Performing Arts | Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy

Musical Theatre Performance

Musical Theatre Ensemble

Musical Theatre Ensemble is for anyone who loves to sing, dance and act! This is our advanced triple threat class. Students will work as an ensemble to learn music and choreography to a wide range of age-appropriate musical production numbers from Broadway shows. Building on the fundamentals of singing, dancing, and acting, students will develop an understanding of choreography, reading sheet music, vocal production, and creating dynamic characters within the ensemble.

This class will participate in the end of term Friends and Family Showcase.

The Musical Theatre Company

Advanced musical theatre students, ages 11-18, are welcome to audition for our Musical Theatre Company. In this Pre-Professional Production Program, performers will gain practical insight into how a musical is cast, rehearsed, and performed while they work with a professional creative team to produce a concert version of a musical. They will hone acting, singing, dancing, leadership and teamwork skills while making friends and having fun.

Summer Musical Theatre Camps

Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy’s week-long Summer Camps give performers a chance to have fun, meet new friends and gain new skills while learning about blockbuster musical theatre shows! By studying a different, age-appropriate musical each week, participants will build on the fundamentals of singing, movement and scene work to help develop a better understanding of reading sheet music, vocal production, choreography, and creating dynamic characters.

Acting

Improv

“Yes, and….!” Students will explore acting through improvisation, non-scripted storytelling and drama-based games, all while learning through play, imagination and spontaneity. Students will practice being present in the moment, taking risks, creating trust and finding agreement in a safe collaborative space.

Scripted Acting

Acting students are welcome to enrol in Scripted Acting. Students will explore character development through text analysis techniques, using age and level appropriate monologues and scenes from a wide range of published plays. Instructors will help students learn to break down clues within the script, and how those clues influence the way their character walks, talks, feels and interacts with other actors in the play.

Stage Combat

Students of all levels of experience are welcome to enrol in Stage Combat. Students, grouped by age, will build physical and intellectual responses to conflict while combining physical performance with emotional acting. Instructors will safely lead various forms of combat such as rolls, falls, striking and kicking, and improve control over explosive reactions, ensuring a safe transfer of energy between performers.

Masterclass Series

Our Masterclass Series provides weekly drop-in intensives with access to advice, insight, and training from esteemed theatre professionals. The wide range of topics will include voice-overs, directing, musical directing, choreography, magic, puppetry, marketing and self-promotion, representation, body positivity, and more.

Testimonials

This environment is free of judgment and full of love. Thank you for always pushing us and reminding us how important, valued and powerful we all are.

I can’t thank you enough for the courage, independence and kindness you help to instil in my kids.

Although my Dad never spoke of it to Evan or me, he was a little hesitant with the dance stuff and then theatre stuff… but then he came out of the Panto that Evan was in crying, so happy that Evan had found a place where he felt like he belonged.

As parents we got to ride this high with our son. We got to see him, for the first time, totally come into himself, for the first time, pure happiness. Something changed, he has changed….thank you.

This was the most amazing theatre experience I’ve had to date, and I’ve had a LOT! It’s the first time I’ve felt like I really belonged because you made such an inclusive environment.

Thank you! She walked away with more confidence about body image, an even deeper love of everything “theatre” and huge love and respect for her community!

The patience David shows to the children is perfect! As a teacher I recognize that this man was made to work with kids!! The way he speaks to kids makes them believe they can do anything!!!

This is where I want to be. I get to learn from Broadway performers who are performing at a theatre right next door but more importantly, I’ve made lifelong friends. Even the audition process is awesome. Drayton has helped me grow not only as a performer, but as a person.

My son has done lots of programs and I think he felt the most at home here. The children and staff were the most inclusive of any I’ve encountered.

Each and every day he arrived at Huron Country Playhouse, he knew he was stepping into a place where his passions and dreams were going to be honoured, respected and encouraged.

Kids (and even adults!) really have fun and learn skills, responsibility, and teamwork here. David Connolly (Director of Education) is a fantastic leader.

The two musical theatre classes I attended were a lot of fun and I enjoyed them tremendously.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the adult classes at DEYA. It is a great opportunity to get creative with like-minded peers in a judgment-free environment: singing, dancing, acting and even improv! I love that Drayton is giving us adults a chance to live the theatre dream and learn new skills from talented instructors.

The staff involved had an incredible ability to push the kids outside of their comfort zones to try new things and take risks. Most of all, they were able to teach kids to embrace differences and that it’s okay to be different.