A stage for every passion

The performing arts program at Roland Park Country School seeks to empower each student with confidence and grace. We treasure, protect and nurture the innate artist in all of our students, while encouraging them to challenge themselves through individual and ensemble explorations in dance, music and theater.

While we maintain high performance standards, the focus for the students is primarily on the creative process. Our students discover the joy of sharing their talents collaboratively across all three divisions while gaining a true appreciation and understanding of the importance of the performing arts within the school and global community.

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Contact us at RPCSPerformingArts@rpcs.org

Dance

The RPCS dance program cultivates confidence and grace in all of our students by promoting movement, collaboration, technique, and performance.

Music

The music program at RPCS fosters a love of music for all. We instill in our students the idea that music builds connection and creates joyfulness, which is reflected in our shared community songs.

Theater

Opportunities to engage in theater at RPCS, whether as a performer, producer, set builder or stage manager, inspire taking creative risks and sharing ideas with others and discovery through experimentation.

Performing Arts Calendar

In the Classroom

Lower School

Every student has the opportunity to experience music in all its forms throughout her time in the Lower School. Our girls receive formal instruction in dancing, singing, and playing multiple instruments. They love performing their budding skills twice a year in our winter and spring concerts.

Lower School Music Program
Lower School Dance Program

Lower School Music Program

Our Lower School music program uses a combination of Orff and Kodaly teaching methodologies. The Kodaly method is based primarily on singing and follows a child-developmental approach to learning basic rhythms and intervals. The Orff method utilizes singing, moving, speaking, and various instruments (both pitched and unpitched). The Orff instruments provide an ideal medium for texture and color exploration and provide a visual representation of pitch relationships that becomes especially useful when learning to read music. Additionally, children experience ensemble work with recorders, hand chimes, and bucket drumming.

In kindergarten, our girls partner with the Upper School auditioned singing group, the Semiquavers. During this semester-long partnership, the girls meet multiple times to learn a song and accompanying choreography and perform together at the Upper School spring concert.

Lower School Dance Program

The Lower School dance program provides an in-depth look into technique and repertory through the lens of a variety of dance styles. Emphasis is placed on motor control skills, spatial and motor awareness, muscular development, core conditioning, stretching, and posture. As each grade prepares for a choreographed piece, the focus is shifted to performance quality and expression while maintaining a strong technical development and application. Dance classes are specifically designed to support multiple learning styles. Dancers will also work together to build skills as choreographers.

In first and fourth grade, our girls partner with the Upper School auditioned dance ensemble, the Roses Repertory Dance Company. In this semester-long partnership, the dancers work with their Upper School buddy to learn and perform a dance together. The piece is performed at either the Upper School winter or spring dance concert.

Middle School

The Middle School performing arts program includes a four-year curriculum of formal classes in dance, music, and theater. Students in grades 5-8 grade may elect to participate in Middle School Chorus and Middle School Dance Company, which are open to all students and do not require an audition. Each semester concludes with a concert performance reflecting the array of curriculum offerings. In addition, the Middle School presents a musical theater production every year, open to all students in grades 5-8 by audition.

5th Grade

In fifth grade, students participate in semester-long dance and music courses that build ensemble performance skills.

Each year, students in Middle School can choose to audition for the annual musical. This experience brings together students in grades 5–8 to collaborate on a full-scale production where practical singing, acting, and dancing skills come together in a polished, high-level performance.

6th Grade

7th Grade

Students in seventh grade participate in a year-long performing arts workshop class that is co-taught by the Middle School performing arts faculty.

Each year, students in Middle School can choose to audition for the annual musical. This experience brings together students in grades 5–8 to collaborate on a full-scale production where practical singing, acting, and dancing skills come together in a polished, high-level performance.

8th Grade

In eighth grade, students select two courses from among four arts electives:

Acting for the Camera
Eighth Grade Dancers
Eighth Grade Singers
Visual Arts

Each year, students in Middle School can choose to audition for the annual musical. This experience brings together students in grades 5–8 to collaborate on a full-scale production where practical singing, acting, and dancing skills come together in a polished, high-level performance.

Upper School

The performing arts program at RPCS allows each student, regardless of experience, many opportunities in both performance and non-performance classes to challenge themselves creatively through individual and ensemble explorations in dance, music, and theater.

Auditioned Ensembles

In the Upper School there are four auditioned Performing Ensembles: Footlights Theatre Ensemble, Roses Repertory Dance Company, Somettos, and the Semiquavers.

Every other year, our select ensembles (FTE, Roses and Semis) create an original collaborative production in which they tour. Past tours have included Italy, Greece, Ireland and Scotland, Salzburg, Vienna and Prague, and California.

As we maintain high performance standards, the focus for the students is primarily on the process. Our students discover the joy of sharing their talents collaboratively across all three divisions, while gaining a true appreciation and understanding of the arts’ importance within the school and greater community.

Once students have graduated from the Upper School, they should have a preliminary understanding of the performing arts and be prepared to engage in a college-level course. In addition, students can apply to be part of the Arts Certificate of Distinction program, which is awarded to seniors on Class Day.

The material and repertoire in each discipline is reflective of the diverse world in which we live, and reflective of the community in which we reside. We bring the outside world in by inviting guest artists to work with our students through residencies and guest classes. Our ensembles engage with our community by performing at local festivals, pediatric hospitals, private businesses, retirement centers, and local theaters.

Dance

The dance program at RPCS is for both novice and experienced dancers. We provide a safe space for all to explore the power of movement and how each student is woven into the fabric of a group performance. The semester culminates in a dance concert where all dance students perform. All dancers are provided the opportunity to perform a duet, trio or small group piece in addition to their dance classes. Senior dancers are encouraged to perform a senior solo. Roses perform at numerous venues on and off campus throughout the year.

Upper School Dance Classes
Studio Dance
Advanced Studio Dance
Roses Repertory Dance Company (auditioned ensemble for grades 11 & 12)

Music

The music program at RPCS provides experience in both singing and instruments. While Somettos and Upper School Chorus perform twice a year at the winter and spring concerts, along with certain convocations throughout the school year, the Semiquavers perform at multiple community venues, both within the United States and internationally.

Upper School Music Classes
Piano I / II
Somettos (auditioned ensemble for grades 9 & 10)
Semiquavers (auditioned ensemble for grades 11 & 12)
Upper School Chorus

Theater

The theater program at RPCS is constantly evolving, similar to the art form itself. Utilizing skills developed in the Middle School theater program, these classes are geared toward both novice and experienced actors, as well as those who are passionate behind the scenes of our productions. The Upper School performs a musical every fall that is open to all Upper Schoolers to audition for, while the Footlights Theatre Ensemble performs multiple times a year during convocations, Haunted Trails, Film Festival, and a spring performance.

Upper School Theater Classes
Footlights Theatre Ensemble (auditioned ensemble)

Performances Throughout the Year

Winter and Spring Concerts

All performing arts classes and organizations perform at either the winter or spring concerts. The choral concerts are separated from the dance concerts in Upper School so that our students can truly showcase their skills in either or both disciplines.

All-School Collaborations

Certain Lower School grades pair up with the Roses and Semiquavers in multiple performances throughout the year. First grade (Rosebuds) dances with the Roses in the winter concert, while for the spring concert, kindergarteners collaborate with the Semis and the Roses dance with the fourth grade (Thornettes).

Musicals

Both the Upper School and Middle School put on annual musical performances for our friends and family to enjoy. The Upper School musical is in the fall, while the Middle School musical is in the winter.

Footlights Theatre Ensemble

The Footlights Theatre Ensemble performs multiple times a year during convocations, Haunted Trails, Film Festival, and a spring performance.

Performing in the Community

The Upper School auditioned performing arts groups take their talents to the Baltimore community. From dancing in the Baltimore Theater Project to singing at nursing homes, our performers are happy to share their talents with our neighbors.

Traveling Performances

The auditioned ensemble groups travel around the country and internationally to perform at some of the world's most prestigious stages, including Disneyland, the White House, Carnegie Hall, The Governors Mansion, and England, among others.

Facilities

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The Macfarlane Arts Center

The Macfarlane Arts Center holds a multi-use complex of performance and practice spaces for dance, theater and music.

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Sinex Theater

Our Sinex Theater, housed in the Macfarlane Arts Center, seats 425 people and is used throughout the year for performances, meetings, award assemblies, and presentations.

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The Nancy Roche Performing Arts Wing

The Nancy Roche Performing Arts Wing includes the Swingle Chorus Room, Middle and Lower School music rooms, and private practice rooms for individual instruction.

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Tyler Studio

The Tyler Studio is a "storefront " theater flexible studio space which can seat up to 50 audience members. There are full lighting and sound systems in the space to facilitate various performances, from intimate monologues to one-act plays.

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Lower and Middle School Dance Studio

The Lower and Middle School Dance Studio is a place where all of our students in grades K-6 can learn the joy of dance in an inviting environment and celebrate individuality through movement.

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The Applefeld Dance Studio for Middle and Upper School

Renovovated in 2025, this state-of-the-art room provides our students everything a professional studio offers, from mirrors, barres, and sound systems and huge windows for natural light, to a personal changing room and ventilation system with high ceilings and sprung flooring.

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Scene Shop

A multi-floor dedicated space for the creation, development, and storage of the props and necessities used during all performances.

Meet the Team