Nord Anglia International School Dubai (NAS Dubai) partners with The Juilliard School and Dubai Opera to offer students a well-rounded education experience that enables them to enhance and enrich their learning experiences through a broad and balanced range of activities and experiences. NAS Dubai believes that learning is not confined to books alone and students should receive a 360 degree education that enables them to develop creativity, self-confidence, decision-making skills, and self-evaluation skills and hence, become more effective as independent learners. These thought provoking ideals have paved the way for the school’s ‘more than’ campaign that encourages students explore opportunities within their interests and make the best of this collaboration.
NAS Dubai is unique in many ways and believes that Performing Arts have a central and essential part to play in students’ all round development. The school has a multifaceted collaboration aimed at creating an innovative performing arts education curriculum with the world-renowned Juilliard School in New York. Juilliard’s world-leading education in music, dance and drama enables the three disciplines to have a high profile at NAS Dubai, enabling students to have access to the best teaching techniques and experiences being taught by best faculty. Performing Arts should be inculcated in education from the foundation years and every Thursday morning, primary students at NAS Dubai perform to a live audience of parents, staff and their peers. Everything from Bach to Beyoncé have been performed at the Thursday morning performances and for many of our students is their first experience of solo public performance, often sparking a hunger for more opportunities like this.
The school is also the Exclusive Education Partner of Dubai Opera, which provides students with a platform for students direct experiences in music, dance, drama and stage management. NAS Dubai students are continually given bespoke opportunities by the Dubai Opera giving them direct contact with performers on stage and behind the scenes. This term, students have had a chance to tour the Dubai Opera, watch a dress rehearsal of Turandot performed by the Shanghai Opera House and were also invited to ‘Music in the Studio’ and participate in several master classes.
The elaborate Music Academy at NAS Dubai boasts a faculty of highly-qualified instrumental teachers administering lessons to over 200 students throughout the school day through one-to-one sessions on piano, voice, guitar, violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, drums, music theory and music composition. The NAS Dubai Music Academy offers over 10 student recitals per year promoting student performances at all levels of music making including ensembles. Several of NAS Dubai students have taken part in workshops and also featured in Masterclasses and Concerts at the Dubai Opera. The school also hosts the International Youth Orchestra for advanced young musicians from over 15 schools in the UAE bridging cultures at the same time as promoting a high level of music making.
Matthew Farthing, Principal, Nord Anglia International School Dubai commented, “We are privileged to have a music curriculum which has been designed collaboratively between Nord Anglia Education and the Juilliard school in New York. This curriculum allows our pupils to engage with twelve core ‘masterworks’ throughout their time at school and each lesson is designed to be active, engaging and to foster a love for music and a flair for creativity. Our curriculum has also been designed to allow for flexibility in terms of our content and approach and our students love being able to engage in projects and to make new music.”
The school is currently developing its very own personalised Drama curriculum which will have links to the Juilliard curriculum teaching dramatic skills to children from year one upwards. The exciting Juilliard Creative Classroom Curriculum will provide students with engaging and dynamic lessons allowing students to experience all aspects of drama including script work, devising techniques, set, costume and lighting design.
As part of a global family of schools, Nord Anglia Education students continually excel. The educational approach at NAS enables every student to reach high levels of academic, personal and social success. NAS Dubai offers students plenty of opportunities throughout the year for them to explore the world of Performing Arts and in the past five years, NAS Dubai’s primary and secondary productions have showcased the talent of over 1500 students.
