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8th Grade
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The Performer's Process (Code 111)
with Heather and Josh
Dates/Time: Wednesdays (January 29 to April 30; no class 2/26 or 4/2) from 6:30PM to 8:00PM
Location: In person at SPARC
Grades: 8th to 12th
All levels of experience are welcome! Teachers in this class will work with youth at all levels of experience to help them reach their goals.
The Performer's Process will give young artists an opportunity to work on their skills as a singer, actor and dancer. The course is divided into three units over the course of twelve weeks with a rotation of Teaching Artists.
For four weeks each of the performance disciplines will be given full focus. Ultimately empowering the youth to make creative character-driven choices, convey emotion through song and dance, and become confident storytellers.
This course is designed with all people in mind and will run at a pace designed for beginning to intermediate level performers. This class will also offer support for audition prep and how to prepare and perform a monologue and a song for a musical theatre audition. This material will work well for auditions at school, in the community, or here at SPARC!
In the Singer's Process unit, the youth will begin as an ensemble, building an understanding of their vocal range, how to warm up the voice, sustain healthy vocal practices, and build the confidence necessary to sing independently. Once they feel ready, youth will begin to work one-on-one with the instructor to practice performing a song of their choosing. Through this individual vocal coaching, youth will develop techniques like projection, breath support, and physicality.
In the Actor’s Process unit, young people will explore a series of foundational acting exercises designed to help them discover the methods that work for them as an actor when developing a character. Through monologues and scene work, actors will practice using vocal and physical expression to convey emotion, react to their partner, and tell a convincing story.
In the Dancer's Process unit, the youth will learn and practice various dance styles to build their confidence and experience in musical theatre. In practicing dance, youth will build skills like conveying emotion through movement, building endurance and coordination, functioning as an ensemble, and retaining patterns of choreography over time.
Interested in scholarships? Read this page first.
*Teachers subject to change.
Wednesday Acting & Improv Studio (Code 111)
with Chewie and Nicole
Dates/Time: Wednesdays (January 29 to April 23; no class 4/2) from 6:30PM to 7:45PM
Location: In person at SPARC
Grades: 5th to 8th
All levels of experience are welcome! Teachers in this class will work with youth at all levels of experience to help them reach their goals.
Young people who enjoy creating characters, telling stories, and immersing themselves in a role will delight in this class with an emphasis on play! Students will expand their understanding of important acting and improvisational skills like working with scene partners, making strong choices, expressing emotion, and saying "yes". This dynamic class also teaches focus, empathy, and commitment.
Acting and Improv Studio starts with a focus on improvisational comedy skills like trusting your instincts and working cooperatively with a team. Then as the session continues, those skills are applied to scripted scene work, where students will expand their understanding of acting through giving life and truth to a character, investing in the character’s given circumstances, and using acting concepts like objectives/obstacles/tactics. At the end of the session, students will share their favorite parts of these two branches of theatre for a small audience of friends and family. Improvisational topics and acting scenes will vary from session to session. Youth who enjoy this class are encouraged to take it more than once so that they can continue to practice their new skills.
Interested in scholarships? Read this page first
*Teachers subject to change.
Photo Credit: Courtney Thompson
Intermediate Acting & Improv Studio (Code 111)
with Laine W.
Dates/Time: Thursdays (January 30 to April 24; no class 4/3) from 6:30PM to 7:45PM
Location: In person at SPARC
Grades: 5th to 8th
Students must have completed at least 1 year of previous SPARC programming to enroll in this course. (Example: Two semesters of SPARC classes or one SPARC summer camp & one semester of SPARC class.)
This Intermediate Acting & Improv class is designed to support students who have excelled in their studies in Acting & Improv and would benefit from a more rigorous curriculum.
The focus of SPARC's intermediate classes will be to provide students with more advanced performance materials and guide them through an in-depth process in developing the performer's tool kit.
Interested in Scholarships? Read this page first!
*Teachers subject to change.
Photo Credit: Courtney Thompson
Stage Combat (Code 111)
with Emmy T.
Date/Time: Saturdays (February 1 to March 8) from 12:30PM to 2PM
Location: In person at SPARC
Grades: 8th-12th
All levels of experience are welcome! Teachers in this class will work with youth at all levels of experience to help them reach their goals.
This class will cover the basics of choreographed fight sequences for the stage. Youth will learn how to keep themselves and others safe while creating the illusion of drama for an audience. Plus, this class will offer a helpful foundation for those who are cast in SPARC’s winter play, She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition!
When in any type of physical class that requires partner work, it is essential that students follow ALL safety protocol set in place by the instructor(s). While this class is open to all experience levels and abilities, we encourage families to consider what it means to use arms, legs, elbows, and objects in close contact with other students and the maturity level that might be needed before registering. Participants will be asked to sign a safety waiver on the first day of class.
Interested in Scholarships? Read this page first!
*Teachers subject to change.
Photo Credit: Tom Topinka
The Puppeteer's Process (Code 111)
with Laine W.
Dates/Time: Saturdays (February 1 to March 8) from 12:30PM to 2PM
Location: In person at SPARC
Grades: 8th to 12th
All levels of experience are welcome! Teachers in this class will work with youth at all levels of experience to help them reach their goals.
In this brand new technical theatre class, students will gain hands-on skills in both the construction of puppets and their implementation on the stage. Did you know almost anything can be a puppet? The Puppeteer's Process will dive into how to create characters from shapes, buzz words, and texture, while working as a group to literally bring a story to life. Topics of instruction include but are not limited to: marionettes, hand and rod puppets, shadow puppets, and bunraku.
Students who show extra interest in building puppets may be invited to lend their skills to construction for our spring play, She Kills Monsters.
Interested in Scholarships? Read this page first!
*Teachers subject to change.
Photo Credit: Tom Topinka
Dance Studio Spring Session (Code 111)
with Trina J.
Dates/Time: Mondays (March 9 to April 28; no class 3/31 and 4/21) from 6:45PM to 7:45PM
Location: In person at SPARC
Grades: 5th to 8th
All levels of experience are welcome! Teachers in this class will work with youth at all levels of experience to help them reach their goals.
Youth who have a strong interest in Broadway dance will love this new class! Over the semester, young people will learn and practice various dance styles to build their confidence and experience in musical theatre.
In Dance Studio, each young person will develop an understanding of the healthy habits that build and sustain a dancer's practice. The class will learn stretching and warm-up techniques and understand basic choreographic terms and concepts as they rehearse. In practicing dance, youth will build skills like conveying emotion through movement, building endurance and coordination, functioning as an ensemble, and retaining patterns of choreography over time. At the end of the semester, the youth will perform what they have learned for a small audience of friends and family through an in-class final share.
Interested in scholarships? Read this page first
*Teachers subject to change.
Photo Credit: Courtney Thompson
Bravo Session 1 (Code 122)
June 2 – June 13, 2025 in-person at Tuckahoe Presbyterian Church (7000 Park Ave, Richmond, VA 23226)
Hours: Mon. – Fri., 9AM to 3PM (optional extended day available at an additional cost)
- Early Arrival from 8:15AM to 9AM, $140
- Extended Afternoon from 3PM to 4:30PM, $210
Extended afternoons are not offered on the last day of camp. Youth will go home with trusted adults after their final sharing performance.
Grades: Rising 6th to 8th
During this camp, each day is filled with engaging performing arts activities such as acting workshops, musical theatre training, audition skill building, creative movement, and artistic collaborations. Each week of camp include opportunities to share your creativity as well as an original musical theatre production at the end of camp.
Campers are welcome to enroll in Bravo session 2, but it’s important to note that the Bravo curriculum from session 1 will repeat in session 2.
Interested in scholarships? Read this page first.
Backstage Camp 8th-12th (Code 130)
Monday, June 9 to Friday, June 13 in-person at SPARC (2106 North Hamilton Street Richmond, VA 23230)
Hours: Mon. – Fri., 9am – 3pm (optional extended day care available at an extra cost)
- Early Arrival from 8:15AM – 9AM, $70
- Extended Afternoon from 3PM – 4:30PM, $105
Extended afternoons are not offered on the last day of camp.
Grades: Rising 8th to Just-Graduated Seniors
Location: SPARC
SPARC’s Backstage Camp is a great choice for young people who love to build new things, bring their ideas to life, and get a messy along the way. Learn important skills that designers and technicians need for staging theatrical productions, like painting, making props, stage management, costuming, and more.
Youth who are interested in learning more about technical theatre are encouraged to participate! No prior skills or experience are necessary.
Interested in scholarships? Read this page first.