Vocational Curriculum
Acting
Acting aims to encourage students to build confidence both as a performer and in rehearsal. This will be achieved through class confidence building and performance opportunities. Students will be encouraged to ‘find their own voice’ and begin an understanding of the type of performer they are, or want to be.
Students will also begin to learn about the creation of a character and emotional connection, in conjunction with classical acting, and script work, students will be able to combine and explore characterisation. In partnership with the practical thread, students will learn about different approaches to staging and the impact on performance. MEPA Academy will ensure students have a small selection of monologues to start their repertoire and be able to perform them with confidence.
Vocational Curriculum
Singing
The singing classes enable students to develop their overall musicality and fully understand their vocal instrument. Students are encouraged to explore a variety of genres in order to gain insight into their own vocal ability and learn a variety of vocal approaches.
The classes will develop knowledge of vocal anatomy, contemporary voice studies, classical voice studies and performance skills. Students will receive full guidance on practice schedules in order to progress efficiently. Performance opportunities are provided each term in order to enhance their training.
Throughout their time at MEPA Academy, students will develop confidence and ability in performance. They will demonstrate their understanding of technique and performance by constructively assessing themselves and other members of their year group.
Vocational Curriculum
Dance
Course Overview
MEPA Academy’s dance training will develop students overall technique, musicality, creativity and performance. They will be guided to explore a variety of genres in order to become versatile and competent for a range of different performances and to prepare them for the demands of a professional dancer.
From perfecting their skills in technical training to letting their creativity run wild in choreography and improvisational classes, our dance classes are designed to nurture the students existing skills and lead them to experience dance in a way they have never imagined before.
As well as perfecting their technique in the studio, students will also perform regularly in our very own state of the art purpose built facility as well as local theatres and within the community, through professional visits, theatre trips and workshops.
MEPA Academy’s fully equipped dance studios are always bustling with activity, and each of them has hifi facilities with iPod connectivity, professional dance floors, barres and mirrors.
Subjects of Study
Ballet
Fundamental to the study of dance and supports all other dance techniques. This develops physical skills, poise, agility, accuracy, musicality, fluency and expression.
Tap
Learning to use the whole body unprompted whilst rhythmically engaging the feet to use as a musical instrument. With work on rhythm, tone, musical styles and improvisation. Incorporating styles such as Broadway, West End and American Tap.
Jazz
A technical class involving conditioning, strengthening, isolations, contraction and release, elevation and travelling whilst developing rhythms, musicality and syncopation. This class also encourages the use of all other subjects whilst continually focusing on flexibility and strength.
Commercial
This is an exposure to the current commercial dance scene which includes styles such as hip hop, house and vogue-ing alongside many others, performance and choreography is an important part of this strand.
Contemporary
This subject is there to compliment students ballet and challenge their range of movement vocabulary and openness to experiment. This will help students to develop a clear understanding of weight transference, centering, improvisation and contact work.
Pas De Deux
Building confidence to trust a partner whilst also learning the basic holds, grips and techniques before developing to more advanced lifts and holds.
Choreography and Production
A chance to learn new routines in various styles including, lyrical, musical theatre, jazz and commercial. This gives the students the opportunity to work on picking up and retaining choreography whilst working within in a professional environment and incorporating performance and projection.
Exams
MEPA Academy is proud to offer exams in a genre of styles with the IDTA. These classes are available at no extra costs to all MEPA Academy students.
About the IDTA
‘At the heart of dance’ IDTA trains the next generation of passionate and expert dance teachers and their students. As a leading dance qualifications body and membership association for professional dance teachers, with over 6,000 members in over 55 countries, the IDTA define standards across the widest variety of dance forms, examine performance for both professionals and non-professionals of all ages, developing the skills and professional practice of their members and promote the love of dance across a dynamic, global community.
