2021 Private Education Awards

www.lux-review.com Page 9 LUX 2021 Private Education Awards The Kirov Academy of Washington DC has won the Outstanding School Award two years in a row, as well as a multitude of other accolades, accreditations, and medals for its work in fostering creative talent. Cultivating the skills of dancers and musicians with exemplary programmes across the board, its students have gone on to be chosen for a multitude of scholarships and to enrol in any number of prestigious institutions, and its pride in each of its pupils knows no bounds. Kirov Academy of Washington DC Most Innovative School of the Arts 2021 May21027 Above all else, the Kirov Academy of Washington DC is a school dedicated to fostering artistic and academic talent. When working with its pupils, it will strive to cultivate attitudes of love, respect, and service, as each of these form a pillar upon which the rest of the school stands. They also forge Kirov Academy’s fundamental belief in the importance of art and culture in personal development. Fundamentally, it wishes to be the institution that can help create a world of beauty and positive change by encouraging an appreciation for this in its pupils, with courses and teachers that prepare students to become the next leaders in creative expression. Classically training its ballet students, they benefit from courses that take them through the same training as the Vaganova Choreographic Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia, and it offers similarly classical training to its musical students who are taught by world renowned artists via interactive virtual technology. Additionally, this showcases Kirov Academy’s recent collaboration with the Moscow State Conservatory and Sunhwa Arts School. At present, its students are therefore supported in the pursuit of a multi-faceted academic programme that allows them to learn the core subjects and the arts, as well as building a solid academic foundation that prepares them for life as a professional artist. Kirov Academy also works hard to offer its students a proactive resident life program that supports their continued mastery at a college level. Its work refines, curates, and broadens the perspectives of its students, allowing them access to a wide range of cultural, artistic, and creative endeavours that will allow them to develop their own personal style with a solid backbone of knowledge empowering them. In addition, its programmes are academically rigorous, serving as a pathway for academic only students to graduate from its school highly accredited and ready to enter the world’s top universities. Additionally, it is the world’s first dance school outside Russia to be given the name Kirov. Founded in 1990, it is the only private school and non-profit with an accredited curriculum, ballet programme and a 24/7 resident life programme, making it a standout voice in the training and education of young people in the arts. This follows the founding vision of both Reverend Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, originally from Korea, who pioneered classical ballet there through the Universal Ballet Foundation, and encourage all backgrounds of student to partake in the exemplary offering of its school. Washington and the DMV area are extremely diverse, and therefore its student body reflect this, the school caring for each and every one of them – especially during the difficult times of Covid-19, implementing measures such as online classes so that no one missed out. Initially, this pivot to online learning was a steep learning curve, but it was one that the staff of Kirov Academy were excited to undertake as it allowed them to continue serving their students with continued excellence and diligence. This was bolstered by Mrs. Moon’s existing preparations to implement an online learning environment. Whilst many ballet schools were forced to close completely, Kirov Academy continued to provide its tutelage through online instruction, an offering that its students greatly appreciated and that became extremely popular; this even led to a growth period for the school, with enrolment almost doubling over lockdown. In the future, the music will be continuing to grow, excited for upcoming events and innovations – it will also be continuing the music programme it began in 2020, as well as its Gifted and Talented Programme, using the Masterclass Series to empower young minds. Company: Kirov Academy of Washington DC Contact: Stephen Gabb Website: kabdc.org