• Poly Prep
Our Program

Performing Arts

Dance

Drama

Music

Poly is Dance, Drama, and Music!

Poly Prep’s Performing Arts program enables students to explore the creative process and develop confidence as they express themselves through dance, drama, and music. Our teachers, professional artists in their fields, inspire students to act with imagination as they find their creative voices and come to know the challenges and joys of the artistic process.

Our performing arts curriculum is an exciting combination of in-school courses and wide-ranging extracurricular activities, all of which build skills and encourage students to pursue their artistic interests. At the Middle School level, students are introduced to creative movement, dramatic arts, and general music. All three of these are required elements of the 5th and 6th grade curriculum. From 7th-12th grade, students may begin to choose from a variety of performing arts electives, which allow them to pursue their passion as far as they wish to go, including both AP courses and options for independent study in the Upper School.

Many Middle and Upper School students additionally perform in dance, theater, and vocal and instrumental music productions. The department strongly supports independent projects in all its disciplines, including the annual student-run Afternoon of Student Choreography, senior theater directing projects, music composition, and chamber music groups.

Explore our Curriculum

Performing Arts Faculty

List of 15 members.

  • Michael Robinson 

    Title: Head of Arts
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800 ext. 6130
    Education: Bennington College - BA
    Goddard College - MFA

  • Dan Doughty 

    Title: Performing Arts Department Chair
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800, ext. 6890
    Education: Westminster College - Pa. B.Mus
    Brooklyn College - M.Mus.Ed
    New York University - Kodaly Certification

  • Jill Bolstridge 

    Title: Performing Arts (Middle School)
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800, ext. 6300
    Education: Roger Williams University - BA
    Long Island University - MA

  • Carrie Dowell 

    Title: Performing Arts
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800 ext. 6892
    Education: Butler University - BM
    Kent State University - MM
    Longy School of Music - Graduate Performance Diploma

  • Simone Ferraresi 

    Title: Performing Arts (Music)
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800 ext. 6891
    Education: Frescobaldi Conservatory - BA
    Academy of Music (Vienna)
    Royal Academy of Music (London) - Dip. RAM

  • Eddie Fitzgerald 

    Title: Associate Director of Debate Program

  • Caleb Goh 

    Title: Performing Arts (Upper School)
    Education: Queensland University of Technology - BA
    San Diego State University - MA
    Edith Cowan University - PhD

  • Ashley Hacker 

    Title: Performing Arts (Middle School)
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800 ext. 6741
    Education: College of Brockport - BFA, BS
    New York University - MA

  • David Higham, P'07 

    Title: Theater Manager and Technical Director (Upper School)
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800, ext. 3380
    Education: University of Western Australia

  • Jennifer Nelson, P'12, '14, '19 

    Title: Music and Chorus Teacher (Lower School)
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800, ext. 6542
    Education: Cincinnati Conservatory of Music - BMus, MMus
    Conservatoire National de Strasbourg (France) - Medaille d'Or

  • Pamela Pollock 

    Title: Performing Arts (Middle/Upper School)
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800, ext. 6470
    Education: Binghamton University, SUNY - BA
    New York University - MA

  • Stephen Taylor 

    Title: N-K Music (Lower School)
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800, ext. 6275
    Education: Middlebury College - BA

  • Janna White 

    Title: Director of Forensics and Debate
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800 ext. 6803
    Education: George Mason University - BA

  • Orrin Wilson 

    Title: MS/US Music Teacher
    Education: Southern University A&M College - BM
    Southeastern Louisiana University - MM
    University of Nebraska - DMA

  • Maddy Wyatt 

    Title: Accompanist/Music (Upper School)
    Business Phone: (718) 836-9800 ext. 6987
    Education: University of Michigan - BFA
Confidence, teamwork, and self-expression: these are essential components of mind, body, and character. Poly students have know this since the 1890s when they formed the school's first Dramatic Society. Today, Poly turns a new spotlight on theater, music, and dance. We are setting the stage for leadership in the arts.

Lower School

50 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, New York 11215 | (718) 768-1103

Middle/Upper School

9216 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11228 | (718) 836-9800