Metro School of the Arts’ Academy Performs at Library of Congress

Eight choir students of Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA) Performing Arts Academy of Alexandria, Va. recently performed in Public Domain: Celebrating the Lifecycle of Copyright Library of Congress Coolidge Auditorium, an event of the US Copyright Office. The event was free and open to the public. Go to www.metropolitanarts.org.

The Metropolitan School of the Arts Advanced Choir performed selections of material in the public domain. The eight students in this exclusive group are mostly music theater-focused, studying voice, dance and theater in a conservatory-style performance arts program.

As part of the Copyright Matters event series, three creators will showcase a performance based on public domain works and will provide an overview of their creative process. They also will discuss what the public domain is and how it has changed since the internet.

“We appreciate the Library of Congress providing us a unique creative opportunity to marry performing arts and birds-eye view of the process of copyrighting and public domain,” said Melissa Dobbs, executive director and founder of Metropolitan School of the Arts of Alexandria, Va.

The Academy at Metropolitan School of the Arts is a college preparatory performing arts program for emerging young artists, grades 7 to 12, who are dedicated to high-caliber academics and pre-professional performing arts education. Their cross-curricular approach to arts training fills each young artist’s toolbox with the dance, music and acting skills necessary to be a triple threat in the arts world. MSA’s approach to education is designed to develop independent, self-motivated, and skilled learners.

Alexandria, Va.-based, Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA), a 501 (c) 3 organization, is the first Washington, D.C. area, private, secondary performing arts school, founded in 2013 by Melissa Dobbs. The MSA performing arts studios in Alexandria, Va. have taught dance, music and theater to more than 10,000 students since 2001. Noted for its world-class instructors, MSA offers high quality performing arts training in a ground breaking, holistic learning environment that cultivates creativity, builds community and empowers students. The organization was featured in Dance Teacher magazine, FOX 5 Morning News, WUSA9 Great Day Washington, ABC-7 Good Morning Washington, Northern Virginia Magazine, Washington Business Journal, Washington Post Weekend and Washington Families magazine. Many students from MSA studios go on to perform in prestigious arenas including Broadway, National Tours, The Julliard School, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Washington Ballet, The American Academy of Ballet, Universal Ballet Academy, The Kirov Ballet, The Hartt School, Marymount University (New York), Ford’s Theater and Mark Morris Dance Company. MSA offers a performing arts academy, a performing arts studio, a youth tap ensemble, a youth ballet, a jazz company, and a theatre program, as well as adult fitness and dance. Call 703.339.0444 or visit www.metropolitanarts.org, Facebook or Twitter.