Academics

Fine Arts

Fostering Creativity

Explore your creativity and connect to the world.
Hockaday Fine Arts embraces all creative expression, styles, and practices. We are hands-on, experience-based, and student-centered. Through the Performing Arts and Visual Arts, Hockaday students discover and develop personal voice as they make, direct, choreograph, and curate individually and in collaboration with their peers and mentors.
  • Performing Arts Performing Arts
    Wide-ranging, Hockaday’s Performing Arts programming includes choir, dance, drama, technical theater, and orchestra.  Students have many opportunities to hone their performance skills in various concerts on campus and in the larger community.
  • Visual Arts Visual Arts
    Exposure, experimentation, and community are at the heart of the Hockaday School Visual Art curriculum. Lower and Middle School Visual Arts set the foundation for creative thinking and doing. In Upper School, the artistic journey offers specialization as students pursue paths of in-depth investigation in areas of personal interest.
  • Mass Communications Mass Communications
    The craft of journalism and mass media offers students foundational skills for work in the rapidly evolving world of print and digital journalism.
  • Debate Debate
    The debate program emphasizes the art and skills of persuasion, logic, and argumentation as well as competitive success.

Performing Arts

The Performing Arts at Hockaday foster creativity and collaboration.  In the studio and on the stage, Hockaday students in all three divisions explore and are inspired to express themselves.

List of 5 frequently asked questions.

  • Choir

    The Hockaday choral program begins in Lower School as students learn the basics of singing in their general music classes, and continues in Middle School with Vocal Music classes. Middle School students also have the opportunity to participate in elective choirs. In Upper School, singers join the Concert Choir where they continue to perform on campus and in numerous community service outreach performances. Hockaday Upper School Choir students also have the opportunity to audition for TPSMEA All-Region and All-State

  • Dance

    Dance at Hockaday is centered on learning the principles of technique and terminology in ballet and contemporary dance.  A distinguishing aspect of Hockaday’s dance program is the opportunity for students to explore the joys of choreography and composition. In Upper School, this culminates in an on-stage choreographed production. The Shannon Blount and Callan Blount Fleming Endowment Fund supports special programming specific to Hockaday Dance. 

  • Orchestra

    The Hockaday Orchestra program spans all three divisions with the youngest orchestra comprised of students in first through fourth grades. In Middle School, all fifth-grade students participate in a strings course.  Middle School offers elective orchestras. Two orchestra ensembles, the Chamber Orchestra and Concert Orchestra, are offered in Upper School which focus on developing musicianship, instrumental skills, musicality, and artistry. Hockaday Upper School Orchestra students have the opportunity to audition for both TMEA and TPSMEA activities. The Hockaday Chamber Orchestra partners with the Institute for Social Impact.

  • Private Music

    The Hockaday Private Music Lessons Program established in the 1930s by Ela Hockaday is a vital part of The Hockaday Fine Arts Program.  More than 200 students enroll each year for these lessons taught by an exemplary faculty of contracted professional instructors. Individual instruction in piano, voice, violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba, and euphonium are offered at Hockaday in credit and noncredit formats.

  • Theater

    Throughout the Hockaday Theatre program, drama classes focus on the principles of acting and dramatic storytelling through formal and informal productions throughout the year.  The technical theater program includes set design and construction, props, costumes, lighting, and stage management.
     
    The tradition of the Hockaday Musical goes back to 1954 when Hockaday became the first school in the southwest to perform a full-book musical. The tradition of the eighth-grade musical followed soon after. In every grade level in Lower School, students present an interdisciplinary musical program. The Upper School Musical is audition-based and includes performance and tech crew experiences. 

Visual Arts

Exposure, experimentation, and community are at the heart of the Hockaday School Visual Art curriculum. Lower and Middle School Visual Arts set the foundation for creative thinking and doing. In Upper School, the artistic journey offers specialization as students pursue paths of in-depth investigation in areas of personal interest.

List of 4 frequently asked questions.

  • Ceramics

    Turning ideas into form is at the center of Hockaday’s Ceramics and 3-D curriculum. In lower and middle school, ceramics and sculpture are embedded components of a rich child-centered visual arts curriculum. Upper school’s ceramics/3-dimensional art courses provide an in-depth exploration of processes and expressive ideation.
     
    Students in all three divisions have visiting artist experiences and exhibit work in the Ann Bower ’67 Gallery. Upper school students also participate in Empty Bowls benefitting North Texas Food Bank, and enter art competitions. The Hockaday Upper School VA curriculum includes the opportunity to take Advanced Placement courses in Drawing Portfolio, AP 2-D Design Portfolio, and/or AP 3-D Design Portfolio.

  • Film

    Visual storytelling through personal voice forms the foundation of the Hockaday Filmmaking curriculum. Middle school students shoot, animate, and edit their own stories. Upper school filmmakers solidify their skills by working in all aspects of film production and within an array of film genres.
     
    Filmmakers in both middle and upper school use Adobe Suite, have visiting artist experiences, screen their films during the Hockaday Film Festival, and enter local, national, and international film festivals. Upper school filmmakers attend and screen their films at the ISAS Festival.

  • Photography

    Photography is an Upper School course. Taught in the US Photography Suite, the course focuses on the intentional application of creative practices to develop a personal voice. The curriculum includes traditional and experimental dark room and digital photography practices.
     
    Students in photography have visiting artist experiences and exhibit work in the Ann Bower ’67 Gallery, they enter art competitions and participate in the ISAS Festival hosted annually by an ISAS member school.
     
    The Hockaday Upper School VA curriculum includes the opportunity to take AP Courses in Drawing Portfolio, AP 2-D Design Portfolio and/or AP 3-D Design Portfolio.

  • Studio Art

    The Hockaday Studio Art program builds foundational skills. The curriculum fosters exploration and develops astudent's ability to use visual language in meaningful ways. 
     
    The Lower and Middle School studio art programs center on exposure, experimentation, thinking, and active doing. In Upper School, the artistic journey is an opportunity for greater specialization as students pursue paths of in-depth investigation in areas of personal interest.
     
    Studio art students in all three divisions have visiting artist experiences, exhibit work in the Ann Bower ’67 Gallery, and enter art competitions. Upper School students participate in the ISAS Festival hosted annually by an ISAS member school.
     
    The Hockaday Upper School VA curriculum includes the opportunity to take AP Drawing Portfolio, AP 2-D Design Portfolio and/or AP 3-D Design Portfolio.

Mass Communications

Hockaday Journalism and Mass Media offers students foundational skills for the rapidly evolving world of journalism.  Through publications such as HOCKADAISY in Lower School, Banner in Middle School, and Jade and Fourcast in Upper School, students hone their communication skills. The Upper School print and digital journalism curriculum builds foundational skills and leads to specialization as students advance through the program. Upper School students work with the Adobe Creative Suite and utilize InDesign in their production and design processes. 

List of 3 frequently asked questions.

  • Yearbook

    For almost 60 years, Cornerstones has recorded the events of The Hockaday School, from the Pre-K Circus to Form IV Commencement.  Cornerstones is student-driven and produced. From writing and editing to layout and design, staff members learn the intricacies of producing a five-hundred-page award-winning publication.

  • Newspaper

    Fourcast, Hockaday's newspaper, is a student-produced quarterly award-winning publication. With innovative design and Associated Press style writing, students learn the professional standards of journalism: conduct insightful interviews, ask probing questions, and report with accuracy and objectivity.

  • Literary Magazine / Vibrato

    Vibrato, Hockaday’s magazine of art, photography, and literature, showcases the creative visual and written work of Hockaday students. Vibrato staff study concepts in layout, design, and typography as they evaluate submitted material and produce this award-winning publication.

Debate

Debate introduces students to the art and skills of persuasion, logic, and argumentation with a focus on the World Schools Debate formats. Major components include conducting research, case writing, and public speaking. In addition to World Schools Debate, students also will study current events and learn extemporaneous speaking. Advanced debate students compete at local and national tournaments in World Schools Debate while developing skills centered around research, presentation, logic, and teamwork.

List of 3 frequently asked questions.

  • Introduction to Debate

    Debate introduces students to the art and skills of persuasion, logic, and argumentation with a focus on the World Schools Debate format debate formats. Each student learns the principles and techniques of debate and applies them in supervised practice during class periods. The emphasis of the course is critical analysis as applied both in competition and to the everyday world. Major components of the course include conducting research, case writing, and public speaking. In addition to World Schools Debate, students also will study current events and learn extemporaneous speaking.

  • Intermediate Debate

    Students participating in World Schools Debate will develop skills centered around research, presentation, logic, and teamwork. The course provides time for the development of cases, topic analysis, and practice debates. Issues of ethics and philosophy will be addressed when appropriate for the topics being researched. Students in Intermediate Debate are expected to compete at local and national tournaments. 

  • Advanced Debate

    Students participating in World Schools Debate will develop skills centered around research, presentation, logic, and teamwork. The course provides time for the development of cases, topic analysis, and practice debates. Issues of ethics and philosophy will be addressed when appropriate for the topics being researched. Students in Advanced Debate will prepare to compete at local and national tournaments in World Schools Debate and will assist in organizing the Ed Long Invitational at The Hockaday School in November. Students are expected to attend tournaments throughout the year.
     

Upcoming Events

  • Aug
    19

    8th Grade Musical Auditions

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Fine Arts News

List of 7 news stories.

Take The Next Steps

Just as we encourage our girls to be curious and engage in the process of discovery, we encourage and invite you to visit our campus and experience a day at Hockaday.

The Hockaday School

11600 Welch Road
Dallas, TX 75229
(214) 363-6311
Within the private school community, The Hockaday School is an independent college-preparatory day school for girls from grades PK–12 located in Dallas, Texas. Students realize their limitless potential through challenging academic curricula, arts, athletics, and extracurricular programs so that they are inspired to lead lives of purpose and impact.