(ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- The Performing Arts School (PAS) at bergenPAC located at 1 Depot Square in Englewood, is considered the premier arts school in Bergen County and northern New Jersey. PAS offers a variety of classes in Early Childhood, Music, Dance, and Theater throughout the year and are now accepting registrations for fall classes which are set to begin on Monday, September 12. There is a 10% early bird discount for registrants who are paid in full by September 8.
PAS will host an open house on September 7 and 8 from 10:30am- 7:30pm for an introduction to PAS’s wide range of arts education programs. To view the Open House schedule, please click here. PAS tuition-based arts education programs provide students with unique and “hands-on” arts training by industry professionals that allow them to gain real world experience and enhance academic achievement through the arts as well as opportunities to perform on bergenPAC’s main stage and throughout Bergen County. bergenPAC’s arts education initiatives occur on-site at the Performing Arts School building at 1 Depot Square, Englewood, NJ.
Powered by Benzel Busch, PAS at bergenPAC’s comprehensive early childhood program serves the youngest student population. Children 3 months to 5 years of age can enjoy their very first exposure to music, dance, and theater. These classes will be the beginning of their journey at The Performing Arts School and lay the foundation to create lifelong learners of the arts. The 12-week fall session takes place from September 12 – December 4, 2022. For more information about Early Childhood programs and its benefits on young children, please click here.
The Dance Program at The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC is an electrifying program under the direction of world-renowned dancer and choreograher Roberta Mathes. With stellar professional faculty and facilities, this dance program has had resounding success in reaching children and members of the community, providing the opportunity to receive superb dance training in a positive setting whether they become performing artists or simply dance for fun.
PAS offers a wide array of classes for all ages and abilities (children through adults) in Classical Ballet, Contemporary, Modern Jazz, Horton, Afro Modern, Tap, Hip-Hop, and Acrobatics.
For more serious-minded students, the PAS has a pre-Professional program which offers college guidance for dancers and provides more performance opportunities. To learn more about these dance programs and to register, please click here.
bergenPAC’s regional theater school offers weekly classes for all ages in the dramatic arts and musical theater as well as college and audition preparation for aspiring actors continuing their education. bergenPAC also presents theatrical productions throughout the year on an audition basis. Children of all ages and abilities can enroll in classes such as Acting and Improv, Acting Technique, Scene Study, and more, as well as the opportunity to perform in a production of “Willy Wonka Junior.” The Showtime Jr. program requires an audition for placement. For information about all of PAS Theater classes and registration, please click here.
Powered by Benzel Busch, the PAS music program is rooted in the history of the facility, which formerly housed GRAMMY-winning Bennett Studios. Students are encouraged to take private music lessons while also taking group classes and jam sessions to create a music community. All students are given the opportunity to record their pieces. The curriculum is tailored to the individual instrument and educational needs of the student and focuses on building technical skills as a foundation for performance.
The music program includes the prestigious Young Professionals Vocal Academy at bergenPAC. For over two decades, Amelia DeMayo has been operating a vocal technique program for professional youth; specifically those wishing to pursue a career in musical theatre or classical performance, as well as various forms of media for over 20 years. While her studio is in New York City, she has satellite locations in New Jersey and Westchester, NY, and her student base reaches from coast to coast.
Together with her skilled co-teachers Liliana Sotirova, Gulnara Mitzanova, and Glenn Gordon, Amelia focuses on children aged five through college, preparing young singers using a holistic approach. Focus is on vocal technique, body alignment, breathing, intonation, diction, expression, and building repertoire. Both the recreational singer and those on a professional track are mentored and given career guidance to reach their full potential as a vocal performer.
Instruction is not limited to young children; her musical theatre and classical students have been accepted into the most prestigious pre-college, college, and conservatory programs, including NYU's Tisch School of Performing Arts, The Manhattan School of Music, and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, to name a few. They have also won innumerable international competitions and perform locally in community theatre and at sports venues in the tri-state area.
Amelia’s students (both current and graduates) have appeared, and appear in, countless theatrical productions on Broadway, regional theatre and national tours, including current Broadway productions of Dear Evan Hansen, School of Rock, Kinky Boots, Once On This Island, and A Bronx Tale. Former Broadway productions include Annie, Matilda, On Your Feet, Fiddler on the Roof, Newsies, and Billy Elliot, and too many more to list. Her students are also actively engaged in voice-over work, appear on national commercials and television series, and have also been featured on studio album recordings.
With these top-notch leaders at the helm, the PAS has a proven track record of developing young artists to stardom. Many of its students go on to professional careers and return to teach at the school.
Another flagship music program is the Performing Arts School Show Choir. Students in The Performing Arts School Show Choir will build confidence through performing in an advanced ensemble. Students will be auditioned for this ensemble. They will learn proper posture, breathing, and proper diction. Students will perfect their rhythm, sight-singing, and ear training skills. This ensemble will learn a vast majority of repertoire, while also preparing to perform alongside major artists on the Taub Stage at bergenPAC.
Music programs also include private lessons, music production on Logic and Pro Tools, and the Pop Rock Ensemble. For more information and to register, please click here.
The PAS at bergenPAC also offers high school students the opportunity to earn college credit through the Dual Enrollment Program at Bergen Community College. High school juniors and seniors can receive college credit for just $73.25 per credit plus a one-time registration fee of $15.25. There are currently six classes at The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC where students can receive college credit from Bergen Community College, including The Performing Arts School Show Chorus, Advanced Jazz Dance, Teen Acting Technique, Summer Musical, Private Voice Lessons, and Private Piano Lessons. These college credits are transferable to many colleges in the state of New Jersey. For further instructions and to apply, please click here.
As part of bergenPAC’s mission to provide accessible experiences for diverse populations and to strengthen the role of arts education in the northern New Jersey region, the Performing Arts School at bergenPAC provides scholarship opportunities for students who because of financial limitations are unable to participate in our performing arts programs.
The school's scholarship opportunities come in the form of full and partial scholarships to our tuition-based programs. A limited number of scholarships are available each year to those who meet the requirements. All information is confidential and brought before a bergenPAC committee. No child is turned away from these programs because of their inability to pay. The Scholarship Program is made possible through donations from generous bergenPAC supporters. To apply, please click here.
New PAS programs are planning to be launched in the fall including High School Musical Awards, and a Young Professionals Training program. PAS continues to raise the bar for performing arts schools.
“Our mission is inclusivity and accessibility with scholarships, special needs, and outreach,” Alexander Diaz, PAS Director of Education and Outreach explains, “We have community partnerships and outreach programs, such as the School Time series, co-productions, in school residencies and in school assembly programs. We also tie into social issues, mental health issues and food insecurity issues through the arts.”
All classes will be held at the Performing Arts School located on 1 Depot Square in Englewood, NJ. To register for fall classes, please call 201-482-8194 ext. 78 or email [email protected], or you can register online here.
Learn more about the School’s arts education programs here or make a tax-deductible donation to support the scholarship fund. The bergenPAC theater is currently undergoing construction that should be completed in Fall 2022. It will include Capital Campaign improvements to the PAS studios. To learn more about bergenPAC’s Capital Campaign, please click here.
bergenPAC is located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey. Founded in 2003, the 1,367-seat Bergen Performing Arts Center, or bergenPAC, is the area’s cultural mecca. Housed in a historic Art Deco-style theater boasting one of the finest acoustic halls in the United States, bergenPAC attracts a stellar roster of world-class entertainment. The jewel in our crown is The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC – the innovative, educational performing arts initiative that, through programs, classes, outreach, school shows, and main theater presented shows, reach more than 30,000 students and community youth annually. The Performing Arts School provides community youth, age 2 months to 21 years, with unique, “hands-on” training in music, dance and theater by industry professionals. It is through the ongoing generosity of sponsors, donors, members, and patrons that the not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation bergenPAC and The Performing Arts School are able to thrive and enrich our community.
