Best Schools for Performing Arts, Abu Dhabi, Dubai

Raha International School, Abu Dhabi

As the only full IB Curriculum school in Abu Dhabi, rated Outstanding by the Abu Dhabi Education Council in 2016 (one of only two IB schools rated Outstanding in the UAE), Raha International School clearly wishes to retain this strong position and owner, Taaleem, has invested heavily in its infrastructure over the past 18 months.

One of these major investments has been in a new Performing Arts Centre which opened in September 2016, comprising a Full theatre auditorium with orchestra pit and a capacity to seat 600 people, 2 changing rooms, 2 entrance lobbies which can also be utilised as gallery spaces, 2 drama studios/classrooms, 2 music classrooms, 7 music rehearsal rooms, 3 art classrooms, Small black box theatre space and a Kiln room.

At Raha International, Drama and Music are taught until the end of grade 8 as part of the PYP and MYP programmes, then students specialise in either Art, Drama or Music for the final two years of the MYP. The students write and perform their own scenes and short plays, and learn to play new instruments to form part of an ensemble.

The school has recently appointed a new Head of Performing Arts who will join in September 2017 from a Canadian curriculum Abu-Dhabi based school, where he has developed an excellent reputation. Students in grades 9/10 at the school have won the People’s Choice Award at the Short and Sweet Festival for 2 consecutive years.

In the 2017-18 school year, students in the senior Drama ensemble will be performing in the Short and Sweet Theatre festival, and the school will be producing three major productions – one for primary, one for middle years, and one for senior. The school is also planning on bringing in outside theatre companies and visiting artists.

The instruments taught as part of the Music curriculum are voice and small percussion (from early years) recorders (grade 3), ukulele, xylophone, (later primary). In Secondary,students can learn keyboard or guitar or specialize in band instruments from grade 9 including saxophone, drums, clarinet, french horn, flute, trumpet and trombone.

The IB Diploma programme offers Drama with the intention of adding Music in 2017.

 

The school offers ABRSM tuition as part of the peripatetic music program. The peripatetic Music program consists of two parts:

The first with Amadeus Music Institute –  where 4 Instructors teach  66 students (3.3% of the student Population);
T’Rock and Roll – 2 Instructors tutor 34 students (1.7% of the student population). A total of approximately 5.1% of the student population take music lessons as part of the programme.

There is also an active ECA programme for Dance, Drama and Music which includes Raha PYP & Senior Choirs, Shakespeare in the Piazza, Sketch Club, Comic Creators, Guitar Sing-along, Young Musicians Club, Junior Drama Club, Orchestra, Jazz Band and Creative Dance.

Choirfest Middle East is hosted at Raha every year. The PYP choir has participated in recent few years, and the school intends that middle and senior choirs will also participate from September. Additionally, senior Drama students will participate in the Short and Sweet Theatre Festival in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

At a glance: