Classes: The School at AIPA’s classes are structured and follow a syllabus with proven learning goals and outcomes allowing primary aged students to take charge of their development and explore the arts while feeling challenged and supported. Within this age group we offer different class levels to allow those who are more advanced to push forward, and those who have a recently discovered a passion for acting, singing or dance, to start classes and not get left behind. Classes can be taken as singles (choose one or a combination of after school classes), a combo (such as Triple Threat – drama, dance and singing), or our Talent Development (TD) courses (Acting in Motion, Film Stream, Industry Foundation Course – IFC, Performance Stream, PPMT Musical Theatre Repertoire) for students who have demonstrated a high level of skill and dedication. Regular feedback gives parents peace of mind that their child is happy, being challenged at the correct level, and is building a foundation for the performing arts and life. These classes teach confidence, team skills, leadership and listening skills within each discipline and children leave fulfilled and happy.
- 4.00 – 5.00pm Drama
- 5.00 – 6.00pm Jazz
- 4.30 – 6.30 pm PPMT *MT Performance
*Musical Theatre Performance
TUESDAY
- 4.00 – 5.00pm Acting for Screen
- 4.15 – 6.15pm Film Stream Primary (to Year 7)
- 4.15 – 6.15pm Film Stream Primary (to Year 7) – talent development stream
- 5.00 – 6.00pm Singing
WEDNESDAY
- 4.00 – 5.00pm Cheer-Dance-Acro
- 5.00 – 6.00pm Ballet/Contemporary
- 6.00 – 7.00pm Dance Technique (open)
THURSDAY
- 4.00 – 5.00pm Hip Hop
- 5.00 – 6.00pm Tap
FRIDAY
- 4.00 – 6.00pm Triple Threat
1 hour classes of singing, drama, and dance on a rotational basis.
2 classes each session.
SATURDAY
- 9.00 – 12.15pm Performance Stream Primary. 6 x 30 minute classes : ballet, drama, hip hop, singing, jazz and tap
Private lessons in piano and private lessons in singing, piano, guitar and other instruments are available by appointment 9 – 12pm
- 9.00 – 1.00pm Acting in Motion (AIM) – talent development stream
- 1.30 – 6.00pm Industry Foundation Course (IFC) Junior/Intermediate
- 1.30 – 6.00pm Performance Stream Junior/Intermediate. 4 x 1 hour classes : contemporary technique (ballet), Commercial Jazz, Commercial Hip Hop, Musical Theatre Song & Dance (traditional musical theatre) and Drama.
Private & semi private lessons are available for ballet, piano, singing, screen audition technique, & tap. Please call the school to check availability.
OR SEARCH BY CLASS / DISCIPLINE DANCE
- Jazz – Monday, Saturday
- Commercial Jazz – Saturday
- Song & Dance – Tuesday, Saturday
- Ballet – Wednesday, Saturday
- Cheer – Wednesday
- Tap – Thursday, Saturday
- Hip Hop – Thursday, Saturday
- Commercial Hip Hop – Saturday
- Jazz/Hip Hop – Friday (as part of TT), Saturday (Performance Stream)
- Dance Tech – Wednesday
- Musical Theatre performance – Monday
- Contemporary, Ballet technique – Wednesday
- Ballet Barre – Wednesday
DRAMA
- Drama – Monday, Friday, Saturday
- Acting for Screen – Tuesday
- Film Stream – Tuesday
- Musical Theatre performance – Monday
SINGING
- Song & Dance – Tuesday, Sat
- Singing – Friday (as part of TT)
- Musical Theatre perform – Mon
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS 2024 A-Z
ACTING FOR SCREEN
Tuesday 4.00pm – 5.00pm
Acting for screen is perfect for young actors who want to be on television and see their work on the big screen. Students learn audition technique and the staff coach them on pieces, which are then taped and played back to the class. Screen acting is very popular with this age group because they understand the concept of being on television and in a movie and want to explore what it takes. The class
fitness and team skills. Students start with a stretch and warm up. They learn technique, skills and tricks and finish each class with different routines throughout the year to show parents at open focusses on age-appropriate material from television shows that they watch, as well as original content. Each student’s work is shown at AIPA’s film nights (twice a year) where they can get dressed up, walk the red carpet and have their photos taken before going into the theatre and watching their work on the big screen. Students enrolled in this class can be represented by the agency at AIPA if they would like to be submitted for paid television and film work, or they can simply take it to have lots of fun each week! (Advanced students see Film Stream)
ACTING IN MOTION (AIM)
Saturday 9.00 – 1.00pm (Age 8 +)
Saturday 1.30 – 6.00pm (Age 8 +)
Ages 8 - 20 years. Students are placed into ensembles based on experience, skill, age and ability.
Acting in motion is an opportunity for students to explore their craft in an ever-changing industry. Whether it be for stage or screen, AIM students are taught how to explore situations and material to tell a story. We encourage them to get out of their heads and into the audiences’ senses with regular performances, both inhouse and staged. This is a physical course where you learn by ‘doing’, not sitting, and taking notes.
Within core subjects the tutors have modules that they can select from to build on and enhance the students already evident skills, specific abilities, experience and needs to ensure maximum growth and enjoyment. Students will also have guest teacher modules.
Classes are taught by some of the best tutors in the Australian industry who have extensive bodies of work and proven credits and success (See staff bios). Actors will be cast into ensembles and will work through different modules of the syllabus that build on each other. Students are given the opportunity to be represented, with the agency actively looking for opportunities for each student. Casting professionals & directors will visit classes and events to offer advice and interact with students, keeping them connected to the industry that they are training for. If you are looking for a challenging, professional course where you can fail safely, take risks in performance, find yourself, and find your voice, we are waiting for you.
BALLET
Wednesday 5.00pm – 6.00pm
The afternoon class is designed for primary students who would like to pick up ballet or get back into it after a break. Most dance schools offer ballet for this age group with an exam focus so this class fills the gap. Both boys and girls love this class as it introduces them to ballet in a supportive and friendly environment. Students learn the terminology and steps throughout the year, as well as routines to show parents at open days and the annual concert (Term 4). As students’ progress through the syllabus, they will be graded into classes that will allow them to develop at the correct level of skill and interest. Some children just love to dance ballet without the pressure of exams and this class caters for them, by working through the syllabus and TSAA completing an internal assessment. Others love the challenge of completing exams and these children can add a private or two semi-private lessons to their classes and go for an RAD exam in semester two. Ballet is the foundation of all performing arts and we strongly encourage each child to take a weekly class.
CHEER – DANCE - ACROBATICS
Wednesday 4.00pm – 5.00pm
CDA is another physical ‘all-body’ movement class loved by both sporty kids and those who enjoy ballet. Let’s be honest, all kids love this class because it is designed specifically with the gross motor and fine motor skills (that develop in this age group) in mind. Elements such as motions, jumps, tumbling, stunts and pyramids are taught as students show that they are ready. Students are spurred on each week to gain new skills. Children are not ‘forced’ to do anything, instead they are encouraged to try new steps in a safe and supportive environment. Each new skill (or part thereof) is rewarded with positive reinforcement which builds self-confidence and a willingness to try new things. CDA incorporates elements of cheer, dance, fitness and acrobatics. Students learn skills and then put them together to create routines throughout the year to show parents at open days and the annual concert (Term 4).
DRAMA
Monday 4.00pm – 5.00pm
tuesday (see screen acting / film stream)
thursday 5.00 - 6.00pm
Friday As part of Triple Threat programme
saturday as part of performance stream (9.00 - 12.15pm) or the afternoon programme (1.30 - 6.00pm)
Every child should be offered drama in their formative years. These classes for primary school aged students are aimed at fostering and encouraging creativity and developing directing skills and ensemble play. Students are able to read and this opens up a world of new material from published plays and radio plays to draw on, create from, and perform. Students start each lesson with diction and intonation – which helps them with their speech and confidence. Children explore improv – which teaches them quick thinking skills, mime – that encourages them to use non-verbal skills, and play building – which teaches them team skills and memorisation. Students will show their parents their work at open days and the annual drama night (Term 3). As students’ progress through the syllabus, they will be graded into classes that will allow them to develop at the correct level of skill and interest.
FILM STREAM (TD)
Tuesday 4.15pm – 6.15pm
Film Stream is designed for students who love to act, love film, and have indicated that they would like to be involved in films and television production. Classes are streamed into age group, experience, and ability. This course is hands on and students will have weekly homework that needs to be completed in order to stay in the class. Students shoot pieces each term that are then shown at film nights throughout the year and can be shared with family and friends. Students receive IMDb credits for the short films and web-series made, giving them a solid foundation in screen and helping them to actively build their resumes. Film streams levels allow
students to work through the syllabus which is built on industry standards and taught by industry professionals.
HIP-HOP
Thursday 4.00pm – 5.00pm
Film Stream is designed for students who love to act, love film, and have indicated that they would like to be involved in films and television production. Classes are streamed into age group, experience, and ability. This course is hands on and students will have weekly homework that needs to be completed in order to stay in the class. Students shoot pieces each term that are then shown at film nights throughout the year and can be shared with family and friends. Students receive IMDb credits for the short films and web-series made, giving them a solid foundation in screen and helping them to actively build their resumes. Film streams levels allow
students to work through the syllabus which is built on industry standards and taught by industry professionals.
INDUSTRY FOUNDATION COURSE (IFC)
Saturday 1.30 – 6.00pm (Technique)
Industry Foundation Course (IFC) – Primary Ages 8 - 12 years
If you are passionate about musical theatre performance and know that you are destined to be a professional performer, you need to be trained by people who are auditioning, touring and performing in pro-am and professional shows. You want to learn from people who are as invested as you are and have a genuine interest in seeing you succeed. With great shows coming to Sydney in 2024 – who will be looking for children to play the junior roles – NOW is the time to train, build relationships and get audition ready!
IFC teaches you how to apply for open calls, compete at auditions, and have the correct audition etiquette so you are confident but not precocious. You’ll learn how to sustain a performance, so you can give to each audience. Classes are performance based and include Dance Audition (choreography), Stage Performance & technique (acting), Vocal technique & performance (singing) and Dance technique (Cardio, leaps, turns & stretch). Designed by working professionals in the Australian and touring show industries, the classes follow a curriculum with measurable learning goals and regular performances. Within each ensemble, there are levels and performers are assessed twice a term so that they can tick off skills and move to the next level. Saturday classes ensure a thorough training ground for the industry. The pre-professional masterclasses on a Monday afternoon, introduce students to different members of the professional industry who are currently in shows playing in Sydney.
JAZZ
Monday 5.00pm – 6.00pm
Friday As part of Triple Threat programme
If you have a primary aged student who has told you that they want to dance but has never danced before or is returning to dance, these classes are a perfect choice. Taught by experienced teachers who can teach at an ‘open’ level, students can progress as quickly or slowly as they need to. The main focus is to foster a love of dance in each student as well as building their confidence and skills so that they can begin to catch up to their peers. Jazz is a great class for this age group as it works on students gross and fine motor skills, coordination, confidence, fitness and team skills, all while teaching a classical funky style of dance in a fun and supportive environment. Students start with a stretch and warm up. They then complete corner and technique work, and finish with routine building so that they have something to show parents and friends throughout the year at open days and the annual concert (Term 4). Friends and sport teams can definitely attend the classes together and we encourage a fun, supportive, inclusive environment.
PERFORMANCE STREAM PRIMARY
Saturday 9.00 – 12.15pm
Primary aged children love to create performances and learn skills that can be used across their lives and activities.
Kids these days want to do everything, but the juggle and running around (trust me I’m a parent) is hard! That’s why we have taken 26+ years of experience to design a programme that teaches a well-rounded performing arts experience where classes complement each other. Students complete 6 x 30-minute classes in ballet, drama, hip hop, singing, jazz and tap all in one morning – it’s a young performers (and a busy parents) dream, giving them solid skills and technique so that they can perform in school talent quests, in the living room or with further training, audition for professional shows coming to Sydney. There is an option to swap out one class in the stream with a 30-minute private (one-on-one) piano, guitar, or singing lesson (at an additional cost).
Covering the School at AIPA’s curriculum teachers will cover both technique and performance material and your child will come home with new friends and lots of things to show you. Your child will take part in vocal night in term two (free event), drama night in term three (ticketed event) and the EOY concert in term four (ticketed event) so you can see what they are learning. Performance stream is great for building confidence, team skills, friendships, fitness and just letting your child express their creativity.
PERFORMANCE STREAM
Saturday 1.30 – 6.00pm
Years Three – Year Twelve (Streams divided by age, experience and ability)
Performance Stream has been running at AIPA for twenty years and has turned out some wonderful performers who have gone on to study fulltime at WAAPA, VCA, NIDA, NYU (New York), UCLA (California), RAADA (London) and other world renown schools. Students have also gone on to Australian tours of professional shows such as RENT, Mamma Mia, Sound of Music, Little Women, Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys and many others. Performance Stream is designed for intermediate to advanced Primary and High School Triple Threat Students who want to train in an all-inclusive and supportive environment with great teachers. This four hour programme includes one hour of (Contemporary technique (ballet), Commercial Jazz, Commercial Hip Hop, Musical Theatre Song & Dance (traditional musical theatre) and Drama). An additional acrobatics skills elective is offered during the week and Tap on Thursday nights is strongly encouraged. A great programme for aspiring performers interested in a Musical Theatre or acting career. This programme is divided into grades by skill and previous experience/demonstrated ability.
PPMT - Musical Theatre Performance
Monday 4.30 – 6.30pm
The only weekly course of its kind in Australia, PPMT is designed to give musical theatre performers the opportunity to learn from working industry professionals. Taught in four-week modules, the course moves at a quick pace to teach essential recall and performance skills. “Learning by doing, everyone gets the opportunity to show what they can do”. If you love musicals, then this class will be heaven for you! No favourites, no politics, each module brings in two new professionals from a new show to work with you and give you ideas and experience. This is a great way to build relationships in the industry and see how possible and rewarding a professional career in musical theatre can be.
SONG & DANCE
Tuesday 5.00pm – 6.00pm
SINGING
Friday As part of Triple Threat programme
If you have a child who sings in the back of the car, in the shower, into their hairbrush, or loves the school choir and wants more, then you really need to enrol them in this class. Working with like-minded creatives, girls and boys can sing their hearts out. Students begin with a high energy vocal warm up. They learn about scales and intervals – training their inner ear. They participate in rhythm exercises and then move on to learning age appropriate songs throughout the year to show parents at open days, vocal night (Term 3) and the annual concert (Term 4). Friends can definitely attend the classes together and we encourage a fun, supportive, inclusive environment.
Songs.
TAP
Thursday 5.00pm – 6.00pm
Tap is cool. Tap Dogs, 42nd Street, and numerous other live shows have brought back tap as a dance style that everyone wants to learn and master. It’s a great way to let loose, burn energy, get fit and express yourself physically. Tap is the ideal discipline for goal orientated students. Students can see, feel, and hear their achievements – which satisfies all types of learners (visual, auditory and kinaesthetic). Kids who love soccer, basketball and football love this class as it helps them develop foot skills for their sport as well as enjoy dance. TSAA’s Tap curriculum works on gross and fine motor skills, strength, coordination, confidence, fitness and team skills. Students learn technique, skills and tricks and finish each class with different routines throughout the year to show parents at open days and the annual concert (Term 4). As students’ progress through the syllabus, they will be graded into classes that will allow them
to develop at the correct level of skill and interest. TSAA follows the Glenn Wood Tap syllabus. Students who show application and dedication can add a private or semi-private lesson each week and complete an exam in term four if they want to.
TRIPLE THREAT
Drama, Jazz & Singing.
Friday 4.00 – 6.00pm
“Triple Threat” is an industry term meaning “all-rounder”. Performers in musicals such as “Hamilton”, “Come from Away”, & “School of Rock” are all triple threats. They can sing, dance and act – and that’s what our skilled and fun teachers will teach you to do. The three classes are taught one after another, and the teachers work collaboratively to make sure that each skill taught can be used in a performance piece at the same time. Classes perform at the end of term two (Vocal night), term three (Drama night) and term four (2024 end of year concert) for family and friends. This course is a great starting point for those who want to move into vocational courses or students who want to do it all, but have a busy lifestyle. Contact the AIPA office for order of classes.
The School at AIPA’s 2024 vocational courses are highly responsive to students needs and the ever-changing industry. We are focussed on the students and their individual growth. We set the bar high and then encourage students to push it to where it could be. We want them to discover their potential, define it and explore further. Where can they take themselves and their audiences creatively?
Our vision for the next decade is to create an environment that simulates the situations and places they will be going into. Theatres, sets, studios – the future. The attainable future for those who want to achieve. We train creatives and performers alike to question what an artform can really be and then take us there. If you can’t see yourself being involved in any other industry, then AIPA is the place for you in ’24 and beyond.
If you have any questions about these classes, want more detail or would like to enrol your child please contact the AIPA office
Phone : 02 9966 5013, 0412 736 974 Email : theschool@aipa.com.au
