News & Info
A post by Valerie Koenig, PAA parent & staff. My six year old daughter attended her first PAA Intensive program in June. She was among the youngest of the students, and with 7 hour days for 2 weeks, I was both nervous and excited for her. I knew she would learn a lot and have…
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A guest post by Melanie Kirkpatrick, PAA Site Director. PAA’s first intensive of the summer wrapped up on Friday, June 13, and a great time was had by all! More than 225 friends, family and members of the community crowded into the East Elementary gymnasium to watch our 38 students sing, dance and act their…
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A guest post by Krista Beckman, PAA Assistant Producer. For musicians of every age and skill level, music theory has the potential to inform and enrich every aspect of their music-making. Young musicians in particular benefit tremendously from its ability to empower – by experiencing the music they learn on a deeper level with an increasing knowledge of…
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A guest post by Brian Olson, PAA Marketing Consultant. All through school and our professional lives we’re expected to perform. Maybe not on stage (Although wouldn’t that be cool!) but in just about everything we do. Ever seen a great speaker at an event? You know, someone with poise, a person who commands the room.…
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A guest post by Seth Alison, PAA Technical Director and Co-Theatrical Director. theatre has two main aspects. There is the performance side that is most widely recognized, and there is the technical side which is where you will find me more subtly creating the lighting aspects of the performance. I work closely with the Design team…
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A guest post by Tracey Zimmerman. I can’t imagine my life without the art of dance. My dance training began at the age of two, and I have been fortunate enough to still have it be such a huge influence on my life both professionally and personally. I have trained with some amazing teachers and…
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A guest post by PAA instructor, Sarah “Frankie” Frank. When I was 12 years old, I started training in improvisational acting and the skills I learned from my coaches and peers have had incredible influence on my life. Improv is a form of acting that requires quick thinking, word and image association and spontaneous partnership…
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A guest post by PAA parent, Jill Lee. We choose PAA year after year because of the values it teaches the kids, the focus it places on each individual and the friendships it has created for our daughter. During the 2 weeks of PAA I will come by a little early so that I can…
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A guest post by PAA parent, Suzanne Sharpe. As I reflect back on the many years that we have participated in PAA (my son Devin participated in the very first PAA and has not missed a musical intensive yet!), I am amazed at the influence the program has had in our lives. We started participating…
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A guest post by Thomas Gerlick. When going for an audition your job is not to get a role, but to showcase your abilities as best you can. There are so many things that go into the casting process that are beyond the actor’s control that it’s best not to worry about it. One you have…
Read MoreA guest post by Piper Arpan McTaggart. It takes a village to make a great show. Everyone has unique gifts and talents to share. That being said, be humble. Be kind. Know where you fit in to the mix. As a director and choreographer, I have not hired incredibly talented actors or technicians because I knew…
Read MoreThe past few years have brought a lot of changes to Music and Arts funding and programming in our local schools and the reduction in offers at school has opened up a host of opportunities in the community. SO what sets us apart? We welcome students of all skill levels and help them grow to…
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