The comprehensive Performing Arts curriculum at Hillside School has been designed for the purpose of awakening and refining the aesthetic sensitivities of all children. The program develops music, theatre, and dance skills, giving students an understanding and perspective that will enable them to enjoy a richer life through the appreciation of, and participation in, the performing arts. This provides all children with opportunities to pursue their individual interests and talents.

Classroom lessons provide a conceptual understanding of the basic properties of music and movement: melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, and spatial awareness, helping students to become proficient in singing, moving, and playing instruments.  There is a sequential plan of learning experiences that meets the needs of all children so they can experience the growth needed to provide them with a means of self-expression. At Hillside School, each grade participates in intellectually and age appropriate activities, learning folk songs and dances, as well as basic music theory.  Writing and literacy are regularly incorporated in the performing arts classroom at all grade levels.

Performing arts is as much a part of our present culture as it is a part of our cultural heritage.  Children must feel as well as think; they must create as well as discover and learn. We must help them to cultivate sensitivity to the world of sound, form, and color, just as we must enable them to acquire the intellectual and academic tools of thought.  A well-balanced elementary arts program provides a basis for later appreciation and participation, both in school and as an adult. The ultimate aim is to enrich the lives of children – academically, aesthetically, socially, and personally. For all students, the performing arts can be a catalyst toward the maximum development of individual potential.