Class Types
Studio East offers high-quality theater arts education with engaging and experienced Instructors year-round. Our Homeschool and After School programs offer weekly classes during the school year for students age 2-18. We’ve created this classification system to help you choose the right class for your student based on his/her strengths and goals.
Our youngest students can participate in Creative Drama classes which excite the imagination and build interpersonal skills and self confidence. Older students can develop their talents through focused Technique classes which add to their acting “toolbox.” Performance classes give students a chance to put their training to work in a presentation for family and friends. A balance between focus on skill-building and performance will create a solid foundation for every student.
Creative Drama
These classes focus on developing creativity through play – dramatic, musical, movement-based, and visual play. Creative Drama classes encourage spontaneous action and movement, imagination, simple characterization, story-making, and interaction with others. Class activities may include re-enacting stories, going on imaginary adventures in the classroom, and creating visual, verbal and kinesthetic responses to themes and concepts. An important foundation for future drama work!
Technique Classes
Technique classes give young actors the tools they need to succeed as performers. Classes usually conclude with a brief presentation of new skills for families. Learn terminology, develop skills, and build confidence while having a ton of fun with your friends!
Acting Technique
Younger students will learn basic theater terminology, methods for creating characters, and develop teamwork and communication skills. Older students will delve into more complicated acting work through monologues and scenes, developing tools to use when approaching scripts as well as improvised pieces. Specific topics such as Shakespeare, stage combat, improvisation, and clowning are considered Acting Technique.
Singing Technique
Singing skills are essential to young performers interested in musical theater. Geared for students who want to study voice but are not ready to commit to private singing lessons, these small classes are perfect for the aspiring performer. Students will study musical terms and singing techniques and explore their voices through group songs and solos.
Dancing Technique
Musical Theater performers need to learn dance steps and terms and keep their bodies and minds in tip top shape! Younger students are introduced to basic movement concepts, basic dance terminology and healthy technique. Our teen classes are perfect for the beginning or intermediate dancer to build skills and prepare for the next audition or performance.
Yoga
Yoga can be the key to becoming an even stronger performer. In the performing arts we work constantly on developing an awareness of our physical body, breath and being focused. The practice of yoga helps develop all of these and more, working with the physical body on strength, flexibility and mindfulness of movement, focusing on breath, and staying mentally present.
Technical Theater
Technical Theater is the behind-the-scenes art of making sure everyone on stage shines. Whether you are building up a broad acting skill set to become a well-rounded performer, or looking to establish a foundation to launch your career in technical theater, Studio East’s classes will teach you all you need to know in a fun, hands on environment.
Performance Classes
Put theater skills to work in Performance Classes. Confident young performers build skills and gain valuable experience by performing for families and friends on the last day of class.
Story Drama Performance
Story Drama classes help young performers build basic acting and performance skills. Guided by the Instructor, students will adapt an existing story into a theatrical creation. They will study and develop the characters, transform their story into a script, learn lines and rehearse staging, add costumes and props, and finally present their play to friends and family.
Play Creation and Performance
Play Creation classes help young performers build storytelling, acting and performance skills. Starting from scratch, students will use their imaginations to create dynamic new characters and the story that combines them all. The class will write their own script, practice speaking the important lines that tell the story, add props and costumes, and finally present their creation to friends and family.
Acting Performance
Performance classes emphasize character development, ensemble-building, memorization, staging, and communication. Working from an existing script, young actors will experience the production process in a small class environment.
Musical Theater Performance
Singing, acting and dancing combine in these fun and challenging classes. By learning and performing exciting Broadway songs and scenes students will integrate the fundamental elements of musical theater: telling a story through vocal production, facial expression, and movement.
