Academics

The Tulsa Central Dance Company is considered one of the leading public high school dance companies in the Tulsa area for training in formal dance techniques. Our dance classes provide rigorous training in ballet, modern dance, contemporary dance, jazz technique, choreography and composition, dance repertoire, and dance history. Our students enjoy a wide spectrum of performance opportunities, beginning with spring and fall productions scheduled in our home theater. State and regional tours, and lecture demonstrations provide additional performance outlets.

Tulsa Central Dance Company was founded in 2014 by present director, Kilmyn S. Graf. Throughout the years, the Company has established a statewide reputation for strong performance capabilities, and for the quality and professionalism of its dancers. From its inception, the Company has been performance-oriented and currently includes junior high and high school students. The Company performs a variety of original and guest artist works. Our academic and dance colleagues have given enthusiastic reviews to our performances and programs. Accordingly, the Company has received multiple honors at the Oklahoma High School Dance Festival, and also performed as guest artists at Oklahoma City Public Schools’ annual all district dance concert. Tulsa Central Dance Company continues to persevere and offer its students the very best in educational and performance opportunities.

About the Director:

KILMYN S. GRAF is the director of dance at Tulsa Central Junior High and High School Fine and Performing Arts Magnet, Tulsa Public Schools’ premiere accredited high school dance program. Since the onset of her allocation, Ms. Graf founded Tulsa Central Dance Company. Under the direction of Ms. Graf, Tulsa Central Dance Company has performed in various dance festivals throughout the state of Oklahoma. Ms. Graf holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the State University of New York, at Brockport as well as a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Oklahoma School of Dance, where she also performed in Contemporary Dance Oklahoma and taught for three years as a graduate assistant. Ms. Graf has studied at the LABAN Institute in London, England, and received scholarship awards at The Ailey School, Limón Summer Intensive, and Bill Evans Dance Intensive. Additionally, Ms. Graf’s original choreography has been showcased throughout the United States including the main stage at the University of Oklahoma. She has performed and toured with professional companies such as Kista Tucker Dance of Rochester, New York, as well as Hartel Dance Group and Perpetual Motion Dance of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She enjoys a busy schedule as a dance educator.

Student artists explore creative expression through poetry performed in spoken word. They are introduced to themselves by learning themselves, who they are, their voice and encouraged to be vulnerable in a safe place where emotion is celebrated. 

I teach two sections of HS Art History and one HS Art 1 and 2 in a combined class.  Art History class sees lots of visual images on the promethium, and we discover and explore various important art historical periods.  We also study current trends that are famously making money at the NY galleries. 

HS Art 1 and 2 have used clay to make large leaf shaped vessels, still life drawing, we have used oil pastels and colored pencils to draw with and watercolor and melted crayon to paint.  We use glass to create pendants and images in a hot kiln.

Also, I teach middle school art to 7^th and 8^th graders.  These students study basic art theory, which covers the Elements and Principles of design to form a firm understanding of what artists do.  We draw, paint, use clay to make things, and design and collage with colored paper and magazines.  We have made papier-mâché masks, traced each students silhouettes and had them design with in the contours in personalized way.

Claire Milburn
Band Director
milbucl@tulsaschools.org

Tulsa Central Band Program