Bravo to BHHS Dance Wednesday night who presented an incredible show! Visual and Performing Arts is such an amazing field with so many different program options, colleges, institutes, conservatories and more! If any discipline within the Visual and Performing Arts category is your thing, here are a few things to keep in mind.
National Portfolio Day: An annual event where 
representatives from colleges give their time where you can bring your work and get feedback directly from the colleges. You can also learn a little more about your choices and program information. A huge resource! This year it will be held on Sunday, January 15, 2017
at Otis College of Art & Design. More information here: http://www.otis.edu/la-portfolio-day
Start Early
Explore options and explore them early. Ask yourself key questions and dig. What kind of program is the best fit for you? Here’s a few to get you started.
- Do you want to major in Dance within a University where you still have the option to take general education courses, maybe double major, or have flexibility to study abroad?
- Do you want to be in a conservatory-style school?
- Do you want to play your instrument and focus a majority of your time studying, practicing and playing competitively? Or do you want to find university that has a fun group that jams occasionally and plays throughout the neighboring city and major in, let’s say, biology.
- Do you want to be in a smaller institute? Where your general education class is something like the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM)’s course Seminar of the Arts where you explore contemporary and classical art forms throughout all visual/performing arts disciplines.
- If you were to need to create a portfolio or audition that would showcase your work, would you be able to? What would be in it? How can you improve?
Lastly, VISIT. Visiting is so key. If you’re in California and can’t head over to the Rhode Island School of Design, visit locally. Check out Otis College of Art & Design, the California Institute of the Arts, The Art Institute or the Pasadena Art Center College of Design.
Or, if you’re thinking of a Conservatory, drive over to University of Pacific and check out their conservatory school.
Thinking of Film? Check out Chapman, Loyola Marymount, USC and UCLA…and then check out the New York Film Academy for an entirely different feel.
There are so many examples! Have fun, explore and perfect your craft!
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