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Calling all music maestros, dance dynamos, and acting aficionados! 🌟 This Fall, we're turning up the volume on FUN with classes for kids, teens, and adults! 🎉 Whether you're a tiny tot or a seasoned pro, let us help you unleash your inner superstar!
Our university-trained faculty tailor each lesson to the interests and needs of the student and teach students the songs, styles and steps THEY are interested in!
With over 40+ years in education, we have studied how students learn and continuously adapt and upgrade our course offerings, teaching methods, faculty hiring procedures and facility resources to tailor the experience to the needs and interests of a wide range of student personalities and backgrounds.
We understand that not all students learn in the same way and come to us for a number of different reasons. Our faculty are hired for their abilities as patient, fun, and inspirational mentors who will customize lesson plans for each of their students ensuring maximum success. Our growing collection of in house (LAAPA Press) teaching methods are not only used in our school but in schools and studios across the country.
We teach absolute beginners as well as advanced students who have been trying to learn on their own for years. It's never too late to get started, and older students typically fly through beginning level materials quickly!
For your convenience, we've provided a list of all programs offered for our Academy below. If you're a brand new beginning student or parent, we highly recommend first checking out the "Explore Music" and "Explore Dance" links below before proceeding to the individual programs. Feel free to skip ahead to the specific programs below if you already know exactly where you'd like to begin!
There are many musicians and dance artists in our area who have extraordinary degrees and performance credentials who also teach students on the side when they are not busy performing. There is no doubt that they have much to offer students, however these are not the teachers we seek out at LAAPA.
Teaching, like performing, is an art and takes hours of training, refinement, and practice to perfect. A master instructor is able to effectively communicate with students of all levels, ages, and backgrounds. They understand and are able to present concepts in a variety of ways based on their observation of how each student processes the information. All of this is accomplished with patience, encouragement, and a smile.
These are the teachers you will find here at LAAPA who come to us with only the highest recommendations from their own teachers and students. Our faculty members enjoy teaching students at all levels from beginning through advanced. Our faculty realize that not every student is interested in the same style of music or dance.
We teach the songs, styles, and steps students are interested in learning! From classical, to rock/pop, jazz, blues, hip-hop, funk, christian, and more. Our teachers are dedicated to learning about your personal goals and helping you to achieve them in a manner that is FUN and ENJOYABLE!
Whether you're seeking a music, dance, or acting instructor for the first time or are simply trying to find a better match to your specific goals and interests, we guarantee that you will love working with our faculty. All of our faculty applicants undergo an extensive interview process to ensure that they are truly the best fit for our students. With one of the largest and most diverse performing arts faculty under one roof, parents and students are able to truly find the best match for their personality and learning needs. As interests may change along the way, students are able to easily transfer between different programs and instructors as well!
Our campuses have all been custom developed specifically for the arts. All studios have sound proofing, glass observation windows, security cameras, iPads, professional studio pianos (Yamaha, Kawai, and select American manufacturers, etc).
Performance Hall A in Mandeville and River Ridge is home to the majority of our dance classes and features a floating floor, professional lighting and sound equipment, and well as a grand piano for performances. Free Wi-Fi is also available to everyone at Laapa.
Within the last few years especially, the performing arts education industry has experienced a boom in the variety of technologies available to students, parents, and professional educators. We constantly test new products and present our faculty, staff, parents, and students with only the best!
One of our current primary applications is called My Music Staff which allows parents, students, and teachers to colloborate on scheduling, lesson planning, goals, and more through email, document uploads and video uploads! Our LAAPA Press division also offers customized music and dance notebooks for students and parents who prefer traditional methods of communication.
At LAAPA, all of our students have the option of performing for a variety of events both on and off campus. We realize that students enroll in lessons for different reasons and that not everyone is interested in performing on stage. For this reason all showcases are optional. That being said, we've had many students tell us going in that they were not interested in performing in our productions, and now (after giving it a try) we can't keep them off the stage!
All of our concerts are held in professional auditoriums and theatres using state of the art audio technology. Immediately after each Spring Recital, we hold an award ceremony to recognize the hard work of each student with various trophy and medal awards. We also hold an annual student festival (LAAPAFEST) with an Honor's/Faculty Recital following the festival.
Many music academies and dance studios have come and gone over the last 45 years. We have a proven track record of stability and success with our students and families. We are now teaching the children of some of our original students! We love it when we hear from our former students who are interested in getting started once again as adults too! Other former students have served on our faculty and staff after completing their university degrees. Being a part of our community and witnessing the awesome growth in our students is truly our greatest reward!
Safety for our students, parents, faculty, and staff is paramount for us at LAAPA which is why we have commited to the Official Family Safety Plan Pledge for Music and Dance Schools. This requires glass windows on all studio doors, office staff present at the Front Desk during all lessons, national, local, background and reference checks for all employees, security cameras installed in each teaching studio with central monitoring in the school lobby, as well as an Open Door policy to all parents. For more information on the Family Safety Plan, visit www.familysafetyplan.org
Additionally, our locations have all been carefully selected in small, safe neighborhoods. Campuses are all well lit in the evening and feature off street parking. Music and dance choreography taught to students and presented during our productions is always family friendly due to our "G Rated" policy. Dance attire and costumes assigned are modest.
Our HVAC systems provide constant purification to all classrooms with Global Plasma Solutions Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization technology (tested and proven to eliminate airborne pathogens).
Our Mandeville and River Ridge campuses are equipped with a full recording studio which students and faculty have free access to by appointment! All equipment used is professional level gear for the best possible recording and learning experience.
Available synthesizers on site include the Crumar Mojo 61 organ, and Nord Stage 2. Our mic closet includes AKG C414 XLS, Neumann KM 184, Neumann TLM 107, Shure KSM32, AT2020, AKG C2000B, Sennheiser e600 drum mic kit and more. Want to add a multi-cam video to your recording? No problem, our video equipment includes three Panasonic DVX 200 cameras which record up to 60FPS in 4k as well as 2 PTZ Optics HD cameras. Projects are recorded and edited with ProTools, Adobe Audition, and Adobe Premiere Pro.
Have you tried calling other local schools only to get their voicemail? Our highly trained customer service and administrative team are here for you during all lesson times. Whether you need to reach us on the phone or just want to stop by to discuss any number of things in person, our staff love helping our families coordinate their lessons here at LAAPA.
It's rare to get our voicemail, and we promise that when you give us a call, you'll be chatting with a human in no time. Our phones are answered Monday-Thursday from 8:00 AM - 9 PM, Fridays from 8 AM - 7:30 PM, and Saturdays from 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM (holidays excluded).
*OFFER TERMS: Offer valid for new/returning students or current students interested in adding a new program between 11/14/24-11/23/24. All scheduling is first come-first served; spaces limited. Offer is not redeemable as cash. May not be combined with other offers. Limit one free trial per semester.*
Can't find the answers you're looking for? Call, text or email - we're here to help Monday-Thursday 8 AM - 9 PM, Friday 8 AM - 7:30 PM, and Saturday 8 AM - 3 PM.
Please note that during holiday breaks, the office will be open between 9 AM and 5 PM. It is always best to call the office before dropping by the Academy in person during holiday breaks.
Come and see why our students can't wait for their lessons each week! It's Quick and Easy to Get Started in Classes this !
Arrange your first class by contacting us today or click below to enroll online.