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Academy of Performing Arts

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Our Classes

Private Voice Lessons with Jennifer Almeida

$240

with Jennifer Almeida

Calendar Current session started Jan 20, 2025 , runs for 8 weeks
2 additional sessions through Feb 12, 2025

Private voice lessons with Jennifer Almeida. Eight weeks; 30 min lessons. Please register here and Jennifer will contact you for scheduling

Jen is incredibly excited to be teaching voice at the Academy where she is proud to be the President of the board and The Director of Education. She has an extensive background in teaching and performance. Jen has directed musicals, plays, and concerts and has taught private voice and classroom music as well as classes in acting and musical theater.

As a singer and actor in the community, she recently performed as The Woman in Death of a Salesman in the black box at CCFTA, Maria in The Sound of Music, Justice in Rock of Ages, The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Laurey in Oklahoma, Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins, Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls, and Sister Amnesia in Nunsense at the Academy of Performing Arts and with Falmouth Theater Guild as Marian and Chiara in The Bridges of Madison County. She performed the role of Emily Hobbs in Elf the Musical at Cotuit Center for the Arts along with her son, Lucas as Michael Hobbs.

Jen completed her undergraduate degree at the Hartt School and her graduate degree at the New England Conservatory where she was a member of the opera theater program. Jennifer has sung as a soloist with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra and was a regional semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She was a young artist with PORT (Opera Maine) and has performed in several seasons with them. 

Kid's Acting Class

$160

with Denise Page

Calendar Next available session starts Mar 24, 2025 at 4 pm, runs for 8 weeks

Kids Acting Class Winter Spring 2025

Mondays 4-5

Minimum Age 9

Taught by Denise Page & Ryan Van Buskirk

The Villain & The Victim – Becoming Good at Being Bad

This kids acting class is going to focus on the dynamics of portraying the Villain. There’s

almost always one in every story and most of us love to hate the villain! But, what makes a good

villain? It’s not just WHAT they do, but HOW they do it. Two of APA’s favorite villains, Denise

and Ryan (not them personally but them on stage: Miss Andrew, Miss Hannigan & Stanley

Kowalski, Bill Sikes… to name a few) are back to help mold the young actors who want to

explore the various things that go into creating a unique “bad guy” or “bad gal.” We will also go

over how important it is to understand the other side, the villain’s victim. What does the villain

want? That key often lies with their victim (who sometimes becomes the hero but not always),

and in the dynamic of the two positions lies the key to really mastering the dark side needed to

portray a great Villain. Specifically we will cover diction and projection; creating a large and big

presence, even when you sometimes aren’t big; the loud and obvious villain versus the quiet

and more subdued baddie, how comedy plays into some villain character work; being confident

on AND OFF stage, and we’ll have at least two classes with audition prep as well as throwing in

some improv work. Phew! Lots to do and we can’t wait to get started!

 

Adult Acting Course

$160

with Denise Page

Calendar Next available session starts Mar 24, 2025 at 5 pm, runs for 8 weeks

Winter Spring Adult Acting Course Description

Mondays 5-6

Taught by Denise Page & Ryan Van Buskirk

SkitProv: Scripted Improv Acting Course, All Levels -Adult

Do you like acting? Do you like laughing? Do you like improv? Do you like to have fun?

If you answered yes to any of these, or even if you didn’t, this class may be for you! Ryan and

Denise are back with a next level Adult Acting course, that’s also suitable for the new actor.

What the heck is SkitProv? We plan on working with one script for most of the 8 week course.

Initially we’ll audition for it (with a lesson on audition prep), learn the words, and block it taking

care to tweak positioning, projection, interpretation, BUT THEN we’ll add in some fresh razzle

dazzle, and flip the structure… After you learn the script/skit (which will be chosen depending

on class size and participants, and depending on how frisky we are, we may just write one

uniquely for the class!) we’ll then play with it and begin to add in the concept of improv! Maybe

we set it in the South, and work on accents with a drawl; maybe we set it in London in the

1800’s and work on a cockney accent? Maybe we decide the upbeat and fun script we make, is

now set at the RMV with the air conditioning broken on a record hot day in August? We are

taking one of our favorite monologue lessons and re-working this into the entirety of the class.

Complete with prop and costume twists to help the student actor understand different

characters; understand how to think on their feet; understand how to pay attention to their stage

partners; understand and work through different acting emotions required for various character

types. We anticipate this to be a very fun way to cover a lot of different acting and stage topics.

For the showcase presentation event, we will work the same script BUT allow the audience to

help decide that day and in the moment, exactly what that script will look like for us, and we’ll be

ready for whatever that may be. Fun, right?!? Bring a sense of play and imagination for this

one and leave your stress at the door.

Adult and Teen Tap

$160

with Clare MacDonald

Calendar Next available session starts Mar 25, 2025 at 5 pm, runs for 8 weeks

ADULT AND TEEN TAP

Tuesdays 5-6:00

Tap is an enjoyable way to develop core strength, fine and gross motor skills, and musicality. The class will start with a center warm up, move to progressions across the floor and finish with a short choreographed piece. Tap is so much fun, incredibly good for you, and Clare can’t wait to see you on the dance floor!

 

BIO: Clare MacDonald

Clare started as an assistant dance educator at 12 and went on to earn her bachelor’s in PE and Dance. In her mid 20’s, Clare changed directions and became a Special Education teacher, but dance soon called her back. She spent the next 20 plus years teaching Tap, Ballet, Jazz and Hip Hop at Brixham Danceworks in South Berwick Maine. Her primary focus at Brixham was with the younger population, teens and adults. In addition to joining the Playhouse, Clare works at NRHS in the Special Education department.

 

Choreo!

$160

with Dale Johnson

Calendar Next available session starts Mar 27, 2025 at 4 pm, runs for 8 weeks

CHOREO!

Ages 10 - 18

Thursdays

4 – 5

Celebrate your own creativity in Dance and Movement as we explore

and develop choreography in Musical Theatre! Students will choose

one Musical Theatre song to choreograph an original group dance

piece. Focus will be on creation, teaching, support, fun, imagination and

building community and ensemble.

• Each class will incorporate creative warm-up exercises, theatrical

communication, and of course music into our class time.

• Participants will be part of a collaboration of ideas, sharing feedback and

exploring varied dance styles

• Classes will include and incorporate aspects not only of dance, but of

theater and performance.

• Final gathering will include a performance of students’ choreography piece!

CHOREO! Will emphasize the connection between music and movement as we

study the rhythm and emotion of songs, and together create a fun and engaging

piece of art!

 

Prop Mastering with Mark Roderick Part 1 - Swords

$240

with Mark Roderick

Calendar Next available session starts Mar 29, 2025 at 10:30 am, runs for 8 weeks

Saturdays 10:30-12:00

Ages 12 and up

Students will learn the principles of prop making along with basic woodworking techniques in this fun class that combines artistic and practical skills to create stage weaponry that both look and feel the part!





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