234 St Kilda Road
Southbank  3006
Phone: +61 3 9685 9320 
Fax: +61 3 9685 9463
Website: http://www.vcass.vic.edu.au/
Email: VCASS

The Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS) is a leading state government secondary school of talented young dancers and musicians.  It is open to Year 7 to Year 12 students throughout Melbourne, regional centres, nationally and internationally.  It is considered to be Victoria’s Premier School for the Education and Training of Talented Young Dancers and Musicians.  The school is part of the Victorian College of the Arts and was founded in 1978.

Entry is by competitive audition which is held in August each year.  Overseas students are able to audition by video.

The VCA Secondary School provides a secondary education devoted equally to academic studies and the study of music or dance.  Its purpose is specifically to prepare talented young people for professional careers in music and dance.  Students spend approximately half of their day studying their academic work and half of their day in dance or music studies.  VCASS students must be highly motivated in order to manage the heavy workload.

The VCA Secondary School also provides a specialist academic education to the Australian Ballet School, Victorian Institute of Gymnasts and Tennis Australia’s Targeted Athlete Program.

Academic studies include a full range of subjects from Year 7 through to VCE and also include a number of VET studies.  VCE results are consistently high, the school being ranked in the top ten state schools for VCE achievement in 2004.  Teaching staff at the school are employed by the Department of Education and Training.

Music and dance are taught by lecturers from the VCA School of Dance and Music who are highly skilled, experienced performing artists and educators.  VCASS students also have access to visiting national and international artists and master classes throughout the year.

Dance subjects include classical ballet, contemporary and world dance, jazz, tap, kinetic studies, theoretical studies, acrobatics, music and anatomy.

Music subjects include a principal and optional second study, performance skills, ensemble, orchestra, musicianship, history and literature.  All our students complete choir work as part of their training as a musician.

Many performance opportunities are offered to students.  These performances take place at professional venues such as Federation Hall, Iwaki Auditorium, St John’s Church at Southgate, and the Grant Street and CUB Malthouse Theatres.

Graduates from the school gain placements and performing at the highest levels in Australia and throughout the world.