Class Descriptions

Acting Classes
 
General Description: Our acting classes focus on providing students with the confidence to perform in front of others with poise, confidence, and panache. Students will learn essential theater terminology along with a historical overview of the discipline of acting. In addition, students will learn a variety of physical and vocal warm ups to assist in everything from auditions to live performances. Each semester will have different units ranging from character development, scene work, and audition training, including memorization techniques. Each course is designed to strengthen the students abilities, culminating in a mastery of acting methods that will best prepare students for any theatrical pursuit.
 
Class 1 (ages: 7-8) – Introduction to Theater: the basics! Emphasis on working with students to help them become comfortable with performing as a character in front of an audience. Limited terminology. Heavy focus on unscripted, fun improvisation games to promote confidence in voice and body. Guiding theme for the course is acting through story telling. 
 
Class 2 (ages: 9-10) – Acting I: Students will be introduced to performing memorized scenes together.  Overview of comedic and dramatic acting styles with work to begin recognizing individual proclivities and interests and enhancing natural strengths. 
 
Class 3 (ages: 11-12) – Acting 2: Heavy emphasis on physical and vocal control. Great deal of attention on awareness of stage presence. Introduction to various acting methodologies.
 
Class 4 (ages: 13-15) – Acting 3: Introduction of industry terminology, heavy emphasis on audition process. Introduction to monologue technique, in addition to scene work. Will have a prepared audition monologue by end of course.
 
Class 5 (ages: 16-18) – Advanced Acting: focus on individual, working on monologues and scenes to improve specific individual needs. Heavy emphasis on development and workshop of scenes and monologues. Will have a prepared audition monologue by end of course.
 
Acting Dialect: This course focuses on teaching students the techniques necessary to acquire and utilize geographically diverse dialects. This class will include extensive work on diction clarity with a focus on mastery of voice. Introduction to the international phonetic alphabet, coupled with an analysis and rehearsal of a variety of dialects, ranging from American to European, provides students with a comprehensive introduction to dialect work, allowing for a solid foundation to pursue advanced dialect technique.  This course is only offered to advanced acting students.
 
Shakespeare Classes 
 
General Description: Our Shakespeare curriculum is based largely on the corresponding acting courses, with the main difference being all performance material will come from Shakespeare's works. Because of the advanced nature of Shakespearean acting, only the older students will have access to Shakespeare courses. These courses are designed to provide substantial competitive prowess for actors looking to compete at the Shakespeare Festival, in addition to enhancing all elements of contemporary acting due to the advanced nature of classical performance in comparison to contemporary work.
 
Class 1 (ages: 11-12) – Introduction to Shakespeare: historical overview of Shakespeare, time period, and language. Text will be cut to provide easy understanding. Plot analysis of main plays, Scene work with assigned and cut scenes.
 
Class 2 (ages: 13-15) – Intermediate Shakespeare: deeper analysis of Shakespearean text; limited cutting of plays. Heavy emphasis on scenes, and introduction of Shakespearean monologues. 
 
Class 3 (ages: 16-18) – Advanced Shakespeare: full linguistic analysis, heavy character development, profound plot and thematic discussion. Heavy scene and monologue work with rigorous feedback and fine tuning. Comedic and Dramatic classical audition monologue to be completed by end of course.
 

MDT- Music/Dance/Theater Classes

General Description: Our Music/Dance/Theater (MDT) classes will focus on each of the three main concentrations of musical theater; music, dance, and theater studies.  This is a specially designed course where fundamentals of musical theater are broken down and analyzed from the audition process to the performance. Great emphasis will be placed on recognizing the relevance of each discipline as it relates to musical theater and preparing students for auditions and musical theater performances. 1/3 of each class period will be devoted to vocal development, improving acting skills, learning choreography and helping students achieve that triple threat combination.  The culmination of this course will result with students gaining a broader understanding of musical theater from their participation in a fun and exciting musical theater production experience that will increase their abilities and help them to become well rounded performers.

 

Dance Combination Classes

General Description: Our dance combination classes are designed to nurture and develop the stage performer and focus on providing students with both music and dance training.  This training will give them the ability to perform in front of others with poise, confidence and stage presence.  Students will learn proper balance, dance technique, spatial awareness, musicality and dance terminology as they are introduced to different styles of dance and music.  They will also learn proper breathing and voice technique to improve their vocal skills.  Our music/dance classes combine voice and dance together to help develop the skills needed for musical theater and other entertainment opportunities.

 Sing and Tap-  (Boys and Girls Ages 4-5) Fun introductory class for both boys and girls that integrates singing and tap dancing together!  Students will learn beginning tap dance technique, rhythm, balance, and vocal skills that will help them develop confidence and coordination. Students will enjoy singing and tapping together as they learn and perform choreography to fun upbeat music. 

Sing & Creative Ballet- (Girls ages 4-5) Great introductory class similar to the “Sing & Tap” class integrating singing and ballet together.  This class introduces students to ballet through creative movement as they learn graceful ballet steps, turns, leaps, etc.  Students will gain confidence and grace as they learn and sing and perform fun choreography.

Combo-Sing, Tap and Character Ballet- (Girls ages 6-8) Fun combo class that combines singing, tap dancing and ballet together.  Students will expand their tap and ballet dance skills and be introduced to character ballet. Emphasis will be on developing grace, expressiveness, stage presence, rhythm, coordination and vocal skills as they learn and perform character choreography.

Boys- Sing, Tap and Choreography-  (Boys ages 6-8) Designed specifically for boys, this class combines singing, tap dancing and an introduction to musical theater choreography.  Emphasis on tap dance technique, stage presence, rhythm, musicality and vocal skills will be applied to fun and exciting choreography.  Students will shine as they sing, tap, and dance in the tradition of Gene Kelly, Gregory Hines and Savion Glover.

Tap/Technique/Jazz- (Boys and Girls ages 9-12, 13-18) A seriously entertaining class that will help students learn and improve their technique in Tap and Jazz.  Students will learn advanced dance steps and dance moves as they practice and perform musical theater choreography. Students will focus on tap and jazz technique, various styling of each genre, as well as proper form, turns, leaps and lifts.

 Lyrical/Character Choreography- (Girls ages 9-12, 13-18) Students will explore and gain an understanding of the different styles of Lyrical and Character dancing with an emphasis on musical expression and choreography.  This class will allow students to become more confident with proper stage movements and presence as well as learn to create their own choreography and learn tips for picking up choreography quickly.  Students will learn basic ballet technique, grace, poise, musicality, and how to express themselves and convey meaning through fluid lyrical movements and character roles. 

Jazz/Lyrical/Ballet-(Girls ages 9-12, 13-18) A fun combination of Jazz and Lyrical with a foundation in ballet.  Students will explore different styles of Jazz and Lyrical dancing with an emphasis in proper ballet technique.  This class will allow students to become well rounded dancers and able to adapt and apply ballet and jazz to musical theater.  Students will learn ballet technique, musicality, poise, grace and presence.  Students will develop skills and confidence while gaining an understanding of how both dance forms can be used together on stage.

 American Style Ballroom-This class will prepare students for couple dances in musicals and they will learn dances like the Polka, Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Cha-cha, Foxtrot, Lindy, Triple Swing, West Coast Swing, and Lifts.  Students will learn how to dance with a partner and the importance of dance position, proper posture, tone, and lead & follow.  Students will learn different rhythms, timing, musicality and how to recognize a variety of music and dance styles.

 

Voice Classes

General Description: Our voice classes are individually focused and will help each student to improve self confidence and vocal skills as they sing ensemble works together.  Our classes teach music theory along with proper breathing and vocal techniques.  There will be an emphasis on various vocal styles and musical genres so each student can understand and apply those differences, resulting in a versatile, well-rounded vocalist.