YAAStudio I: Storytelling (new!)

Grades 4-6 (Beginner)
Placement by submitted audition videos.

Tuesdays, 6:00-9:00pm (IN-PERSON)

• 3 hours of weekly instruction for 12 weeks

Dates

• September 2022 thru February 2023

Location

• Academy of the Holy Cross, Kensington, MD

Tuition:

• $1,495 (12 weeks of instruction)

Minimum enrollment: 5 students

Level Description

YAAStudio I classes are designed for the beginner elementary/middle school performing artist who is looking to build their confidence and skills toward performance. Providing students with an interdisciplinary, foundational musical theatre education, the YAAStudio I program consists of weekly fundamental small group classes in dance, acting, and voice.

Curriculum

• Acting for Storytelling: Students will learn the fundamentals of acting, including: key terminology, improvisation, stage directions, projection, articulation, and characterization through theatre games, open scenes, and scenes.

• Movement for Storytelling: Students will build their body awareness and control through musical theatre movement. This class will strengthen core movement skills such as balance, coordination, positioning, and fundamental dance steps. 

• Voice for Storytelling: Students will gain confidence in singing in a group and as a soloist as they study musical theatre repertoire. This class will build skills in breath control, pitch matching, resonance, vocal placement, ear-training, and reading music through a class voice setting.

Final Conference

At the end of the course, a parent/teacher/student conference will be scheduled on Zoom to reflect on the student’s overall progress made during the course, discuss future opportunities, and answer any outstanding questions. These conferences run 20 minutes and will be scheduled the week of February 6-10, 2023.

Scroll to bottom of this page to see Class Calendar.

YAAStudio II:
Foundations

Grades 6-8 (Intermediate)
Placement by submitted audition videos.

Tuesdays, 6:00-9:00pm (IN-PERSON)

• 3 hours of weekly instruction for 12 weeks

• individualized progress meetings

Dates

• September 2022 thru February 2023

Location

• Academy of the Holy Cross, Kensington, MD

Tuition:

• $1,495 (12 weeks of instruction)

Minimum enrollment: 5 students

Level Description

YAAStudio II classes are designed for the intermediate middle school performing artist who is looking to build their confidence and skills toward performance. Providing students with an interdisciplinary, foundational musical theatre education, the YAAStudio II program consists of weekly small group classes in dance, acting, and voice.

Holistically, these courses will prepare students for how to approach and prepare material for auditions, callbacks and shows by mentoring students to develop their own foundational method for learning material, making choices, and interpreting character through singing, dancing, and acting.

Curriculum

• Acting Foundations: Students will learn the fundamentals of acting, including: key terminology, improvisation, stage directions, blocking, and character analysis through scene work and songalogues.

• Dance Foundations: Students will strengthen their foundational understanding of dance by focusing on: musical theatre basics, body positioning, ballet and jazz fundamentals through technical exercises and dance combinations.

• Voice Foundations: Students will strengthen their ensemble voice skills through ear training, harmonizing, and solo singing. Students will focus on song interpretation from a character lens as well as building confidence in singing within an ensemble.

Goal Setting, Progress Meeting, and Final Conference

Twice throughout the course, students will meet one-on-one with faculty to discuss their goals and progress. These meetings provide an opportunity to better know their instructors and begin to articulate their goals for improvement in each discipline. These Zoom meeting sessions last 15 minutes and will be scheduled with the student and teacher’s schedule in mind.

Fall goal setting will take place the week of October 3-7, 2022 and the Progress Meeting will take place the week of November 21-23, 2022. At the end of the course, a parent/teacher/student conference will be scheduled on Zoom to reflect on the student’s overall progress made during the course, discuss future opportunities, and answer any outstanding questions. These conferences run 20 minutes and will be scheduled the week of February 6-10, 2023.

Scroll to bottom of this page to see Class Calendar.

YAAStudio III:
TECHNIQUE

Grades 8-10 (Intermediate)
Placement by submitted audition videos.

Tuesdays, 6:00-9:00pm OR
Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30pm (IN-PERSON)

• 3 hours of weekly instruction for 12 weeks

• individualized progress meetings

Dates

• September 2022 thru February 2023

Location

• Academy of the Holy Cross, Kensington, MD

Tuition:

• $1,495 (12 weeks of instruction)

Minimum enrollment: 5 students

Level Description

YAAStudio III classes are designed for the intermediate performing artist in grades 8-10 looking to focus on the process of becoming a performer by further developing their technical skills in acting, dance, and singing.

Providing students with a robust, interdisciplinary musical theatre education, the YAAStudio III program consists of weekly technique classes in dance, acting, and voice. Additionally, optional asynchronous assignments will be offered to provide students the opportunity to further develop their skills through personal practice at home.

Holistically, these courses will prepare students for how to approach and prepare material for auditions, callbacks and shows by mentoring students to refine their own technical method for learning material, making choices, and interpreting character through singing, dancing, and acting.

Curriculum

• Voice & Movement for the Actor: Students will build their technical skills to improve performance, including: concentration, breath control, speaking/singing with a supported sounding, and exploring the mind/body/voice connection. By focusing on different approaches to physicalizing and vocalizing character, students will strengthen control over their bodies while exploring the range of emotional interpretation through sung and spoken text.

• Dance Technique: Students will strengthen dance technique, honing their skills in: ballet, jazz, and tap, as well as body positioning, core strength, movements across the floor, and improving performance through choreographed combinations.

• Singing Interpretation: Students will work in a class setting to develop their repertoire and audition book through focus on solo singing and duets.

Goal Setting, Progress Meeting, and Final Conference

Twice throughout the course, students will meet one-on-one with faculty to discuss their goals and progress. These meetings provide an opportunity to better know their instructors and begin to articulate their goals for improvement in each discipline. These Zoom meeting sessions last 15 minutes and will be scheduled with the student and teacher’s schedule in mind.

Fall goal setting will take place the week of October 3-7, 2022 and the Progress Meeting will take place the week of November 21-23, 2022. At the end of the course, a parent/teacher/student conference will be scheduled on Zoom to reflect on the student’s overall progress made during the course, discuss future opportunities, and answer any outstanding questions. These conferences run 20 minutes and will be scheduled the week of February 6-10, 2023.

Scroll to bottom of this page to see Class Calendar.

YAAStudio IV:
Styles & Repertoire

Grades 9-12 (Intermediate/Advanced)
Placement by submitted audition videos.

Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30pm (IN-PERSON)

• 3 hours of weekly instruction for 12 weeks

• individualized progress meetings

Dates

• September 2022 thru February 2023

Location

• Academy of the Holy Cross, Kensington, MD

Tuition:

• $1,495 (12 weeks of instruction)

Minimum enrollment: 5 students

Level Description

YAAStudio IV classes are designed for the intermediate/advanced performing artist in grades 9-12 who is looking to focus on the process of becoming a performer by further developing their interpretive skills and repertoire acting, dance, and singing.

Providing students with a robust, interdisciplinary musical theatre education, the YAAStudio IV program consists of weekly repertoire-based classes in dance, acting, and voice. Additionally, optional asynchronous assignments will be offered to encourage students to develop a consistent personal practice at home.

Holistically, these courses will prepare students for how to interpret material for auditions, callbacks and shows by mentoring students to refine their own method for learning material, making choices, and interpreting character through singing, dancing, and acting.

Curriculum

• Approaches to Acting: Students will delve into different styles of acting technique through contemporary monologues and scene study, including contemporary comedic and dramatic monologues, as well as songalogue work. In addition, students will dive into scene study to apply their own methodical approach to a text in collaboration with another student.

  • Realism (Method acting): teaches actors to “substitute” or “transfer” their own memories into the experiences of their characters, building deep connections based on their own personal truths.

  • Meisner: teaches actors to “live truthfully under given imaginary circumstances.” The work emphasizes openness, honesty, and listening above all.

  • Physical Theatre Techniques: such as Rasa Boxes and Laban Movement Analysis. Rasa Boxes teaches actors to develop emotional, vocal, and movement abilities in order to become what Artaud called an "athlete of the emotions." Laban Movement Analysis breaks down human movement into effort actions that are often used by dancers and actors to develop a rich, physical performance.

• Styles of Dance: This intermediate/advanced level musical theatre dance class will refine students’ technical skills in jazz & tap, including body positioning and key terminology in varied styles. Students will receive individualized attention, feedback, and coaching.

• Song Repertoire & Audition Book Development: Students will work in a class setting to develop their audition book by working on building their repertoire, and will leave with a personalized vocal repertoire that they can offer at auditions..

Goal Setting, Progress Meeting, and Final Conference

Twice throughout the course, students will meet one-on-one with faculty to discuss their goals and progress. These meetings provide an opportunity to better know their instructors and begin to articulate their goals for improvement in each discipline. These Zoom meeting sessions last 15 minutes and will be scheduled with the student and teacher’s schedule in mind.

Fall goal setting will take place the week of October 3-7, 2022 and the Progress Meeting will take place the week of November 21-23, 2022. At the end of the course, a parent/teacher/student conference will be scheduled on Zoom to reflect on the student’s overall progress made during the course, discuss future opportunities, and answer any outstanding questions. These conferences run 20 minutes and will be scheduled the week of February 6-10, 2023.

Mock Audition

At the end of the course, student learning will culminate in a Mock Audition presentation (song, dance, & monologue) during which students will receive feedback on their prepared work and ability to incorporate adjustments.

Scroll to bottom of this page to see Class Calendar.

YAAStudio V:
ROLE STUDY (new!)

Grades 11-12 (Advanced)
Placement by submitted audition videos.

Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30pm (IN-PERSON)

• 3 hours of weekly instruction for 12 weeks

• individualized progress meetings

Dates

• September 2022 thru February 2023

Location

• Academy of the Holy Cross, Kensington, MD

Tuition:

• $1,495 (12 weeks of instruction)

Minimum enrollment: 5 students

Level Description

YAAStudio V: Role Study is designed for the advanced performing artist in grades 11-12 and students taking a gap year.

Providing students with a robust, interdisciplinary musical theatre education, the YAAStudio V curriculum creates opportunities for students to apply knowledge they have gained across levels and apply them to classical and contemporary musical theatre repertoire.

Curriculum

• Role Study: Voice & Acting: In this weekly two-hour class, students will focus on the art of building and interpreting a character through exploration of 2-3 longform scenes and a selection of solo material that include spoken and sung text from various eras of musical theatre. Working cross-curricularly with an acting instructor and vocal coach, students will hone their independent rehearsal skills in addition to refining their collaboration with directors and scene partners.

• Repertoire Dance: Students will learn and perform a range of choreography styles inspired by famed choreographers and iconic shows taking into consideration nuances of style in their performance. Working within the perspective of roles in an ensemble, students will learn how to give and take focus, apply character choices to their dance performances, and gain experience in performing dance as a featured player and a member of the ensemble.

Goal Setting, Progress Meeting, and Final Conference

Twice throughout the course, students will meet one-on-one with faculty to discuss their goals and progress. These meetings provide an opportunity to better know their instructors and begin to articulate their goals for improvement in each discipline. These Zoom meeting sessions last 15 minutes and will be scheduled with the student and teacher’s schedule in mind.

Fall goal setting will take place the week of October 3-7, 2022 and the Progress Meeting will take place the week of November 21-23, 2022. At the end of the course, a parent/teacher/student conference will be scheduled on Zoom to reflect on the student’s overall progress made during the course, discuss future opportunities, and answer any outstanding questions. These conferences run 20 minutes and will be scheduled the week of February 6-10, 2023.

Process Presentation

At the end of the course, student learning will culminate in a process presentation for classmates, friends, and family sharing the work they have cultivated over the course.

Scroll to bottom of this page to see Class Calendar.

Caroline Dubberly (Acting)

David Singleton (Dance)

Jamie Choi (Vocal Coaching)

Stephen Crisp (Vocal Coaching)

Beth Ann Zinkievich (Vocal Coaching)