Creativity
Creativity is an essential part of any vibrant and bold endeavor. Inherent and universal, creativity allows us to better understand ourselves as individuals and as community members. The Ensworth Arts Department creates a supportive and enlightened environment where our K-12 students can discover, develop, and use their talents to the fullest. We encourage beginning interests and advanced abilities alike, through traditional and contemporary practice, with the aim of fostering in each student a willingness, a courage, and a true fascination with the world around them. The creative act exists where we personally and collectively strive to grasp and express a greater idea. By this work, students become active participants in their learning experience. From pirouette to potter’s wheel, paintbrush to photograph, instrument to prose, theory to performance, we come together as a community to celebrate our students’ creative expression and rejoice in their search for truth.
Academic Arts
Ensworth students take a minimum of four academic art courses to complete their graduation requirement. With a wide variety of choices, depth of pedagogy, and technologically advanced facilities, Ensworth provides a remarkable curriculum for the dedicated artist seeking an immersive experience or the beginner trying something new for the first time. Students choose classes from several different programs—Visual Arts, Theater, Music, and Dance— and are encouraged to diversify and explore in order to discover new talents and interests.
| Guitar 2
Visual Arts
COURSES:
Photo 1, 2, 3, 4
Film Studio
Studio 1, 2, 3, 4
AP Studio
Sculpture 1, 2
Ceramics 1, 2, 3
| Photo by Duncan Rademacher ’27
| 2024 Fall Play: “Skin of Our Teeth”
Theater
COURSES:
Acting 1, 2, 3
PRODUCTIONS:
Fall Play
Spring Play
Musical
Student-Directed One Acts
Music
COURSES:
Guitar 1, 2, 3
Music 1, 2, 3, 4
AP Music Theory
ENSEMBLES:
Rock Band
Jazz Band
Chamber Orchestra
Chamber Singers
Encore
Dance
COURSES:
Dance for Athletes 1, 2
Music Video Dance 1, 2
Dance by Design
ENSEMBLES: Dance Company
Performing Arts Ensembles
In addition to their academic arts courses, students can enroll in a number of exciting performing arts ensembles. Ensembles meet as regularly scheduled classes during the school day alongside academic courses. This provides an excellent opportunity for students to use their talents to the fullest while allowing the individual choice of diversifying and deepening their arts experience. For example, students can join the Rock Band while pursuing Studio Art, study Acting while singing in Chamber Singers, or dedicate their time to a specific discipline by taking courses such as Music Video Dance while joining Dance Team, or by performing in the Orchestra while taking AP Music Theory.
Ingram Arts Center
The Ingram Arts Center is a hub for creative works containing art studios, a darkroom, a graphics lab, gallery spaces, a music rehearsal hall, a black box theater and a dance studio. The 642-seat theater offers a spacious venue for drama, music and dance performances, as well as assembly space. The theater has capable production facilities that include a set-construction workshop, exceptional sound, video, and lighting, an orchestra pit lift, dressing rooms, and a green room.
Theatrical Productions
Outside of the academic school day, students can be involved in several different theatrical productions staged throughout the year. Rehearsals for the Student Directed One Acts, the fall and spring plays, and the musical are held after school. These productions serve as a great point of convergence for the larger student body as many participate who may have dedicated their academic time elsewhere. Students come together onstage for productions ranging from the classics, including Shakespeare, to new works created by students and guest artists, in addition to musicals such as “Shrek” and “Footloose.”
Technical Theater
Technical theater is not just a backdrop to our performances; it is a vibrant learning platform where students cultivate essential life skills. From mastering the intricacies of audio, lighting, set design, or backstage work to collaborating with peers, the experience fosters creativity and teamwork. It empowers students to express themselves, builds confidence, and prepares them for future success in any field.
Creative Technology
Whether it is being immersed in the school recording studio, programming lights, triggering sound design, composing/producing songs in a DAW, calling shows on the clear com, using in-ear monitors for their performance, or filming a scene in front of a green screen, Ensworth artists gain real world experience working behind the scenes, as a part of the scene, or the creator of the scene itself through access and integration of modern creative technologies.
| Ensworth Recording Studio Control Room
Ensworth Arts Department
JIM AVENI K-12 Arts Director
“Visual and Performing Arts education provides experiential learning that enhances knowledge of self, quality of mind, character, and social-emotional intelligence. By engaging in the creative act, students develop multi-dimensional skills, transferable mindsets, and encounter illuminating experiences as foundational parts of their individuality and our collective humanity.”
CODY ALLEN Technical Theater Director
“When you go to a play, the opera, the ballet, or even a concert, you may notice the lighting effects, audio effects, costuming, makeup, and the sets the performers are on. All of these things are part of the world of technical theater. I am excited to bring a sense of Technical Theater ‘magic’ to our many Ensworth productions.”
DAVID BERRY Director of Theater
“The Ensworth theater program extends into and beyond the classroom. Theater classes exercise the Core Skills through in-depth scene studies from dramatic literature, including Tennessee Williams, Samuel Beckett, and Shakespeare. Main stage and student-directed theater productions embrace storytelling as an essential vehicle in a community’s search for truth.”
CATI BLITZ Director of Ceramics and Studio Arts
“The Studio Art and Ceramics programs at Ensworth encourage students to investigate the creative process through idea development and technique mastery within an expansive range of media and subject matter. I love assisting my students develop a passion that will sustain them through adulthood, whether as a professional artist, amateur, or collector!!”
CHRISTINA CARTER Director of Choral Music
“Ensworth’s choral program fosters excellence, creativity, connection, and inspiration, providing students with a space to explore music and its role in society. My honor as an educator is to guide singers on the journey of rehearsing and performing diverse choral works to develop their musicianship, cultivate a strong sense of responsibility, and gain the confidence to reach their fullest potential.”
CLAYTON HAMILTON Director of Instrumental Music
“Music is too exciting for an individual to not be touched by its overwhelming ferocity and absolute beauty. As an educator, it is my duty to provide an outreach to those who want to become better people for the good of themselves and their community. Through education, I will promote respect, dignity, passion, and determination for lifelong learning and quality of life.”
JC JOHNSON Director of Photography and Digital Arts
“Our photo courses are a blend of analog and digital photography, film, video, art history, and new media. Students learn to make intentional images while understanding art’s role in daily life. I believe every course should include technique, concept, cultural relevance, problem-solving, experimentation, and a little bit of magic.”
MORGAN MATENS Arts Department Program Coordinator
“The study of visual and performing arts gives students valuable, lifelong inner resources like creative problem solving, a collaborative spirit, and self-confidence. I support the robust arts programming so students can strive to get the most out of their experience at Ensworth.”
ARIEL STRONG Visual Arts Teacher
“I believe creative education plays a vital role in developing minds that are perceptive, innovative, and compassionate. My goal in the classroom is to help students invest in themselves through self reflection, technical skill advancement, and problem solving—and to do this with much curiosity and joy!”
RACHEL TOLBERT Associate Director of Dance
“It is our mission to both challenge and enlighten students in the storied and ever-evolving art of dance. Drawing from a historical foundation with particular attention to current trends and stylization, we strive to empower students with the necessary tools to be successful and creative in the world of performing arts.”
LINDSAY WHITE Director of Dance
“Ensworth dance students grow creatively, physically, and intellectually as they explore a variety of genres and collaborate to create works of their own. They are challenging themselves as athletes and artists, which is a gift that is unique to the art of dance. The dance program allows students to discover that movement is not only a vehicle for self-expression, but it’s loads of fun, too!”
Ingram Arts Center Gallery
The Ingram Arts Center Gallery serves as a place of community and education to showcase the Visual and Performing Arts. Formed by four spaces throughout the Ingram Arts Center — main gallery, student gallery, hallway galleries, and upstairs gallery, several large-scale exhibitions are curated throughout the year. A variety of programming in this space brings real-world educational opportunities to the students, such as the Coffee Shop Series — an interdisciplinary Ted Talk-like forum for artists from all areas and media, the ArtWalk — a building-wide art exhibition for student engagement across campus, spring and fall art shows, teaching artists exhibitions, singer-songwriter Nights and more. Our yearly K-12 cross-campus art show, VISIBLE, highlights the visual arts through a series of unique and stunning programs displaying the gallery in its whole dimension.
| 2025 VISIBLE K-12 Student Art Show
| 2024 Visiting Artist Exhibition: “Past, Present & Afrofuturism” by X Payne
Visiting Artists
Expanding beyond the traditional classroom experience is a vital part of any real education. The Ensworth Visiting Artist Programs foster such learning by inviting active, creative professionals to share their current ideas and exciting methodologies with our students. These yearly programs are curated by the Arts faculty to support the activities within the classroom. These unique educational opportunities augment our curriculum through collaborative, experiential learning dedicated toward a specific arts area. Visiting Artists educate students by working with them on short-term and long-range creative projects. Recent Visiting Artists include: Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra, Actress Brianna Middleton ‘16, Director Gabe McCauley, Ceramicist Audry Deal-McEver, Photographer Jack Spencer, Ceramic Sculptor Susan Beiner, and Actor Garrett Hedlund.
| Mural Collaboration with Visiting Artist: X Payne
| Film Studio Instruction with Visiting Artist: Travis Nicholson
| Jazz Band Workshop with Visiting Artist: Jeff Coffin
Ensworth School of Music
The Ensworth School of Music is available to all High School students after school. We offer private lessons conveniently located on campus for a wide variety of instruments including guitar, bass, piano, voice, and more. Our instructors range from local university professors, touring artists, and active session musicians in the Nashville music scene.
| 2024 School of Music Winter Recital
Ensworth School of Dance
The Ensworth School of Dance is an after-school dance program committed to providing quality dance education in a positive, caring environment. Our goal is to instill in students a lifelong love of the art, technical proficiency, poise, creativity, and respect for self and others. The Ensworth School of Dance specializes in teaching ballet, hip hop, jazz, tap and tumbling to students ages 4–18.
| 2025 Dance Concert: Dance Company
Summer Arts Programs
Ensworth Arts summer programs are a great opportunity for students Grades 6–12 to learn new abilities, deepen skills, and engage with teachers and their peers through an immersive arts experience. Whether you are looking to try something new, develop aspects of your craft, or to simply use your talents for fun and greater experience, these week-long offerings run throughout the summer and have something for every artistic student. Our diverse offerings include a Middle School Musical Intensive, Visual Art, Printmaking, Stone Carving, Photography, Digital Art, Dance, Music Technology, Rock Band, Vocal Arts, and more.
In Search of Truth MISSION
Ensworth is a kindergarten through twelfth grade, coeducational independent school. The School promotes academic excellence and inspires students to be intellectually curious, to use their talents to the fullest, to be people of integrity, and to be contributors to society.
VISION
We envision a school community dedicated to following the highest principles with the greatest love, as characterized by moral integrity, intellectual vitality, discipline, compassion, humor, and joy.
615.250.8916
615.250.8916
