How does class work?

Our classes are designed to teach singing, dancing, and acting technique through a series of exercises and games. We also focus part of our time on blocking scenes and learning songs and choreography for our open class. Some classes will be more acting-heavy, some others will be more dance-heavy, some others will have more singing involved and some others may have more script writing involved.

How many instructors will teach the class?

Most of the time, one instructor teaches one class at a time but, sometimes, we have two instructors working together. One teacher will be the lead teacher and the guest instructor will complement in a discipline if the lead instructor is not entirely proficient in it. All our instructors are trained in musical theater at a high level. However, naturally, some instructors are stronger dancers or singers or actors. For instance, if the lead instructor is primarily a singer/actor, the guest instructor will be an instructor who’s primarily a dancer. If the program is shorter than our original 12 sessions program or the lead instructor is proficient in all three disciplines, a guest instructor may not be necessary.

We usually call a guest instructor to have a helping hand and a second opinion even during short programs, but sometimes, especially during short programs, having a guest instructor can be counterproductive. It can make things more confusing for our young students and take away from our normal rehearsal time. This decision is made on a case by case basis. Schools and recreation centers are welcome to bring as many assistants as they’d like to our class.

How can I contact your organization?

Our preferred contact method is email. Please, email us directly instead of using the contact form if possible. Most emails sent via contact form are spam so it’s safer to email us from your personal email address.

Will students have to pay for costumes?

No. This is a budget-friendly program and students will be asked to work with clothes and props we can find at home or we can work collectively to find the prop/clothes for them.

When is the open class – mini performance?

The open class takes place during the last 10-15 minutes of our final session. The longer the program, the longer and more polished the mini performance will be. More sessions means more time to learn lines, songs and choreography and gain more confidence on stage.

A student is sick and can’t attend class. How can she/he/they keep up?

The best way to keep up is to study lines and listen to the songs at home until they feel healthy enough to join us again. As for choreography, the instructor will review new dance steps when they return to class to help students catch up.

Do students need to bring anything to class?

On class one or two, students will be given a first draft of the script. It usually includes scene I or both scenes I and II. Students should bring this script to every class. For future classes, students should bring pen and paper for writing the continuation of the script. Also, we encourage students to dress comfortably for movement.

Will some students have more lines than others?

We don´t have leads and supporting actors. However, sometimes some students get a few more lines than others for different reasons. A student that doesn´t miss sessions, memorizes lines in a timely manner, behaves in a responsible way and pays attention during class may get more lines than a student who doesn´t. We understand that sometimes there are age differences in a class and younger students may have a harder time learning longer lines, so we try to even things out by placing them on the front line during a choreography or having a spotlight moment during a certain scene. We try to make everyone feel equally important.

What if the open class has some hiccups?

It’s OK! The open class is not the focus of this program. It´s just the cherry on top. Our program is all about teaching musical theater tools for students to learn dance, singing and acting techniques, but mainly to have fun with it.

Who can I invite to the open class?

Schools and recreation centers are welcome to decide the number of people whom students are welcome to invite to the open class. We like calling the “mini performance” the “open class” instead of “show”, “production” or “performance” to be humble and keep expectations realistic. We will aim for a high quality “musical”, but we like to keep the focus on the learning process, not the closing session.