2009 - 2010 Drama Division Classes:

PYT'S NEW KINDER(GARDEN)

MONDAYS: STORYBOOK GREENHOUSE - Ages 2½ - 5½
(Creative Drama)
Every week, a new storybook springs to life as your young adventurers become their favorite characters exploring scenes and dialogue in PYT’s Storybook Greenhouse, all the while growing expressiveness, coordination and musicality.

INSTRUCTOR: Jill Dunn

TUESDAYS: STORIES IN MOTION - Ages 2½ - 5½
(Creative Movement)
What better way to introduce rhythm, dancing, and acting than exploring your young star’s favorite storybook characters through movement, music, and imagination. Creativity and self-expression are on display in this exciting new class.

INSTRUCTOR: Amy Browne Smith

WEDNESDAYS: MUSIC TOGETHER - Ages 2½ - 5½
(Creative Music)
PYT is proud to partner with Valley Music Together to bring our families a unique and powerful program. By providing a rich musical environment, Music Together™ allows families to discover the pleasure and educational value of informal music experiences.

INSTRUCTORS: Music Together

THURSDAYS: CREATION STATION - Ages 2½ - 5½
(Creative Arts)
If you have a “hands-on” explorer in the family, then join us each week for a session in storytelling with arts and crafts. This unique class focuses on your young star’s natural sense of play. As a new storybook is introduced each week, fun with characters and crafts highlight the day.

INSTRUCTOR: Gary Minyard

OTHER Classes For toddlers ages 3-5 running 26 weeks:

PLAYMAKERS - Ages 3 & 4
The young artist in your family will find inspiration as they respond to literature through creative drama activities, movement, and music. Nursery rhymes, storybooks, and a multitude of props and costumes will inspire your young artist to create characters and explore amazing worlds. Children will perform in an end-of-the-year showcase, as well as informal “sharings” throughout the year.

KINDERPLAY - Ages 4 & 5
Munchkins, monsters, mermaids and dinosaurs spark your young explorer’s imagination as they enter the storybook worlds of fantasy and adventure. Physical and vocal skills develop through role-playing, while creativity and self-expression are nurtured through improvisations.  Children will perform in an end-of-the-year showcase, as well as informal “sharings” throughout the year.

Fri 4:15 - 5:30 pm - OR - Sat 9:15 - 10:45 am

INSTRUCTORS: Jill Dunn & Kim Patterson

ARTSPARK! - Ages 3 & 5 (Saturdays Only)

10:00-11:00 AM (for students taking Imagination or Imagination Plus)
11:00-12:00 PM (for students taking Playmakers or Kinderplay)

Sow your child’s seeds of creativity with this hands-on visual arts opportunity.  This class adds an art project related to the story of the week.  Your budding young artist’s imagination will flourish and thrive in the discovery that storytelling through drawing, painting, and other creative media can be wonderful.

PRIMARY AND JUNIOR PROGRAMS

Primary students will leap into storytelling as PYT’s FUNDAMENTALS classes help young performers discover how their bodies and voices bring comedic or dramatic situations to life. Engaging the imagination is at the heart of every PYT experience, and these classes allow students to unleash their unique, theatrical creativity.

FIRST STAGE - Grades 1 & 2
Tuesdays 4:30-6:30
Instructors: Jill Dunn, Gina Handy & Gary Minyard

Introducing boys and girls to the joys of story-telling through creative drama, movement and the voice is the key to First Stage. Each week, young performers explore imaginary worlds, going on wonderful adventures, while developing basic skills in voice, movement and character development. Movement instruction develops balance and stage presence, while a musical theatre unit introduces vocal basics including warming the voice, breath control, and projection.

SECOND STAGE - Grades 2 & 3
Thursdays 4:30-6:30
Instructors: Jill Dunn & Gary Minyard

Inspiring the young performer in utilizing their body, their voice, and their imagination, Second Stage takes them to the next level. Storytelling is the essential component in developing language skills, character development, and dramatic structure. Movement instruction continues to develop balance, coordination, and stage presence, while a musical theatre unit builds vocal strength, breath control, and projection.

Tapping into the excitement of theatre games, creative drama, and music, the Third Stage takes students on a high-octane tour through the world of performing arts. Students will devise their own short plays based on real-life situations and/or ideas suggested by literature to be shared periodically through the year. Movement for the Actor continues to encourage vitality and enthusiasm for how the body is one of the performer’s tools, and vocal training continues to shape breath control, projection and confidence.

For a specific dance class, please see our dance division classes.

FOURTH STAGE (formerly IMAGINATION PLUS)- Grades 4 & 5
Tuesdays 4:30-6:30
Instructors: Jill Dunn, Gina Handy & Gary Minyard

In Fourth Stage, students will be introduced to the basic methods of approaching scripted materials including scenes from PYT’s 2009-2010 productions of MaggieMagalita, The Christmas Doll, and Pinocchio. Theatre games, creative drama, movement and vocal technique will continue to help students develop confident characterizations, how to act a song, and how the imagination can help inform acting choices.

SATURDAY ONLY CLASSES:

A Saturday morning favorite, students become enamored with the world of the performing arts through theatre games, creative drama, movement for the performer, and exercises for the voice. Confidence and creativity emerge as students create short, original plays based themes and ideas suggested by literature. Warm-ups, breath control, projection, character development, and creative movement will inspire every student.

To extend this class with a visual arts experience, add ARTSPARK!.
For a specific dance class, add an INTRO TO JAZZ/TAP or BEGINNING BALLET class.

Another Saturday morning favorite, young stars will be given the opportunity to work with scripted materials, including scenes from PYT’s Mainstage season, as well as other favorites. Advanced exercises, and a creative movement class, will help develop stage presence and vocal confidence. Improvisation and creative drama will also be used to unlock the artist inside every student.

To extend this class with a visual arts experience, add ARTSPARK!.

.ARTSPARK! - Ages 3 & 5 (Saturdays Only)
10:00-11:00 AM (for students taking Imagination or Imagination Plus)
11:00-12:00 PM (for students taking Playmakers or Kinderplay)

Sow your child’s seeds of creativity with this hands-on visual arts opportunity.  This class adds an art project related to the story of the week.  Your budding young artist’s imagination will flourish and thrive in the discovery that storytelling through drawing, painting, and other creative media can be wonderful.

The Junior Conservatory takes the ground work planted in the Fundamental years and continues to cultivate the young performer’s craft through rigorous classes and performance opportunities. Students will develop their theatrical and communication skills through improvisation, story development, and character exploration.

INTRO TO ACTING (Grades 5-7)
Mondays: 4:30-6:30 PM
Instructors: John Bow, Jill Dunn & Gary Minyard

This introductory class for beginning students explores the basics of acting, singing and movement. Specific focus is given to the coordination of the body, the voice and the imagination in the creation of characters and improvised scenes. A Movement for Actors introductory class, as well as a unit on the Voice, will help build self-confidence and develop vocal and physical expression.

INTERMEDIATE ACTING I - Grades 5 & 6
Wednesdays: 4:30-6:30 PM
Instructors: Jill Dunn & Gary Minyard

INTERMEDIATE ACTING II - Grades 5 & 6
Wednesdays: 4:30-6:30 PM
Instructors: Jill Dunn & Gary Minyard

Building on their experiences in Intermediate Acting I, students are introduced to more challenging scripts, scenes, and monologues.  Exploring some of the most famous work on Broadway, instruction in acting, movement and voice emphasize character development through work as an ensemble. Placement in this class is based on previous experience and age.

ENSEMBLE WORKSHOP - Grades 6 & 7
Wednesdays: 6:45-8:45 PM
Instructors: Jill Dunn & Gary Minyard

This unique class allows students to devise shorter scripted pieces based on themes and ideas from the students themselves, while continuing to receive instruction on physical, emotional and vocal skill-building and the development of believable characters. This class is for students with previous experience.

This exclusive ensemble of students will write and produce their own one-act play under the guidance of PYT. While still working through the coordination of the body, the voice and the imagination, students will take it a step further by adding the art of playwriting to their instruction.

SENIOR CONSERVATORY

The Senior Conservatory is the advanced training ground for PYT performers. Students hone their performance skills through a variety of challenging classes and performance opportunities.  The Senior Conservatory explores drama skills through deep engagement in improvisation, story development, vocal work, physical theatre and character study. Students will be developing their playmaking skills by putting their words and ideas into dramatic form.

INTRO TO ACTING FOR TEENS - Grades 8-11
Mondays: 4:30-6:30 PM
Instructors: John Bow & Gary Minyard

IMPROV & SCENE STUDY - Grades 8 & 9
Thursdays: 7:00-9:00 PM
Instructions: Jill Dunn & Gary Minyard

ADVANCED ACTING I
Mondays: 7:00-9:00 PM
Instructors: John Bow & Jill Dunn

Through a variety of units of study, this class challenges the young performer to think creatively and critically.  Students will work on monologues and scenes while learning how to analyze a script, identify a character's problems and solve those problems. Advanced theatre games are used to deepen basic skills. In addition, there will be further development of the actor's physical resources of voice and movement.

ADVANCED ACTING II
Mondays: 7:00-9:00 PM
Instructors: John Bow & Jill Dunn

PYT'S NEW FRIDAY MASTER CLASS SERIES

This series of Master Classes is sure to interest you and your PYT student all season. Below is a list of master class topics and dates- with more details to come. Rest assured that PYT is doing everything it can to provide you and your family with the tools and information you need to take that next courageous step forward. So, if you are interested in getting a well-rounded look at the business of theatre, design, or make-up, we have a master class for you- better yet, just come to ALL of them!

4:30 – 6:30 PM

Friday, September 18, 2009
            Reality Check 101: Answering questions about the Business of Theatre

Friday, October 9, 2009
            Breaking into the Business: For Parents & Their Young Star

Friday, October 30, 2009
            Selling a Song

Friday, November 13, 2009
            Agents & Headshots

Friday, December 11, 2009
            Stage Combat & Violence on the Stage

Friday, January 15, 2010
            Puppetry in Performance

Friday, February 19, 2010
            Auditioning for Colleges & Professional Theatres

Friday, March 12, 2010
            Stage Make-Up

Friday, March 26, 2010
            Commedia Dell’Arte & Masks

Friday, May 14, 2010
Designing for the Theatre: Sets, Lights & Costumes

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