Metropolitan School of the Arts’ Announces New, Pre-Pro Theatre

Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA) of Alexandria, Virginia, created the Metropolitan Musical Theatre Company to provide a pre-professional, high intensity training and performance opportunities for aspiring actors, singers and dancers in grades 9 to 12. Go to www.metropolitanarts.org for more information about the MSA pre-professional companies, to include ballet, tap, jazz, acting improv, and musical theatre.

“Our pre-professional musical theatre company will deepen students’ knowledge of American theatre, to include classic book musicals, contemporary music theatre, and reviews and readings of new plays,” said Tom Pedersen, MSA’s post-graduate program director and musical theatre company director. “It’s the next step for many young performers as they prepare to enter a university or audition for regional shows,” said Pedersen.

MSA’s nationally recognized faculty in voice, movement, dance, and scene study will enable students to expand their repertoire, improve performance skills, and achieve a higher artistic standard. Master classes and seminars with musical theatre professionals working in the performing arts industry will be scheduled throughout the year.

The Metropolitan Musical Theatre Company’s inaugural fall show will be a review, called The Music and Lyrics of Kander and Ebb. The spring show will be a book musical. Jennifer Hopkins, the MSA Academy musical theatre and dance department lead will be director and choreographer.

As a non-profit organization, Metropolitan School of the Arts relies on the generous donations of sponsors and the community to sustain operations for its Academy and studio programming.

The Academy at Metropolitan School of the Arts is a college preparatory performing arts school for emerging young artists, grades 7 to 12, who are dedicated to a rigorous academic experience in a pre-professional performing arts conservatory environment. 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. Metropolitan School of the Arts approach to education is designed to develop independent, self-motivated and skilled learners. The school offers a post-high school graduate program as well, for those students who desire an extra year to prepare for admittance into a performing arts university.

ABOUT METROPOLITAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS (MSA) 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, an acting improv program, and musical theatre company, as well as adult fitness and dance. Call 703.339.0444 or visit www.metropolitanarts.org, Facebook or Twitter.