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Ovation Academy of Performing Arts

Good humans make great artists make a strong community

Ovation Academy of Performing Arts is a 501c3 nonprofit run by a Board of Directors, an incredible staff member team, and a community of leaders. The only school of its kind in the DFW area, Ovation offers a performing arts program that trains students in a full-immersion setting to navigate the industry. Beyond providing entertainment for the community, Ovation has literally saved lives.

“I doubt it would be an exaggeration to say that Ovation has saved my passion for performing and my life. Ovation is the best academic experience, the best arts experience, and the best social experience to have ever made its way into my life.” Ovation Academy of Performing Arts, Junior, Shania Jackson.

Ovation Academy provides a family-like atmosphere where students are free to be themselves. Students benefit from an individualized education model formulated to reflect their personal goals and learning style and form relationships with peers and adult mentors. Ovation students grow in their craft and contribute to the community, learn valuable life, communication, and leadership skills, plus much more. Students are inspired to be good humans, which creates great artists who contribute to a healthy community.

Founded in 2018, Ovation has proven to be ahead of the curve in the educational environment. Ovation’s hybrid education model meets educational needs and addresses health and safety concerns presented by COVID-19. Small class sizes and individualized learning models have been a focus since its inception, allowing each student to learn how they are most successful.

Ovation offers several program opportunities to meet the needs of a diverse group of students.

The conservatory academy is for students grades 6-12. Depending on your academic program choice, students enrolled in a full-immersion program can also be public school students through an online or virtual academy. Ovation has certified teachers onsite to assist with learning and monitor progress.

The homeschool program is for students grades K-12. Recently expanded to accommodate academics and virtual learning, Ovation provides instruction, guidance, and mentoring as desired by each individual family. It is designed to supplement their chosen curriculum (even public school distance learning) with fine arts enrichment. For middle and high schoolers, it can also assist in the core subject areas that may be challenging for parents to do independently.

Kathryn Ross, the parent of an Ovation Academy Freshman and Sophomore, claims, “Ovation Academy has the perfect set up for my boys to succeed during this crazy time in education. They are still able to participate in the things that they are passionate about without sacrificing their education, and best of all, I can still work without fear of leaving them home alone to figure it all out on their own. My oldest is going into his third year with Ovation as a Musical Theatre major, but my youngest was still in public school. With the new options available for students who are not necessarily college or career-bound, they can both benefit from the safe and positive learning environment at Ovation this year.”

Community classes are open to all members of the community, ages 3- adult. In addition to training in the disciplines of musical theatre, acting, modeling, and dance, participants also take advantage of camps and productions. Community production ages are 5-18, and all auditions are held at Ovation Academy. Ovation Encore is for adults ages 18 and up. The Late Night Programming series provides quality entertainment for young adults and adults alike through the means of live theatre, stand-up comedy, improvisation troupes, drag and burlesque performers, and live music. This is a safe space for creatives, youth, and adults to perform and experience different sides of performing arts.

Ovation has several success stories, but one, in particular, stands out of former student Myah Durham. As a person of color, Myah, while extremely talented, experienced limited opportunities to perform and grow through the traditional school system. She was repeatedly overlooked for parts and told that she didn’t have the “right look” or that she wasn’t a fit. Tired of not being able to reach her full potential, Myah sought a different experience at Ovation. After enrolling at Ovation, Myah seized the opportunity to compete in the August Wilson monologue competition, one of many competitions that Ovation makes possible for its students. Based on the collection of work by playwright August Wilson, the competition focuses on students of color. Hosted by SMU, Myah won the regional competition and advanced to the national level with an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City. Myah performed on the August Wilson stage and received coaching from reputable industry professionals, including Denzel Washington’s wife. Upon winning the national competition, Myah was recruited by top colleges, including the Yale School of Drama and The New School in New York, where she currently attends classes. She also received $100,000 in scholarships. The most beautiful part of the story is how Myah gives back to Ovation through her time and talents. Building on the Ovation culture of shared success and service to others, Myah now coaches other students in preparation for this annual competition. She’s committed to helping students of color find their way in the arts community.

Ovation Performance Academy is located at 404 Powerhouse St, McKinney. To learn more about how they can support your professional dream, visit www.ovationapa.org, and follow on Facebook and Instagram @Ovationapa.

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