated and provides students with performing opportunities and the chance to learn about technical production. ESA has on staff a professional theatre technician who oversees all productions at the school.
Etobicoke, Ontario
Etobicoke is a dissolved municipality located within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the western section of the current city, it had an official population of 338,117 as measured by the 2001 Census and 334,491 people as of the 2006 Census. While it only contains 13% of...
area of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Founded on September 8, 1981, the Etobicoke School of the Arts has the distinction of being the oldest, free standing arts focused high school in Canada. It has been publicized in Maclean's
Maclean's
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...
, The Toronto Star and in a national newspaper, The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
. In the September 2006 issue of the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
arts magazine Toronto Life
Toronto Life
Toronto Life is a monthly Canadian magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto Life also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including Home Decor, Stylebook, Eating & Drinking, Real Estate and Weddings. Established in 1966,...
, ESA was named Toronto's best arts high school. This is in addition to being the feature of CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
's Canada AM
Canada AM
Canada AM is a Canadian breakfast television news show, which has aired on the CTV Television Network since 1972. It is currently hosted by Beverly Thomson and Seamus O'Regan, with Marci Ien reporting from the headline news desk and Jeff Hutcheson presenting the weather forecast and sports...
in September 2006.
Overview
ESA is part of the Toronto District School BoardToronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
and accepts students from all over southern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
from Grade 9 to 12. The school runs on a two-day schedule with 4 periods a day. Each week is either week A, or week B, and based on which week it is, the 2 afternoon classes are switched in order to ensure a student does not miss the same class every week for rehearsals or appointments. The female-to-male ratio of the school is about 8 to 1.
History
By the late 1970s The Etobicoke Board of Education had gone through the process of closing over thirty schools because of a dramatic decline in enrolment, which dropped from 65,000 to fewer than 35,000 pupils. In spite of this, the senior staff felt compelled to resume innovative programs that had characterized the Board during the 1960s and 1970s. One idea had been talked about in the program department was a school for artistic students.In the fall of 1979, the board visited the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts is a high school specializing in teaching visual arts and performing arts, located near Lincoln Center and the Juilliard School in the Lincoln Center district of Manhattan, on Amsterdam Avenue...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. They came away convinced that a successful arts school would have to have an exclusive program, that is, a program that would function on its own, without sharing space within an existing secondary school. To ensure that the right students enrolled, they also agreed that admission would be subject to an audition.
The school was opened on September 8, 1981 at a closed Queensway Senior School.
In September 1983 ESA moved to its current home in the building of Royal York Collegiate which had been closed in June 1982. The school gained a strong reputation over the next decade as one of Toronto's best secondary schools. Students began to apply from all over the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
and southern Ontario.
Application and Audition Process
Students are accepted into their chosen field, namely DramaDrama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, Dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, Visual Arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
, Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
(Band
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
or Strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
), Film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and Musical Theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, after undergoing an application process and passing an audition the year before. They must submit their grade seven, last term report card and grade eight, first term report card as well as a letter of reference from an academic teacher (previous or present) and principal and (optionally) from an arts instructor in their area of interest. They must also submit a filled-out form indicating their preference of arts major(s) and minor, their preference of in academic subjects (academic, applied or locally developed) and their past instruction in their area(s) of interest. As part of the audition process, they must write an essay on a suggested topic (known only on the day of the audition) and undergo an interview with some distinguished individuals from the school (graduates, instructors, etc.) in their area of interest. Each year approximately 1000 students are auditioned and 200 students are accepted, primarily at the grade 9 level, however, some students may be accepted at higher grade levels should places become available.
The arts
ESA offers a wide array of artistic programs for students who successfully complete the audition process in the major of their choice, namely DramaDrama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, Dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, Visual Arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
, Film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
(Band
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
or Strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
) and Musical Theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. At ESA students have the chance to work with an experienced arts faculty as well as numerous professional "visiting artists".
Drama
The Drama Department, like the rest of the school, had humble beginnings. The first dramaDrama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
classes were held in makeshift old typing and business study rooms. Even then however the view and reach of the department was grand in scope. Mainstage, the departments headliner production has been held since the school opened in 1981. The department participates in many competitions such as the Sears Ontario Drama Festival where it has won many awards in its history.
The curriculum of the Drama Department is broken up into four years, each year building on the last. With the culmination of this work, students produce their Drama Showcases, performed through the final months of the school year.
Visual arts
The Visual Arts Department is responsible for the teaching of fine arts and photography at ESA. In 1981 the department began with two teachers and a handful of students. Yet in it time it has grown to have 5 teachers, all specialists in fine arts.The department has created several murals and pieces on commission. Some of the murals have included those for Norseman Public School, Humber Valley Village School, Future Bakery, Toronto City Hall
Toronto City Hall
The City Hall of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is the home of the city's municipal government and one of its most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell and landscape architect Richard Strong, and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in 1965...
, the Daily Bread Foodbank and Woodbine Race Track.
As well as exhibitions at ESA, many off-campus shows have also been held. Notable exhibitions were held at Board of Directors during Nuit Blanche 2009, the Woman's Arts Resource Centre, Harbourfront
Harbourfront
Harbourfront is a neighbourhood on the northern shore of Lake Ontario within the downtown core of the city of Toronto, Canada. Part of the Toronto Waterfront, Harbourfront extends west from Yonge Street to Bathurst Street along Queen's Quay. East of Yonge to Parliament St...
, Praxis, Gallery 44, Whippersnapper Gallery, Arts Junktion and the Yukon Arts Centre Public Art Gallery
The ESA Visual Arts program is considered by US post-secondary art schools to be one of the top high school visual arts programs in North America. ESA Visual Arts Students are accepted into arts/architecture/design/fashion programs around the world, including those at USC, Parsons the New School of Design, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Central St. Martins, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and all programs across Canada.
Music
Music is the largest of all majors at ESA, making up just under a quarter of the student body. The Music Department is divided into two streams: Strings and Band. In addition to the student's choice of study, all Grade 9 and 10 students must take Theory, or Rudiments. Grade 12 students have the option of taking Orchestration, and grade 11 and 12 students have the option of taking Repertoire instead of Theory.In Grade 9 and 10, students begin to perfect their skills, both as individual performers and ensemble players in groups. Technique work is focused on, as well as overall ability. In theory, the focus is on basic theory work (taken from the RCM Elementary and Grade 1 Rudiments both as individual performers, and ensemble players in groups. Technique work is focused on, as well as overall ability. In theory, the focus is on basic theory work (taken from the RCM Elementary and Grade 1 Rudiments Curriculum), as well as the History of Music. Through help from their theory and instrumental teacher, students focus on personal improvement, both in their practical classes and in theory work. In Grades 11 and 12, students move towards perfecting a personal playing style, as well as focusing on their technique.
In theory, Grade 11 completes the History of Music, and broadens theory skills to proficiency in fields such as composition, harmonization, and listening skills. Grade 12 students take the Orchestration course, which focuses on abilities pertaining to writing, transposing and organizing music, as well as a History component.
The culmination of a music student's career at ESA is their Grade 12 recital. Alone, or in groups of 2-3 members, students are responsible for mounting a full musical recital, including rehearsals, staging, lighting, and publicity.
Performing Groups
ESA Stage Band - A full stage band, the group performs in many styles of big band jazz music, including swing, Latin, and funk.
TOJO - Originally known as the Junior Stage Band. TOJO is an acronym for "The Other Jazz Orchestra".
MOSAIC - Also known as the ESA Jazz Combo or simply Combo, MOSAIC is a small group of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
specialists in the Music department. MOSAIC has appeared as a Silver award recipient at the finals of Musicfest Canada, and at many corporate functions and Toronto District School Board events.
Symphonic Band - Originally known as Junior Concert Band. It is open to anyone students Grade 9 and 10 who play an instrument and wish to play. It is mandatory for all Band
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
Majors to join.
Concert Winds - Originally known as Senior Concert Band. It is open to anyone students Grade 11 and 12 who play an instrument and wish to play. It is mandatory for all Band Majors to join.
"Sinfonia Strings" - It is mandatory for all grade 11 and 12 string majors to join.
Concert Strings - It is mandatory for all grade 9 and 10 Strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
Majors to join.
Stradivarius Strings - Commonly abbreviated to "Strad". This is an invitational group of approximately fifteen String players, who are the handpicked best of ESA. They are known for their incredible playing ability and dedication to their discipline.
Etobicoke School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra - Consisting of ninety members accepted on completion of a successful audition, Symphony is ESA's largest performance group. They play at all music concerts and have performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario.-History:The TSO was founded in 1922 as the New Symphony Orchestra, and gave its first concert at Massey Hall in April 1923. The orchestra changed its name to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1927. The TSO...
.
Pit Orchestra - The pit orchestra is the most unique, as it is the only ensemble at ESA solely used for the musicals run by the music theatre department. The size of the ensemble changes every year depending on the orchestration of the musical. Each year, musicians are hand-selected by conductor Michael Vieira, who normally accompanies the ensemble on piano. Although top performers within the student body are invited, there have been occasions where more experienced musicians have been hired to perform.
Dance
Dance is the smallest major at ESA, with under one hundred students. The dance department teaches ballet, modern and jazz techniques. Students work with experienced teachers and choreographers, and the programme focuses on building dance & performance skills. Dance students have two chances each year to present their own original choreography in the November and February Choreographic Workshop performances.At the beginning of May, the dance department puts on a year-end show called Dance Night, involving all dance majors and company members.
The department also runs an extracurricular dance company called DancESAtion. In the past, this company has performed in many professional settings, including with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Musical Theatre
The Music Theatre program offers students an opportunity to study three disciplines in one major. Throughout their four years in the program they are trained in vocal music, dance, and drama. as their requirement for this program. Aside from these requirements music theatre students also learn music theory as one of their compulsory courses. Performing groups which students can be involved in or audition for include: Lunch Bunch, SPLASH, Chamber Choir, and JAMME. The department has performed all over.Performing Groups
SPLASH – Performers are required to be able to sing and dance. They have had the privilege of working with distinguished professional choreographers including Milton Myers, Danny Austin, David Connolly, Mark Kimelman, Marianne McCord, and Gerard McIsaac while performing at all Musical Theatre shows, they have performed all over Toronto and Canada.
Chamber Choir - In addition to school performances, the choir has been a guest participant at the International Bach Festival, and they have performed in many venues including the Ontario Vocal Festival, and National MusicFest in Ottawa, Ontario, receiving a grade of gold in their national grouping.
Treble Choir - Treble choir is sometimes formed from the Chamber Choir audition. An all-girls choir usually consisting of girls from the Chamber Choir among others.
Bass-Baritone-Concept (B.B.C) - Under the direction of the performers themselves. By audition into Chamber Choir. An all boys group that made its debut in the 2006 spring show, Collage. This group is currently not performing due to the maternity leave of Mrs. Warnock, the founder.
JAMME - A small mixed voice jazz choir.
"Lunch Bunch" - Lunch Bunch is ESA's largest choir as it is mandatory for all students in Musical Theatre to join consisting of over 200 students. Lunch Bunch rehearses every Wednesday. Students are marked on attendance, that is, part of a Music Theatre student's report card includes attendance percentages. This is considered controversial as student rights
Student rights
Student rights are those rights which protect students, here meaning those persons attending schools, universities and other educational institutions...
in Ontario conclude that marking based on attendance is prohibited.
Film
Film is the school's newest major and was founded in the 2008-2009 school year. The film program explores the study of cinematography, film production, handling film equipment, writing, etcetera. The 2009-2010 school year was the first year that the program had two separate grades participating in the program. The grade nine and eleven students are taught by Nicholas Morgan, where as the tenth grade students are taught by Kevin Johnson. In the first year of the program, the students were taught by both teachers. The grade eleven year explores the historical evolution of film and examines significant film movements over the last 100 years.Throughout the year film has several different showcases such as the 60 second film festival in December and the Summer film festival in June amongst several others that are open to all of the students participating in the major. In its first year alone the film program received much attention , not only from Canada, but from around the world. Many students of the film program have participated and received awards and recognition in various film festivals worldwide.
Additionally the Film Program has worked to build links with the outside film community. The department has built a relationship with Shaftesbury Films
Shaftesbury Films
Shaftesbury Films is a Canadian film and television production company founded by Christina Jennings and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1987, Shaftesbury is a leading creator and producer of original content for television and multiple platforms, with programming available in more than...
who have generously given them access to their experts in the field. Over the last two years the film program has also had the opportunity to speak with individuals such as Nancy Beiman
Nancy Beiman
Nancy Beiman is a director, character designer, teacher, and animator. She is recognized as the second woman to be credited on a Disney film . She has taught animation at Savannah College of Art and Design, and taught at Rochester Institute of Technology, School of Film & Animation until 2008...
, Peter Raymont
Peter Raymont
Peter Raymont is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker and producer and the president of White Pine Pictures, an independent film, television and new media production company based in Toronto...
, and most recently Laurent Cantet
Laurent Cantet
Laurent Cantet is a French director, born on June 15, 1961 at Melle . His parents were schoolteachers in Ardilleux.On 25 May 2008, he received the Palme d'Or at the Festival de Cannes 2008, for the movie Entre les murs.- As director :...
.
Performances
Every year, the school puts on a variety of shows and performances that vary each year. The shows demonstrate each of the five majors, and the students, and display them in a way that benefits each.The Drama Department puts on a yearly production known as "Mainstage". The Dance Department produce "Dance Night" in which all the dance students perform, most notably ESA's dance company "DancESAtion". The department also produces two choreographic workshops of staff and student pieces which perform in the fall and spring.
The Visual Arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
Department hosts an annual art show which student artwork is showcased and sold, and produces an annual fashion show, which is also its largest fundraiser.
The Music and Musical Theatre Departments conduct three performances each year: the December holiday concert, "Festive Celebration", a collective Spring show "Collage" and the culminating production of the annual Musical.
ESA shows are renowned for their professional quality and its performances draw crowds from all over Toronto. Throughout the year, all the departments have smaller shows that focus on work produced in class.
During the year, two concerts called "Goatstock" and "Solstice" are put on. Goatstock serves as a fundraiser for World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
. Solstice is a school concert near the end of the year strictly for the students enjoyment. These concerts usually include "rock" styled bands which play a variety of music from rock and roll, indie, ska, jazz, blues, fusion and many others.
Academics
Most standard Ontario curriculum courses are offered, including classes in the social sciences, science, math, languages and physical education. An abnormally high number of students exceed provincial levels in standardised tests, including both the Grade 10 Literacy Test and the Grade 9 EQAO math test which are nationally recognised benchmarks set by the EQAO.Extracurricular
For many years the music department has participated in and won numerous awards at the Kiwanis Music Festival.In 2007, ESA's photography students participated in Gallery 44's exhibition Cameralinks 2007 - URBAN.
Facilities
Providing both a strong arts and academic program requires that ESA be equipped appropriately. So in addition to excellent classroom facilities for the academic subjects, ESA has many spaces especially designed for the study of the arts. The Drama Department has four rooms which are used for classes and rehearsal space, as well as an intimate 40 seat Thrust style studio theatre. Visual Arts has a printmaking studio, a photography room and three spacious studios for drawing, painting and sculpture as well as unlimited wall space for exhibitions. Two large, well-lit dance studios with bars and mirrored walls serve the Dance Department. The Music and Musical Theatre Departments share spaces that include a listening lab, an electronic piano lab, small practice rooms and three separate rooms for vocal, string and wind instruction. The film department has a wide variety of equipment and is currently developing green screening rooms.