The Florida Academy of Performing Arts (FAOPA) is a local nonprofit organization that was established to support the performing arts through programs at the academy and in the Brandon community.
FAOPA is committed to providing extraordinary theater experiences that educate, challenge and inspire students and their surrounding communities. FAOPA fosters self-discovery, creativity, confidence, group responsibility and pride in accomplishment.
“FAOPA celebrates the professional artistic disciplines of music, dance and the visual arts,” said Danielle Sanchez, academy director of FAOPA. “We strive to be a model of excellence in theatre for all our audiences.”
FAOPA and Music Showcase have offered summer camps, day camps and musical theater camps for many years.
“The day camps consist of singing, dancing, arts and crafts, intro into theater through improv,” Sanchez said. “Our musical theater camps are for all ages and skill levels. We offer a variety of shows throughout the summer. Students work on choreography, blocking, stage direction and character development. Throughout the process, we watch students grow in confidence and self-esteem as they become blooming actors on the stage.”
FAOPA is currently working on the camps they will be offering this summer to the community.
“We will offer musical theater camps and day camps,” Sanchez said. “Our musical theater camps are two weeks long. Day camps are one week long. We have our middle school/high school groups that meet in the afternoon/evening.”
The cost for musical theater camp is $295 plus a service fee. Day camps are from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. for half day and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. for whole day. Day camp is for kindergartners through age 10, and the cost is $230 plus service fee.
“Parents love our musical theater camps,” Sanchez said. “They love watching where their student starts and end up as well as seeing the difference. They love to watch their children grow in self-esteem and find the confidence to stand on the stage with their peers in the show. Some students start off very shy, but by the end of the two weeks they are a loud supporting star. Parents are astounded by the work we do in two weeks and how fantastic the shows are when performed.”
Sanchez and her team at FAOPA hope their summer camps will inspire future musicians and thespians.
“Our hope for this summer’s musical theater camps is to create a safe, joyful, high-energy space for all students to grow in confidence, creativity, and stage skills,” Sanchez said. “We want to celebrate all the students’ successes and hope they feel seen, feel stronger in their craft and truly enjoy their time here. We want them to leave with an unforgettable experience and want to come back.”
If you would like to learn more about FAOPA and the camps it will be offering this summer, you can visit its website at https://faopa.org/ or call 813-490-ARTS (2787). FAOPA is located at 402 Oakfield Dr. in Brandon.
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