San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts
Encyclopedia
The San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, known as SCPA, is a public arts magnet school
in southeastern
San Diego
, California
, USA
. Most of the students in grades 6-12 are bussed to the school from throughout the San Diego Unified School District
. They take specialized classes in theater, music
, dance
, visual arts
, video
production, and stagecraft
along with regular academic subjects.
, singing
, visual art, drama
, instrumental music or musical theatre
and A Chorus Line
. Other mainstages have been Grease
, West Side Story, Footloose
, Gypsy, Bye Bye Birdie, and Into the Woods
. For the 2006-2007 school year, the mainstages are
South Pacific
and Purlie
. Many smaller productions take place in the Little Theatre, including performances by the advanced acting and musical theatre classes. 2006-2007 shows in the Little Theatre include "The Odd Couple", "Smokey Joe's Cafe: Songs of Leiber and Stoller", and "The Crucible". And for the 2007-2008 school year, for the two main stages are the musicals Urinetown
and Thoroughly Modern Millie
. In 2007-2008, the P&P play was To Kill A Mocking Bird and for Advance Musical Theatre, Honk!
. Along with these performances, there was also going to be a theatre showcase.
The 2008-2009 performances included A Piece of My Heart
and Ain't Misbehavin, in the Ole Kittleson Little Theatre, The King and I
, in the Florence Johnson Grand Theatre, and two straight plays: Play On! and The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
, also in the Grand Theatre. The 2009-2010 season consisted of The Yellow Boat, the Advanced Musical Theatre's production of Working
, and A Midsummer Night's Dream
in the Grand Theatre. The '09-'10 season also consisted of P&P's production of Metamorphoses performed in the Little Theatre.
Winter and Spring Dance Concerts consists of choreographies done by dance teachers that include beginning to ensemble level dancing.
Senior Dance Production is when seniors in the highest level of dance, or ensemble, work together to put on a production. These selective group of seniors each choreograph a dance with the style of their choice. The production is usually held in early February.
and Band
/Orchestra
. The advanced musical groups go on annual tours to compete against other schools from around the nation. These tours can be to places as close as Anaheim and Las Vegas
, and can be as far as Boston
and Hawaii
. The most notable tour was in 2008 to San Francisco--featuring the schools' Chamber Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Band.
, Irish Dance
, Modern Dance
, and Dances of Mexico and Spain.
A professional strand dance class is two-periods long and are for more serious dancers who want to get the best of their training.
, drawing
and painting
, video production
, Martial Arts
and yearbook.
The video production class puts together a monthly & Starting in 2008 also a weekly broadcast called the K-Arts Connection. K-Arts is usually broadcast throughout the day during a specific period. It informs the student body and faculty on what has happened and what is going to happen in each art category offered at SCPA. K-Arts also has student and staff spotlights as well as upcoming events.
, Otay Ranch High School
, and Correia Middle School, in which a female 8th grader from Correia Middle School was detained.
The school day on May 4 continued without incident at SCPA, despite considerably lowered attendance from students. Gunshots were fired, however, at an elementary school on May 4. Shots were fired at Olive Elementary School in Vista, prompting the lockdown of several schools in San Diego. No students were injured, and all were accounted for. The suspect is said to have been a caucasian male with long hair.
-winning actress Sara Ramirez
, 2006 Tony Award
winner Christian Hoff
, former Alvin Ailey
principal dancer Jeffrey Gerodias, Giovonnie Samuels
, television personality Ananda Lewis
, film actress Julia D'Orazio, Nickelodeon
actor James Maslow
, and artist Jane Granby
.
, an arts-focused school operated in partnership with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
, The George Washington University
, and the District of Columbia Public Schools in Washington D.C. In 2003, Mrs. Lizárraga was a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar to Japan, and from 1991 through 2000, she served on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. Mrs. Lizárraga holds on M.A. in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan University
and a B.F.A. in dance from the New York University
Tisch School of the Arts
. Mrs. Lizárraga is also a former dancer of Bertram Ross Dance Company.
Faculty Cynthia Diana Morales holds a B.F.A. in dance from The Juilliard School and an M.A. in dance education from the University of California Los Angeles. While at The Juilliard School she performed in works by dance masters José Limón
, "There is a Time", "The Winged" and Anna Sokolow
"The Lovers". Mrs. Morales has had an extensive career as a performer dancing for Ballet Hispanico, working with such notables as Talley Beatty
and Ballet Metropolitano de Caracas, Venezuela as a principal dancer.
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
in southeastern
Southeast San Diego
Southeast San Diego is the southeastern portion of the City of San Diego, generally represented by the urban neighborhoods directly east of Downtown San Diego, bordered by Interstate 5 and south of the Martin Luther King Jr...
San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Most of the students in grades 6-12 are bussed to the school from throughout the San Diego Unified School District
San Diego City Schools
San Diego Unified School District is the school district of San Diego, California. It was founded in 1854...
. They take specialized classes in theater, 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...
, 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...
, video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
production, and stagecraft
Stagecraft
Stagecraft is a generic term referring to the technical aspects of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes, but is not limited to, constructing and rigging scenery, hanging and focusing of lighting, design and procurement of costumes, makeup, procurement of props, stage management, and...
along with regular academic subjects.
Middle school
Students entering grades 6-8 are admitted through an application process. Usually, students with siblings already attending SCPA or students with seminar certification are more likely to be admitted.High school
Students entering high school either as freshmen or as transfers must audition in order to be admitted. Their audition must be in an artistic area of their interest, such as danceDance
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....
, singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, visual art, drama
Drama
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...
, instrumental music or 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...
Mainstages
SCPA puts on two large musicals ("mainstages") each year in the Florence Johnson Grand Theatre. In the year 2005-2006, these shows were Les MiserablesLes Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
and A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
. Other mainstages have been Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
, West Side Story, Footloose
Footloose (musical)
Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow , the lyrics by Dean Pitchford , and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.-Act 1:...
, Gypsy, Bye Bye Birdie, and Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
. For the 2006-2007 school year, the mainstages are
South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
and Purlie
Purlie
Purlie is a musical with a book by Ossie Davis, Philip Rose, and Peter Udell, lyrics by Udell, and music by Gary Geld. It is based on Davis' 1961 play Purlie Victorious, which was later made into the 1963 film Gone Are the Days! and which included all of the original Broadway cast, including Ruby...
. Many smaller productions take place in the Little Theatre, including performances by the advanced acting and musical theatre classes. 2006-2007 shows in the Little Theatre include "The Odd Couple", "Smokey Joe's Cafe: Songs of Leiber and Stoller", and "The Crucible". And for the 2007-2008 school year, for the two main stages are the musicals Urinetown
Urinetown
Urinetown: The Musical is a satirical comedy musical, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis. It satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, and municipal politics...
and Thoroughly Modern Millie
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Thoroughly Modern Millie is a 1967 American musical film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Julie Andrews. The screenplay by Richard Morris focuses on a naive young woman who finds herself in the midst of a series of madcap adventures when she sets her sights on marrying her wealthy boss.The...
. In 2007-2008, the P&P play was To Kill A Mocking Bird and for Advance Musical Theatre, Honk!
Honk!
Honk! is a musical adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen story The Ugly Duckling, incorporating a message of tolerance. The book and lyrics are by Anthony Drewe and music is by George Stiles...
. Along with these performances, there was also going to be a theatre showcase.
The 2008-2009 performances included A Piece of My Heart
A Piece of My Heart
Piece of My Heart is the 18th novel by crime-writer Peter Robinson, published in 2006 and is 16th in the multi award-winning Inspector Alan Banks series.-Plot summary:Piece of My Heart is the 16th Inspector Banks novel by Peter Robinson...
and Ain't Misbehavin, in the Ole Kittleson Little Theatre, The King and I
The King and I
The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
, in the Florence Johnson Grand Theatre, and two straight plays: Play On! and The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 is a short comedy by John Bishop. The play was first performed at the Circle Repertory Company in their theatre at 99 Seventh Avenue South in New York City, later moving to Broadway, opening on April 6, 1987, in The Longacre Theatre. The both productions were...
, also in the Grand Theatre. The 2009-2010 season consisted of The Yellow Boat, the Advanced Musical Theatre's production of Working
Working (musical)
Working is a musical with a book by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, music by Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Mary Rodgers, and James Taylor, and lyrics by Schwartz, Carnelia, Grant, Taylor, and Susan Birkenhead....
, and A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
in the Grand Theatre. The '09-'10 season also consisted of P&P's production of Metamorphoses performed in the Little Theatre.
Dance Productions
In addition to the mainstages, SCPA's dance classes perform in dance concerts that also take place in the Florence Johnson Grand Theatre. Notable dance productions include the senior dance production, the winter and spring dance productions, and the SCPA Choreotech Show.Winter and Spring Dance Concerts consists of choreographies done by dance teachers that include beginning to ensemble level dancing.
Senior Dance Production is when seniors in the highest level of dance, or ensemble, work together to put on a production. These selective group of seniors each choreograph a dance with the style of their choice. The production is usually held in early February.
Music Productions
Musically, the intermediate and advanced music classes (including choir and instrumental) put on concerts in both the winter and spring, aptly named the Winter Music Concert and the Spring Music Concert.Music
Musically, students can choose from two main forms of music: ChoirChoir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
and 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...
/Orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
. The advanced musical groups go on annual tours to compete against other schools from around the nation. These tours can be to places as close as Anaheim and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, and can be as far as Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The most notable tour was in 2008 to San Francisco--featuring the schools' Chamber Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Band.
Dance
Several dance classes are available for students. These classes, ranging from beginning to advanced levels, aren't limited to only one or two types of dance. Some of the dance classes offered are Theater Dance, BalletBallet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, Irish Dance
Irish dance
Irish dancing or Irish dance is a group of traditional dance forms originating in Ireland which can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dances. Irish social dances can be divided further into céilí and set dancing...
, Modern Dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
, and Dances of Mexico and Spain.
A professional strand dance class is two-periods long and are for more serious dancers who want to get the best of their training.
Mixed Media Arts
For students who flourish in visual arts, other options are available. Students can choose to delve into photographyPhotography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
and painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, video production
Video production
Video production is videography, the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media. The term includes methods of production and post-production...
, Martial Arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and yearbook.
The video production class puts together a monthly & Starting in 2008 also a weekly broadcast called the K-Arts Connection. K-Arts is usually broadcast throughout the day during a specific period. It informs the student body and faculty on what has happened and what is going to happen in each art category offered at SCPA. K-Arts also has student and staff spotlights as well as upcoming events.
Shooting Threat
On May 3, 2007, a shooting threat against the school was discovered. The message, written on the walls of a restroom, read "School shooting tomorrow 5/4 at 6:45". The same week, similar threats were found at Poway High SchoolPoway High School
Poway High School is a public, comprehensive high school located in the city of Poway, California. Established in 1961, it serves ninth through twelfth grade students from the communities of Poway and Rancho Bernardo. The school mascot is the Titan...
, Otay Ranch High School
Otay Ranch High School
Otay Ranch High School is a high school established in 2003 with 97 classrooms. It is located in Chula Vista, California. Otay Ranch High School primarily serves the Chula Vista developments of Otay Ranch and Rancho Del Rey.-History:...
, and Correia Middle School, in which a female 8th grader from Correia Middle School was detained.
The school day on May 4 continued without incident at SCPA, despite considerably lowered attendance from students. Gunshots were fired, however, at an elementary school on May 4. Shots were fired at Olive Elementary School in Vista, prompting the lockdown of several schools in San Diego. No students were injured, and all were accounted for. The suspect is said to have been a caucasian male with long hair.
Notable Students
Notable students include alumni Tony AwardTony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning actress Sara Ramirez
Sara Ramírez
Sara Ramírez is a Mexican-American singer/songwriter and actress. She is known for her role as Callie Torres in Grey's Anatomy and as the original Lady of the Lake in the 2005 Broadway musical Spamalot, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.-Early life:Ramírez...
, 2006 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winner Christian Hoff
Christian Hoff
-Biography:Hoff was born in San Francisco, California, and later moved with his family to San Diego. At eight years old he began acting at the San Diego Junior Theater, and not long after was playing Winthrop in The Music Man.-Career:...
, former Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey, Jr. was an American choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. Ailey is credited with popularizing modern dance and revolutionizing African-American participation in 20th century concert dance...
principal dancer Jeffrey Gerodias, Giovonnie Samuels
Giovonnie Samuels
Giovonnie Lavette Samuels is an American actress best known for her role as Nia Moseby in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.-Life and career:...
, television personality Ananda Lewis
Ananda Lewis
Ananda Lewis is an American television personality, social activist, and model. She appeared on Maxim and AskMen.com's Hottest Celebrity Lists in 2001...
, film actress Julia D'Orazio, Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
actor James Maslow
James Maslow
James David Maslow is an American actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for playing the role of James Diamond on Nickelodeon's Big Time Rush and is a member of the boy music group with the same name.-Early life:...
, and artist Jane Granby
Jane Granby
Jane Granby is an American artist based in San Diego, California. Granby’s work includes painting, photography, and works of mixed media. Her work is often autobiographical including emotions ranging from pain to joy.- Biography :...
.
Notable faculty
Director Mitzi Yates Lizárraga was the principal and CEO of the Duke Ellington School of the ArtsDuke Ellington School of the Arts
The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is a high school located at 35th Street and R Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., and dedicated to arts education. One of the high schools of the District of Columbia Public School system, it is named for the American jazz bandleader and composer Edward...
, an arts-focused school operated in partnership with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
, The George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, and the District of Columbia Public Schools in Washington D.C. In 2003, Mrs. Lizárraga was a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar to Japan, and from 1991 through 2000, she served on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. Mrs. Lizárraga holds on M.A. in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
and a B.F.A. in dance from the New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
. Mrs. Lizárraga is also a former dancer of Bertram Ross Dance Company.
Faculty Cynthia Diana Morales holds a B.F.A. in dance from The Juilliard School and an M.A. in dance education from the University of California Los Angeles. While at The Juilliard School she performed in works by dance masters José Limón
José Limón
José Arcadio Limón was a pioneer in the field of modern dance and choreography. In 1928, at age 20, he moved to New York City where he studied under Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. In 1946, Limón founded the José Limón Dance Company...
, "There is a Time", "The Winged" and Anna Sokolow
Anna Sokolow
Anna Sokolow was a Jewish American dancer and choreographer.-Training:...
"The Lovers". Mrs. Morales has had an extensive career as a performer dancing for Ballet Hispanico, working with such notables as Talley Beatty
Talley Beatty
Talley Beatty was born in Cedar Grove, Louisiana, a section of Shreveport, but grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He is considered one of the greatest of African American choreographers, and also bears the titles dancer, educator, and dance company director...
and Ballet Metropolitano de Caracas, Venezuela as a principal dancer.