The Performing Arts - Achieving specialist status as a Performing Arts college was a welcome recognition of the excellence of Arts at St Michael's. Extensive opportunities exist for pupils of all ages and abilities to extend their talents and interests through our music, dance and drama provision.

Music - We have four choirs in both Lower and Upper school open to all pupils. Pupils may also audition for the Chapel Choir and its junior counter part, the Training Choir, both of which were formed for enhancing the worshipping life of the school. Our three bands and orchestra provide opportunities for the 200 or more pupils who receive instrumental tuition through school to develop their skills within ensemble playing. Children are encouraged to join the Training Band as soon as they acquire elementry skills and they progress into the Senior and Stage Bands, the former carrying eighty or more highly competent woodwind, brass and percussion players and the latter offering a smaller group the more demanding and challenging rhythms of popular jazz, blues and dances styles. Smaller ensembles and solo performance are an integral part of the department's work, and a number of 'academies' for our gifted and talented musicians allow pupils to manage and develop their own small groups. During the last two years our Steel Band has become extremely popular.

Dance
The Dance Department offers a range of dance opportunities including 'The Code' (Centre of Dance Excellence) and each year group has its own Dance Company. In addition we have a very popular All Boys Dance Company (ABDC). In Upper school, principal choreographers are nominated to assist Dance Captains in actually creating and teaching pieces for others dancers in the group. This in effect places total responsibility on the pupils to create, rehearse and perform the dance pieces. We are fortunate enough to be able to hold dance residencies for professional dance companies throughout the year and our GCSE Dance and Gifted and Talented pupils benefit greatly from working with a real variety of professional performers and choreographers e.g. The Rambert Dance Company, The Ludus Dance Company and The Random Dance Company to name but a few.