Portsmouth Academy of Performing Arts (PAPA) – Fall Classes! Ages 6+

16 Aug 2022

The Portsmouth Academy of Performing Arts offers classes in musical theater, dance, acting and voice. Classes are open to students from ages 6 and up and taught by regional theatre professionals, including Seacoast Rep’s own Resident Artists & Company members. Our elite theatre education is in the form of classes, camps, workshops, and Teen & Youth Productions.

Our mission is to create a supportive, all-inclusive environment, where students with diverse talents, interests and backgrounds can collaborate to create and perform theater. To instill in them the skills they will need to develop into the best performers they can be. To challenge, engage and inspire students to celebrate the power of the performing arts by finding the beauty in our own uniqueness and the strength in our differences to build a more conscious and compassionate society.

PAPA’s Fall Classes are open for Registration!

Intro to Musical Theatre (ages 6-7)

This class will introduce the fundamentals of musical theatre. We will discover basic voice techniques, explore a variety of dance styles, and enjoy theatre games. Students will learn to express themselves through creative group music and movement activities while gaining confidence and appreciation for the arts.

Tuition is $120 (Session 1: Sept. 15th-Oct. 20th)
Tuition is $120 (Session 2: Oct. 27th-Dec. 8th)

Thursday 4:00pm – 4:50pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

Musical Theatre Techniques I (ages 8-9)

This class will encompass all aspects of musical theatre. A series of vocal warmups will lead into relevant musical theatre repertoire. Dance technique will be emphasized and choreography for multiple styles will be taught. Theatre games and improvisation will finish up our weekly class to help build confidence and self-expression.

Tuition is $120 (Session 1: Sept. 15th-Oct. 20th)
Tuition is $120 (Session 2: Oct. 27th-Dec. 8th)

Thursday 5:00pm – 5:50pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

Musical Theatre Techniques II (ages 10-11)

Tuition is $120 (Session 1: Sept. 15th-Oct. 20th)
Tuition is $120 (Session 2: Oct. 27th-Dec. 8th)

Thursday 6:00pm – 7:00pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

JR Rep Company (ages 11-13)

JR Rep Company is designed for students who love to perform and are looking to both advance their musical theater skills and get to perform. Part of each class will be dedicated to developing foundational skills through a series of improv games and acting activities helping students open up on stage and show their natural personalities without fear. The other part of class students will be learning music and choreography for their class’ production number to be performed at a Final Showcase on the Seacoast Rep stage on December 19th.

Tuition is $260 (Session runs Sept. 14th – Dec. 15th)

Wednesdays 4:00pm – 5:00pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

Jazz / Hip Hop Class (ages 13-19)

This class will be focusing on jazz and hip hop dance technique with an emphasis on strength training and cardio-based dance! Along with technique training we will focus on learning/performing these styles of dance with fun upbeat commercialized combos in both classic and modern jazz and hip hop styles of dance!

Tuition is $120 (Nov. 3rd-Dec. 15th) *no class on Thanksgiving

Thursday 4:00pm – 5:00pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

Lyrical / Contemporary (ages 13-19)

This lyrical and contemporary class will focus on modern dance technique and flexibility training. On top of this technique, this class will also give dancers of all levels the opportunity to express themselves through the exploration of dance and learn the values of dancing to the musicality versus the lyrics. Each class will be given a short lyrical or contemporary combo using new skills learned in the class period to weave together technique and performance.

Tuition is $120 (Nov. 3rd-Dec. 15th) *no class on Thanksgiving

Thursday 5:00pm – 6:00pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

Stage Combat (a comedy) (ages 13-19)

In this 6-week class students will learn the fundamentals, etiquette, and execution of fighting in fiction! Actors will practice control, proper eye contact, and the coordination of spacial awareness to kick and punch with love and care. Join us to see how this action packed class brings peace and protection to your fellow actors! If you can’t laugh about it, that’s a problem… Safety first!

Tuition is $120 (Session runs Sept. 12th – Oct. 17th)

Tuesdays 5:00pm – 6:00pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

Partner Dance (ages 13-19)

In this class students will learn about responsibility and trust; and learn to collaborate and listen! Our six- week partner dancing class will utilize classic Broadway styles and Latin dance to assess and understand what it takes to control counterbalance movement, hand-to-hand spins, lifting, and supporting each other. Partnering is a skill and experience for all artist! Not only to make us better collaborators, but with real care, it makes us better people!

Tuition is $120 (Session runs Sept. 12th – Oct. 17th)

Tuesdays 6:00pm – 7:00pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

Acting Techniques (ages 14-19)

There are so many acting techniques to choose from! How do you get into your character’s head? This 5-week course gives actors the basic tools of technique through Stanislavski, Chekhov, Meisner, Viewpoints, Spolin, and Linklater. Actors explore the self; a necessary first step in preparation for building a character; through sensory work, physical and vocal warm-ups, relaxation and concentration exercises, and improvisation. Actors will increase their ability to be present, playful, surprising, empathetic, imaginative, and, most importantly, responsive to their partners.

Tuition is $100 (Session runs Sept. 28th – Oct. 26th)

Wednesdays 5:00pm – 6:00pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

Acting Shakespeare (ages 13-19)

Learn to confidently master Shakespeare and find the timeless universal appeal in his language. In this 4- week class students will discover how to bring Shakespeare’s words to life by examining scripts to create characters, learning the fundamentals of working with a director and scene partner, and performing selected scenes. Students will discover techniques trained classical actors use to develop textual clarity, physicalize intentions, and truthfully connect to the text.

Tuition is $80 (Session runs Nov. 2nd – Nov. 30th)

Wednesdays 5:00pm – 6:00pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

Tap – Advanced Beginner (ages 13+)
This class is for students who have a good knowledge of all tap vocabulary. Students are introduced to more advanced concepts such as musicality, improvisation, more complex combinations, use of space and choreography. Students gradually develop speed, clarity, and understanding of time and tempo.

Tuition is $120 (Session 1: Sept. 22nd-Oct. 27th)

Thursdays 4:30pm – 5:30pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

The Art Of Performance (ages 13-19)
A development program that helps you gain confidence to perform through dance. The curriculum will not only touch on ways to learn/execute commercial choreography, but also teach the student on how to improv through dance without feeling repetitive in your movement, or reverting back to “tricks”.

Tuition is $120 (Session 1: Sept. 22nd-Oct. 27th)

Thursday 5:30 – 6:30pm at The Kittery Community Center.
Register Today!

Teen Rep Company (ages 13-19)

In this audition only group, Teen Rep Company, members receive extensive musical theatre training in acting, singing, and dance honing their musical theatre skills by working on their individual repertoires and with their peers on scenes and musical production numbers from popular musicals. Teen Rep company members will work on vocal technique, building your book, audition prep, scene analysis, building their dance technique, learning choreography, and be pushed to be the best dancers they can be. The session ends with a showcase featuring the scenes and songs mastered throughout the session on December 19th on the Seacoast Rep stage.