News + Info

PAA Core Values: Community (Part 2 of 3)

By PAA Webmaster | August 30, 2014

Community has always been important to me.  As a kid I loved playing with the other kids on my street.  In the summer we would play freeze tag and kick the can in our front yards.  In winter we would have snowball fights or dig tunnels and create our own little city.  And, since I…

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PAA Core Values: Character (part 1 of 3)

By PAA Webmaster | August 27, 2014

A post by Jenna Wilcox, PAA Artistic Director. At PAA we spend time working on character. We delve into the scripts and scores looking for clues on who we are playing. What does my character need? Who does my character love or hate? How does the direction given by the director change my interpretation of…

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It all starts with that first step

By PAA Webmaster | August 20, 2014

A guest post by Brian Olson, PAA marketing consultant. There’s a great joke about a guy in New York asking a cab driver how to get to Carnegie Hall. The response? “Practice man, practice.” Success is hard work! It’s been an awesome summer of performances by St. Luke’s Performing Arts Academy. Seeing the kids performing,…

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Wonderful memories and life lessons

By PAA Webmaster | August 13, 2014

A guest post by Elise Collins, PAA student and Boettcher Scholar. My greatest passion is life, observing and experiencing it in all of its teeming and vibrant complexity. Perhaps it is for this reason that I have an intense fervor for performing. Yet such excitement for the miracle of existence did not blossom overnight. It…

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The theatre / Theatre Debate

By PAA Webmaster | August 8, 2014

A post by Krista Beckman, PAA Assistant Producer. Among the ambiguities in spelling that have arisen during the evolution of the English language, perhaps few are as hotly contested as the “theatre”/“theatre” pairing. The spelling entry for these words on the Grammarist website is followed by a long comments section full of insults and sarcasm,…

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Sweet incentives – Candy Kudos

By PAA Webmaster | July 22, 2014

A post by Krista Beckman, PAA Assistant Producer. At PAA, we’ve found that one of the most unique and effective ways to motivate students and foster friendships is – perhaps not surprisingly – CANDY! Though it involves hundreds of chocolate bars and countless lollipops, our Candy Kudos initiative is about much more than satisfying the…

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Fall classes, why should I?

By PAA Webmaster | July 15, 2014

A post by Jenna Wilcox, PAA Artistic Director. The summer has been a blast! You have met and worked with new teachers, made new friends and grown in your confidence and abilities. You’re good, right? Well, not really. The reality of the arts is you must keep moving to grow as an artist and if…

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Let’s Make Music

By PAA Webmaster | July 9, 2014

A guest post by Kay Coryell, PAA Band & Orchestra Camp Director. I started playing the flute when I was 10 years old. There was never a question in my mind about which instrument I   would play. My mom played flute…I would too. So began my lifelong journey into the world of instrumental music, and it’s…

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Putting ‘Family’ in PAA camps

By PAA Webmaster | July 3, 2014

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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Jungle Book was a Howlin’ Great Time!

By PAA Webmaster | June 25, 2014

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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Music Theory

By PAA Webmaster | June 18, 2014

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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Early Opportunities Build a Foundation for Success in Life

By PAA Webmaster | June 11, 2014

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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