Early Bird Pricing Announced For Dance & Audition Masterclasses at the Academy of the Arts

Academy of the Arts, the west-suburban, non-profit academic and art school launched last year is offering a summertime series of classes for students age 10 through college age, led by established Broadway performers.

Registration is underway with limited space available for the Musical Theatre program, June 13 - 17. Interested students are encouraged to register quickly. For the Dance program and College Admission Audition program, the Academy is offering early-bird pricing through May 30. Needs-based scholarships are available for all three programs.

"The Impact Series is designed to provide students with high-intensity experiences aimed at connecting them with the professional arts world," said Academy Co-Founder & Executive Director Dylan Ladd. "The programs are designed to propel students, and train with those they aspire to work with someday - whether they participate in one, two or all three."

The Impact Series is composed of:

· Musical Theatre, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. June 13 - 17, with vocal sessions led by Erika Henningsen, known for her role as Cady Heron in Broadway's Mean Girls; mock auditions with casting director Merri Sugarman who cast the Broadway and touring casts for Jersey Boys, Ain't Too Proud, Miss Saigon and School of Rock; dance with Justin Prescott who is currently in the cast of Funny Girl, his ninth Broadway show; and acting with Galen J. Williams whose Broadway appearances include Motown the Musical and Slave Play. The session also includes a trip to the CIBC Theatre for a performance of SIX and a student performance for family and friends. Priced at $995 with needs-based scholarships available.

· Dance, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. June 20 - 24, with six masterclasses in jazz, modern, hip hop and composition, career path mentoring sessions with professional dancers, a class at the studio of a Chicago professional dance company, and a performance for family and friends. Eight dancers comprise the faculty for this class: Giordano Dance Chicago Artistic Director Nan Giordano and Company Member Cesar G. Salinas, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater's Fana Tesfagiorgis, TanzTheater Münster (Germany)'s Keelan Whitmore, Chadaé Nichol who's Broadway credits include Motown the Musical, Marc Spaulding who performed in the first national tour of Dreamgirls, Beverly Bautista who has a Nicki Minaj music video on her credits and Chawantá Marie Van who appears in Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls on Amazon Prime. The Dance program is priced at $895 through May 30, and $950 May 31 or later. Needs-based scholarships are available.

· Music Audition Prep, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. June 27 - July 1, designed for high school vocalists and instrumentalists auditioning for admission to college music programs, the course offers group and individual audition repertoire coaching, placement exam prep classes, mock auditions, a college fair and a recital performance for family and friends. The Audition program is priced at $695 through May 30, and $725 May 31 or later. Needs-based scholarships are available.

All three programs, will be held at CityGate Centre at the corner of Rte. 59 and Ferry Rd. in Naperville, immediately off the Rte. 59 exit of I-88. Lunch will be provided daily at the Musical Theatre and Dance programs each include two Lunch with the Stars sessions.

"With technique classes, career sessions and Q&As, and opportunities to learn collaborate with professionals as well as with peers who share the same dream, Impact will be the experience students talk about for the rest of their summer and, hopefully, will create lifelong lessons and memories," Ladd said.

Registration and scholarship applications are available at www.illinoisartsacademy.org.

Students and families traveling to Naperville for the Impact Series are eligible for a special rate at Hotel Arista at CityGate Centre, the only Forbes-rated, AAA Four Diamond hotel in Illinois outside of Chicago. The Academy of the Arts discount is 10 percent off the best available rate, and can be secured only by calling the Hotel Arista reservations department at 630-579-4100.