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Boston Arts Academy (BAA) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA is Boston's first and only high school for the visual and
performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...
and is a partnership between
Boston Public Schools Boston Public Schools (BPS) is a school district serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest public school district in the state of Massachusetts. Leadership The district is led by a Superintendent, hired by the ...
and the ProArts Consortium. ProArts, a group of six arts colleges and universities in the Boston area, pushed the city to open the school, which was founded in 1998. The Consortium continues to support the school with performance space, music lessons and free college-level classes to BAA students. BAA won the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
, the National Schools of Distinction in Arts Education Award for the 2009–2010 school year from the
Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network Kennedy may refer to: People * John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), 35th president of the United States * John Kennedy (Louisiana politician), (born 1951), US Senator from Louisiana * Kennedy (surname), a family name (including a list of persons with ...
. Beginning July 1, 2018, construction of new facilities at 174 Ipswich Street commenced, leading to relocation of both Boston Arts Academy and the Boston Arts Academy Foundation.


Programs

BAA is Boston's only public school dedicated to the arts.Kirk Carapezza
"Arts Academy Sees Record Auditions"
Radio Boston,
WBUR WBUR-FM (90.9 FM) is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Boston University. It is the largest of three NPR member stations in Boston, along with WGBH and WUMB-FM and produces several nationally distributed program ...
FM. (February 14, 2011) Retrieved February 15, 2011
The school day has no sports, yet is eight hours, two hours longer than normal schools, to allow for classes in the arts disciplines.Tracy Jan
"Aiming for Fame"
''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' (February 4, 2007). Retrieved February 15, 2011
BAA was also Boston's first full-inclusion high school; students with disabilities are fully integrated into the school program.Iris Fanger
"‘Dance Across the City’ returns"
''
Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States of America by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the ''Portland Phoenix'' and ...
''. (January 7–13, 2005). Retrieved February 16, 2011
Mark Shanahan
"The krumper: Russell Ferguson"
''The Boston Globe'' (January 2, 2011). Retrieved February 16, 2011
"Derek Walcott’s Ti-Jean and His Brothers"
Central Square,
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
, Massachusetts. Blog post. Retrieved February 17, 2011
Although admission is academic-blind, eighth graders must audition to be accepted to the performing arts program. In 2007, only 27% of the dance applicants were accepted, just 6% were accepted to the drumming program; and just 25 of the 81 theater applicants. BAA had 800 applicants for 150 slots in 2011. BAA offers an education to urban youth who come from less-than ideal backgrounds. In 2010, the school ran a pilot program for 125 ninth graders in summer school, who spent Fridays at BAA in remedial courses with recent BAA graduates as teachers.June Q. Wu
"With art, students express unspeakable anxieties"
''The Boston Globe'' (August 4, 2010) Retrieved February 15, 2011
The students had very poor attendance records and social problems, such as direct experience with violence. Most were in danger of not being promoted. The program was set up to rekindle an interest in school through non-traditional learning using theater, music,
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
, poetry and other art forms. BAA is a member of the ProArts Consortium. Other members include
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
, the Boston Architectural Center,
The Boston Conservatory Boston Conservatory at Berklee (formerly The Boston Conservatory) is a private performing arts conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, music, and theater. Boston Conservatory was founded ...
,
Emerson College Emerson College is a private college with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts. It also maintains campuses in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and Well, Limburg, Netherlands ( Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a ...
, Massachusetts College of Art, and the
School of the Museum of Fine Arts The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (Museum School, SMFA at Tufts, or SMFA; formerly the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) is the art school of Tufts University, a private research university in Boston, Massachus ...
.Mission Statement
Professional Arts Consortium, official website. Retrieved February 16, 2011
ProArts coordinates programs among its members to expand educational opportunities and resources for participating institutions and works to enrich the arts and arts education in Boston and throughout the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
.


Notable alumni

* Russell Ferguson, winner of season 6, So You Think You Can Dance *
Diane Guerrero Diane Guerrero (born July 21, 1986) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as inmate Maritza Ramos on the Netflix series ''Orange Is the New Black'' and Lina on ''Jane the Virgin''. Guerrero grew up in Boston and remained there afte ...
, actress (rose to prominence with role in ''
Orange Is the New Black ''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Wo ...
'') * David Davidson, guitarist with the band Revocation *
Isaac Akiba The Boston Ballet is an American professional classical ballet company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams and Sydney Leonard, and was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. I ...
, principal with the Boston Ballet Company


References


External links


Boston Arts Academy website
{{authority control High schools in Boston Schools of the performing arts in the United States Educational institutions established in 1998 Public high schools in Massachusetts 1998 establishments in Massachusetts