Venue View: Dakota Academy of Performing Arts

By Debbi Jones

Program Coordinator

Dakota Academy of Performing Arts

The Dakota Academy of Performing Arts (DAPA) strives to provide opportunities for young people to excel in the performing arts. As our founder, Sara Crosby, always says, the students in Sioux Falls are just as talented as anywhere else in the world — they just need the opportunity. And boy, do we have opportunities! Here’s just a glimpse at what DAPA has in store this season!

Dakota Academy of Performing Arts students perform Frozen Jr. at the Orpheum Theater Center in fall 2023.

Each semester, we host auditions for three shows. This semester, we cast almost 150 kids between our upcoming performances of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr., Cinderella… If the Shoe Fits and Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins. We are thrilled! Willy Wonka Jr. will take place at the Orpheum Theater March 7-10, 2024, and we are so excited to give this story our own unique creative twist! You won’t want to miss it. April 5-6, 2024, you can find our six-to-10-year-old actors on the Belbas stage at the Pavilion performing their version of Cinderella… If the Shoe Fits. Animals, villagers, messengers, royals and one Fairy Godmother all work together to tell this classic fairy tale. We’ll close our 2023-24 youth production season with Mary Poppins May 9-12, 2024, back at the Orpheum. Incredible tap-dancing, supercalifragilistic characters and a magical nanny — what’s not to love?!

While all three of these classic stories are magical in their own right, the real magic comes from seeing theatre students ages six to 18 from all over Sioux Falls and the surrounding areas come together with shared passion and goals to tell a story, both on stage and behind the scenes! This semester, we saw students representing 60 different schools and 14 different towns at auditions. These kids are building their own community, show by show.

However, these opportunities don’t just help kids to become better performers. Studies from the American Alliance for Theatre & Education and the Universities of Denver and San Diego show that by participating in the arts, students experience improved academic achievement, reading comprehension, self-esteem and interpersonal and social skills. In summary, theatre not only contributes to increased critical thinking and problem-solving skills, but also increased empathy. And I don’t know about you, but I feel like the world could definitely use an increase of those things!

We see this firsthand, especially through our Plays for Living program. This is actually how our theatre program began, with Sara Crosby, in March 2002, directing performances of a short play called What’s the Difference, which were performed at Hawthorne Elementary School. Through the Plays for Living Theatre Company, DAPA students perform in the community as a means of educating students and community members. These particular plays are designed to provoke conversation and raise awareness and communication around sensitive social issues like bullying, suicide, discrimination and emotions. The program has expanded into five plays that perform throughout the school year at the area’s elementary schools and Avera Behavioral Health’s Adolescent Unit. Each performance is followed by a facilitated discussion.

It is an honor to witness these performers share their talents to tell important stories. They truly make a difference in this community. I can hardly believe it, but auditions for the 2024-25 Plays for Living season are already around the corner! Soon, we’ll open up our auditions for virtual video submissions not only for our Plays for Living season (ages 13-18 may audition), but also for our summer camp performances of Romeo and Juliet (June 3-15, 2024, ages 14-18) and Into the Woods (July 8-20, 2024, ages 14-18).

Speaking of which, we are offering several stellar theater camps this summer! In addition to Into the Woods and Romeo and Juliet, we’ll also be hosting Improv Camp, Musical Theatre Dance Camp, Tech Theatre Camp and other musical theatre camps including Cookies! The Musical, Disney’s Descendants, Imagine a Dragon and more!

If you’re reading this and you know a theatre kid itching to get involved, we also have classes during the school year. One of my personal favorites to teach is Creative Drama for ages 6-10. We’ll also be hosting Improv Academy, a Playwriting Masterclass and an Advanced Acting class this spring!

While many of our students go on to pursue careers in the arts, these professional development opportunities are great not only for them, but also for students who just want to stretch their creative muscles. As Stella Adler, renowned acting teacher, so wisely said, “Growth as an actor and growth as a human being are synonymous.” So, watch out world! The DAPA kids are growing.

Explore DAPA’s latest offerings and register for classes and camps at washingtonpavilion.org/dapa.