Students in grades 7-12 have the opportunity to perform in three theater productions each year: the Fall play, the Winter Musical, and the Spring play.  The Winter Musical is always a highly anticipated and impressive production, with actors, dancers, and singers performing in the beautiful Johnson Theater.

We offer a rigorous program for dancers with a diverse experience in dance techniques, forms of dance, history, performance, and choreography. We strive to create an environment for students at all levels and ages to experience dance as a means to enhance physical fitness and wellness, understand and appreciate cultures and periods of history, interact cooperatively with various age groups, and develop an aesthetic appreciation of the art form.

Performers may seek the spotlight, but someone has to shine it...and make sure the mics are working. That’s the role of the Sound and Lighting crew, a group of students who learn how to operate the sophisticated equipment in the Johnson Theater to create shows that dazzle audiences with spectacular images and acoustics.

The Winter Musical routinely attracts more than 100 students to what is always an epic production. The cast often features one or more first-time performers, as well as students who have been involved annually since 7th grade. Students are involved in every aspect of the show.

Students with creative vision ply their talents with hammers, paintbrushes, and sewing machines to create part of the magic of Norfolk Academy’s theatrical productions. The set design crew turns the Johnson Theater into a new landscape for every production. Costume designers help actors inhabit their characters, whether they are playing The Cat in the Hat, Henry Higgins, or Morticia Addams.

The Three Piggy Opera, performed by first graders, begins the school’s approach to using drama as an educational tool that incorporates plenty of fun, even as students acquire skills and confidence. Grade level plays are featured in second grade; each class performs a specific production. The Field Day play, a song-and-dance extravaganza, is a festive performance that attracts a huge crowd each year.

Eighth grade students participate in a year-long course in the study of drama. The goal of this program is to introduce students to the history and craft of the theater, including the roles and responsibilities of the actor, director, designers, choreographer, stage manager and crews.  Public speaking exercises allow the students to gain confidence communicating in front of their peers. 

This after-school program allows students with an active interest in drama to pursue their passion. Even with a large cast, every student gets a chance to shine, and the performers build confidence and a spirit of camaraderie.

Young people are full of motion, and the Lower School dance program capitalizes on that energy! Students in all grade levels can choose to participate, and they learn to dance in a variety of styles, all allowing for creativity of expression, even as students gain physical strength, flexibility, and self-discipline.