Discover your voice through music, dance, theater, fashion, film, and backstage tech! Students refine their talents, build creative confidence, and draw inspiration from the rich cultural tapestry of Los Angeles in our many classes, concerts, productions and festivals.
Escuela inferior
Performing arts at Buckley starts in Lower School with all students taking theater, dance, and music each once a week. They start singing in kindergarten and continue in Chorus through third grade. In fourth, they learn instruments in orchestra and band, picking up and many students choose to take a performing arts enrichment class in our Beyond the Bell afterschool program. Others elect to take one-on-one music lessons after school with individual instructors through the Buckley Conservatory. Both the Beyond the Bell and Conservatory programs are registered for separately and for a fee in addition to tuition.
Escuela Secundaria
In Middle School, students participate in an arts rotation in which they can choose to take Chorus, Band, Dance, Orchestra, or Theater along with another elective. Middle School students enrolled in advanced dance are cast members of the Middle and Upper School Spring Dance Festival. Any student can audition for the spring Middle School play, with performances in May.
Escuela Superior
In Upper School, students can participate in performing arts by taking one of the department’s course offerings, by auditioning for one of the productions, or by working backstage in tech or crew. Members of the cast of our fall musical often perform at the local Sherman Oaks Street Fair.
Middle & Upper School Courses in the Performing Arts
In addition to a full spectrum of beginning-through-advanced classes in chorus, jazz band, dance, filmmaking, theater, and orchestra, Buckley offers the following:
- Diseño de vestuario y moda
- Global Hip Hop, Urban and Social Dance
- Improvisation
- Music Composition, Production and Technology
For a list of all Performing Arts courses, see the Curriculum Guide
"There’s no better feeling than working together to create an amazing show."
- Honor, '25
Guía del plan de estudios
Middle and Upper School Curriculum Guide 2024-25
Parents at Buckley can choose to be a part of Buckley Backstage, a group that supports performing arts productions. By planning and serving meals to theatrical casts during rehearsals and performances, working the box office on performance days, and other tasks, these parents are invaluable to the success of the performing arts program.
We have two main venues for our performing arts productions.
The Center for Community and Arts houses the fall musical, band, orchestra and choral concerts, the dance festival, Climate Conference, Film Festival, and more.
The Black Box theater is home to our Middle School play, improv shows, and Open Mic events for Middle and Upper School musicians.
For more information about our performing arts facilities click here.
Jerry Herman Awards
Last year, Buckley’s production of Little Shop of Horrors was nominated for two prestigious Jerry Herman awards, which recognize excellence in high school musical theater.
Additionally, two student performers were individually nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress.