Junior Conservatory

Your Best Summer Starts Here:

Learn more below about our Overnight training program for rising 6th thru 9th graders, culminating in a fully-staged, live musical theatre production held at The Clarice @ University of Maryland, College Park.

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OVERVIEW DATES PERFORMANCES SAMPLE SCHEDULE HEALTH & WELLNESS CLASSES LOCATION RESIDENTIAL LIFE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES STAFF & FACULTY REGISTRATION ORIENTATION TUITION TUITION ASSISTANCE REGISTER FAQs

YAA’s Junior Conservatory is an award-winning OVERNIGHT training program in Musical Theatre culminating in a fully-staged musical theatre production.

Our flagship summer program, Junior Conservatory is a musical theatre intensive for the highly disciplined student seeking classes focused on artistic process PLUS the applied training of a full musical theatre production, all in an immersive overnight experience on a college campus.

Open to rising 6th-9th graders.

Overview

Highlights

  • Each weekday morning, evening, and weekends will be devoted to the musical theatre production:

    • Staging rehearsals

    • Choreography

    • Music rehearsals

  • Weekday afternoons will be spent in classes studying Acting, Dance, and Voice

  • The culminating event will be a full scale musical theatre production, featuring:

    • Professional quality venue

    • Faculty-led stage direction, music direction, and choreography

    • Live audience of family, friends, and fans

    • Video of production will be captured and made available to friends and family.

2024 Dates

Program Dates:

Sunday, June 30 thru Thursday, July 11, 2024

  • All inclusive program, including:

    • Room and Board

    • Classes and Full Production

    • Field trip to see a production at a local professional theater.

Deadlines:

Registration for the Junior Conservatory is due no later than Saturday, June 1, 2024 at 11:59pm EDT.

Classes

Junior Conservatory students will spend their afternoons receiving combined Musical Theatre training in voice, acting, and dance with leading teachers in each discipline.

Classes may include:

  • Acting — improvisation, character development, and scene study

  • Dance — ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and hip-hop techniques

  • Voice — vocal technique, interpretation, music theory, and acting/movement for singers

  • Music Theory — introductory through advanced levels

Class sizes will remain small (14-16 students per class) to ensure personalized attention between teacher and students.

Performances

Mornings, evenings, and weekends will be devoted to the stage production, including:

  • Staging rehearsals

  • Choreography

  • Music rehearsals

Casting auditions for the production will take place in-person on the first day of the program.

2024 Production:

Sister Act Jr.

Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
Book by Cheri & Bill Steinkellner
Additional Book Material by Douglas Carter Beane

Sample Schedule

Health & Wellness

The health, safety, and well-being of each student is our utmost priority.

YAA has a team of registered nurses on-site/on-call during our programs. We prioritize partnering with families to ensure that students are set up for success during their time in the program.

Families will be required to complete all health and prescription forms by the deadlines provided at registration.

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is a professional performing arts complex located on the campus of the University of Maryland (UMD) at College Park, MD.

The UMD campus is conveniently located right of I-95 & I-495, within 30 minutes from most of the DC/Baltimore metro areas. The campus is also within 30 minutes from the region’s three major airports (DCA, BWI. IAD) and only a 10 minute drive from the New Carrolton Amtrak and MARC train stations, allowing easy access for those coming in from out of town.

The Clarice houses six major performance venues, and multiple rehearsal spaces, including:

Location

Our Venues

  • Kay Theater

    626-seat, Broadway-quality proscenium theatre
    - Main performance space for YAA productions
    - Professional theatrical lighting, audio, fly system, & scene shop

  • Dance Theater

    190-seat dance theatre featuring:
    - natural light from windows
    - marley covered wood-sprung floors
    - retractable bleacher system
    - theatrical lighting and proscenium curtain
    - built-in sound system

  • Kogod Theatre

    126-seat black box theatre
    - multipurpose black box theatre
    - theatrical lighting and sound
    - various seating configurations
    - grand piano

  • Choreography Studio

    • Dimensions: 46’8” x 28’11” (1,349 sq. ft.)

    • Sprung wood floors

    • Sound system & piano

    • Full wall mirror (which may be curtained)

    • Natural light from windows

Residential Life

  • Housing

    Conservatory students enjoy double dorm rooms on North Campus at the University of Maryland, College Park.

    Cambridge Hall amenities include:

    • Air-conditioned double room with shared bathroom

    • Large common lounge on each residential floor

    • Wireless internet connections

    • 24-hour service desk

    • Laundry facility in each residence hall

    • Direct access to the the brand new Yahentamitsi Dining Hall

    • Located a short walk from The Clarice

  • Dining

    Conservatory students will be provided three meals a day in the brand new, Yahentamitsi Dining Hall, adjacent to the dorms.

    • 11 major food counters

    • 60,000 sqft facility with over 1,000 seats

    Click here to see what’s being served today at Yahentamitsi Dining Hall.

Extracurricular Activities

When not in class or rehearsing for the production, Conservatory students will have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular recreational activities which may include:

Staff & Faculty

  • Terry Eberhardt

    Director of SPAI

  • Paul Heinemann

    Assistant Director of SPAI, Junior Music Director

  • Karen Blake

    Camp Life Director

  • Madeline Rodrigue

    Director of Dance

  • Kathryn Bailey

    Camp Administrator & Assistant Vocal Director

  • Montel Butler

    Assistant Music Director

  • Carole Graham Lehan

    Stage Director & Acting

  • Jackie Bautista

    Production Manager

  • Wayne Allen

    Lead Counselor

  • Colleen Daly

    Voice

  • Rolando Sanz

    Producing Artistic Director

Registration

All students are automatically accepted into the Conservatory program upon registration.

Students should register by May 1, 2024 at 11:59pm EDT to guarantee a spot in the program.

VIDEO AUDITIONS (for Placement):

All students are accepted into the program upon completion of registration. A video audition will be required after registration for class placement purposes only. Students who do not submit placement videos will be considered novices and placed accordingly.

  • Please prepare two contrasting selections.

    • This may be 2 songs, 2 monologues, or 1 song and 1 monologue.

    • Material selected should show your range and reflect the material you are interested in.

IN-PERSON CASTING AUDITIONS (for Productions):

Casting auditions for roles in the Production will take place separately during the first day of each session.

Orientation

TBA Date: June 2024

MANDATORY Virtual Orientation for all participating students and families

  • Zoom link forthcoming to registered families.

Tuition

Early-Bird Discount: ($100 discount)

  • $3,495 (automatically applied at registration through January 31, 2024)

    • includes Room and Board

Regular Tuition:

  • $3,595 per two-week fully in-person session

    • includes Room and Board

Payment:

  • A deposit of $500 is due upon registration.

  • 2nd payment of half of the remaining balance is due by April 1, 2024 (non-refundable).

  • Final balance due on June 1, 2024 (non-refundable).

  • Alternative payment plans can be arranged by contacting info@yaa.org.

Tuition Includes:

  • Participation in the Junior Conservatory's stage production (TBA)

  • All morning classes, PLUS all afternoon, evening, and weekend rehearsals and social activities

  • Extended recreational activities, which may include:

    • Movie nights

    • Rock wall climbing

    • Swimming

    • Field trip to see a production at a local professional theater.

    • ...and more

  • A two-week summer overnight intensive experience that you won't soon forget!

Cancellation Policy: Should you need to withdraw from the program for any reason, please inform us in writing. If you have any funds due to you based on the above policy, we will return them immediately to the credit card on file in your account.

  • Students with a doctor-confirmed injury or illness, which requires leaving camp early, may receive a credit for days missed. Otherwise, there are no refunds for days or weeks that students cannot attend their program/s.

  • Substitutions – having another individual attend in the registered student's place – are not allowed. 

  • If, due to health and safety concerns, certain classes are required to shift from in-person to virtual, there will be no tuition refunds or adjustments. 

Tuition Assistance

Those who wish to be considered for a scholarship or financial aid need to submit an application to us no later than April 1, 2024. Best consideration for financial aid occurs by February 1, 2024.

  1. Please contact Lisa Larragoite at lisa@yaa.org for more information.

  2. Tuition Assistance is limited.

FAQs

  • The main difference is that Junior Conservatory is an all-inclusive OVERNIGHT program, while Junior Academy is a DAYTIME program. Both programs run for two weeks.

    • Junior Conservatory students are in residence at the The Clarice @ University of Maryland, College Park 24/7 for the full duration of the two weeks with full room and board, recreational activities, plus a field trip to see a production at a local professional theater included in the tuition.

    • Junior Academy students are on campus daily from 8:30am-4:00pm at the Performing Arts Center @ Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, MD.

    Both programs feature similar immersive musical theatre training, with classes in voice, acting, dance, and music theory during the day and rehearsals for a mainstage production in the afternoons, evenings, and weekends.

  • All students are accepted into the program at registrations regardless of experience.

    Students will be required to submit a short Placement Video after registration so that faculty can place students in the appropriate classes.

    Once students arrive, they will Audition in-person for the production. The first day will include audition workshops, dance calls, and both group and solo singing and axting auditions. The show will be cast by the end of the first day and rehearsals will begin immediately.

  • We have laid out best practices for a successful video audition on this page. We recommend you visit it before completing your Placement Audition.

  • The Kay Theatre at The Clarice has a capacity of 600+ in the audience, so we will be able to accommodate all of your friends and family at our final performances.

    The final performances will take place on the final afternoon of the program in the Kay Theatre at The Clarice.

    Tickets will be made available through The Clarice Box Office to participants first about a week before the performances, followed by opening them to the public. Tickets to the performances are free, and donations to help underwrite scholarships are always welcome.

  • As always, we will have a blueprint for success. Staging, music, and choreography rehearsals will take place in-person at the same intensive pace that students are used to from YAA. We will always set every student up for success! This is an INTENSIVE after all!

Register Now