Arts: Performing & Visual
Arts at Maharishi
Express your unique talents at Maharishi School
Explore our vibrant Performing and Visual Arts programs, designed to nurture our students’ creativity, develop their artistic talents, and cultivate self-confidence.
Whether you’re a seasoned performer or just discovering your artistic spark, Maharishi School offers a supportive and inspiring environment to explore your creative side. Dive deeper and discover how the Arts at Maharishi School can enrich your educational journey!
Theatre | Drama | Poetry
Performing Arts
The performing arts shine in Maharishi School’s project period. Project choices rotate from play productions, video creations, musical theater, music and recording arts, and the Iowa High School Speech Association competitions (IHSSA).
The IHSSA Large Group Competition and Individual Competition are state-wide dramatic competitions involving schools from all over Iowa. These are three-level competitions beginning at the District level and advancing to the State competition. Teams or individuals are selected from state-level performances to either perform or be recognized at the All-State competition. If a school is selected to perform, it has the chance to compete for the Critics’ Choice award.
Maharishi School has been competing in the IHSSA Large Group Competition since 1988 and has received Critic’s Choice awards 18 times in the areas of Musical Theater (1), One Act Play(1), Choral Reading(6), Group Mime(6), Solo Mime(2), Reader’s Theater(1) and Radio Broadcasting(1). We have also had teams perform at All-State in the categories of Ensemble Acting and TV News and received the sweepstakes trophy for the most entries honored at All-State in 1998 and again in 2003.
All Upper School students may participate in IHSSA competitions by selecting it as their project period in the 2nd and 3rd quarter of each year.
Theatre | Drama | Poetry
Visual Arts
In the study of art at Maharishi School, students gain a working understanding of the principles of art and design and become familiar with analyzing and understanding artworks. Students are encouraged to develop personal reactions and ideas. This helps to nourish the students’ awareness through self-referral and reflection; they become more visually aware, flexible, and open to the arts.
“The purpose of art is to elevate the viewer, to raise his level of consciousness. The artist while creating, dives deep within, contacts the field of pure Creative Intelligence, and rises to express creativity. The viewer experiences the artist’s work of art from the outside and through the work of art, dives deep within himself. The work of art does not sit permanently or statically. The consciousness that the art reflects and contains bounces into the viewer and enlivens his being. Successful art keeps enlivening infinity in the people who enjoy it, and continues to resonate infinity in itself generation after generation.” — Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Students have pursued their artistic passions through our Project Period with watercolor, acrylic, and oil painting, Japanese woodworking, textile art, photography, ceramics, and architectural design.
IOWA Dance Collective | Upper School
Dance
We are thrilled to continue our vibrant collaboration with the Iowa Dance Collective, a partnership that brings professional-level dance education to our Upper School students. Through this dynamic program, students have the unique opportunity to enroll in a diverse range of dance courses, receiving expert instruction from the acclaimed artists of the Iowa Dance Collective. The dedication, skill, and creative expression cultivated throughout the year culminate in a stunning annual performance, a celebrated event that showcases the remarkable talent of our students and stands as a testament to the powerful synergy between our educational communities.
Meet Iowa Dance Collective
At Iowa Dance Collective, we believe in the transformative power of dance to shape lives, build community, and expand possibilities. Our mission is to provide exceptional, inclusive dance education rooted in artistic excellence, personal growth, and community engagement.