Subcategories

• Theater

  In referencing the main objective of a playwright, the Roman poet Horace wrote:

  “A bard will wish to teach or to please
  Or as tertium quid, do both of these.”

  The PVPA Theater Department is dedicated to providing an enriching and engaging education both on and off the stage. Our aim is to combine classes which focus on the history, theory, literature, and cultural significance of theater with classes in performance, technique, and the creative process. We teach to students of all levels, from those who have no experience to those who are looking for advanced theater training. It is our belief that every student should have a chance to develop artistically and perform, and that the pursuit of a theater education is an exceptional way to developing critical and creative thinking skills.

  Each year, PVPA produces a vibrant mix of performances and projects and throughout the Pioneer Valley. We perform two mainstage plays and a large-scale musical at the Academy of Music, a beautifully renovated opera house in downtown Northampton. In-house performances include one-act plays, student generated work, and the comic stylings of “Headgear”, our sketch troupe. The Theater Department regularly hosts visiting artists and performance troupes from around the world, some of which provide master classes. Additionally, our Children’s Theater, Commedia Dell’Arte, and Massachusetts Theater Guild troupes get a chance to “take the show on the road” with winter tours to local festivals and performances at area schools.

• Music

  PVPA's Music Department seeks to provide a safe, supportive, and exciting environment for students to explore their creative side, and offers an outlet for young musicians of all skill levels. We strive to offer a broad exposure to the basics as well as more advanced pursuits for students who seek additional challenges. It is our belief that every student should have the opportunity to sing, play, AND learn about music. Students may choose from introductory classes in theory, technique, history, and performance. Once they have explored these areas they are encouraged to try a class in something they have never experienced before, including our offerings in world music, or auditioning for upper level groups.

• Dance

  "Beginning with the first breath and ending with the last, humans move, and from the expressive urges of that movement, dance is born. If life is movement, then the art of that movement is dance. "
  Charles B. Fowler, Dance as Education

  "Dance is thought made visible."
  Alonso King, Director LinesBallet

  What is Dance?
  In every culture, dance uses movement to express and communicate myths, rituals, stories, beliefs, and information to others. Education in dance trains the student to use the body to convey meaning through the language of form, shape, rhythm, energy, space, and movement. Dance communicates in ways that are physical, visceral, affective, symbolic, and intellectual. Dance includes forms that are social and theatrical, sacred and secular, popular and esoteric, historical and contemporary: folk dance, ballet, modern dance, jazz, and tap.

  What is the Mission of Dance at PVPA?
  The mission of the Dance Department at PVPA is to expose and guide students in the study of dance as an art form and as a tool for health, education, entertainment, multicultural awareness and personal growth. The department serves two basic populations: those who are serious about dance as a possible future career, and those who wish to learn exciting and healthful ways to move their bodies. We offer a sequence of classes that train students from a beginner through more advanced level in a number of our dance forms, and provide performance outlets through informal showings and several dance companies.

• Visual Arts and Technical Theater