Some
of the most highly successful actors today have performed in musical venues,
including John Travolta and Stockard Channing
(Grease), Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta Jones (Chicago),
Glenn Close (Sunset Boulevard, 101 Dalmatians), Xmen’s Hugh
Jackman (Boy from OZ, Oklahoma!), Matthew Broderick (The
Producers), Antonio Banderas (Evita), and
Robin
Williams (Aladdin),
just to name a few.
Outstanding actors know that
Vocal Music has an unusual
dramatic property: the suspension of time in delivery of the text and
emotion. Studying vocal music teaches an actor to examine text in a
more exacting way; for example, if you have to make the phrase, “I love
you” last for five or even ten seconds, what will you do to make the
emotion understood, to intensify the meaning, and to fill up the time?
At
NOVA Academy, actors
study vocal music, exploring the creative output of poetic and
dramatic geniuses, synthesized with the demands of vocal production:
diction, support, projection and interpretation. As
in any field of excellence, it takes years to refine your performing
technique, so start now!
Whether
learning the basics of singing, polishing a role, or preparing for an
audition, NOVAA
will help you prepare
for
your next performance.
BEGINNING
PERFORMANCE SKILLS
Gain insight in
critiquing yourself so you can improve,
rather than be discouraged.
Learn tools to conquer stage fright and present yourself in a
prepared, confident manner, through introduction to yoga, Alexander Technique.
and other physical disciplines. Fine-tune
your choice of materials, personalize your style, and polish your look.
DEVELOPING
A CHARACTER
This
class exposes actors to excellent techniques that will build the
individual craft. The focus is text analysis, sensory work,
actions and truthful behavior in a scene. Actors work on classical and
contemporary plays.
ACTING
TECHNIQUES FOR SINGERS
Singers need to understand that a situation is needed for every song, with
emphasis on developing underpinnings and techniques to make each song come
alive. In
this course, music and lyrics are approached from an actor's point of
view; lyrics are explored as monologues and music is considered an
enhancement for dramatic intention. Basic acting elements of time, place and
character are applied to the vocal performance. Equal importance is placed on acting and
singing. This is an acting, not a singing class.
MONOLOGUE STUDIES FOR ACTORS
This
course will focus on acting technique: how to create a character, make
creative and effective acting choices in a scene, and how to incorporate
your emotions more fully in scene work.
MUSIC
THEATER TECHNIQUES
Music
Theatre Techniques is the study of staging principles, music and dialogue,
and stage characterizations unique to music-drama performance venues. This
course provides an important opportunity for students to cross-train in the
fields of Music and Drama, providing a performing experience and training
for future productions.
Musical
Scene Study
This
class utilizes texts from Broadway shows to teach you the
basics of acting technique within a musical scene. Rehearsal techniques are
highly emphasized to insure that script analysis integrates truthful
acting objectives. Exploring the musical influences on drama, such as understanding the role harmonic background plays
in the musical enhancement of a musical theater work, will be addressed.
This is an advanced course, and should be taken after solid acting and music
techniques are attained.
THE
Audition process
The key to initiating a
successful performing career is to cultivate a persona for marketing
purposes. Discover what your "type" is and then research material suitable for
auditions. This course involves both polishing the material and the
business of auditioning - approach, dress, conduct and overall presentation.
Learn how to
format a professional resume and repertoire list, how to prepare for a photo
session and get headshots that work for you; understand audition
etiquette and, if applicable, how to prepare for a staff accompanist.
