John Rumery
Twenty-four hours after using Facebook to announce the opening of A and E School of Performance Art, theater veterans Ed Nelson, 48, and Angela Peavey, 31, were delighted to find "enrollment just snowballed," and they needed to add more classes to meet the demand.
After a recent reorganization at the institution where they had taught theater together for the last several years, Nelson and Peavey felt the time was right to leverage their experience and "reputations as quality theater instructors" to launch A and E School of Performance Art.
The school will feature instruction in a wide variety of theater arts and will be held at Nelson's home, 117 Freedom in Wyoming, MI, recently remodeled and customized to accommodate performance arts classes.
The first students are scheduled to meet for an hour each week, for five weeks beginning in mid-September. The current classes, designed for children ages 4-17, will initially focus primarily on song, dance and theater skills, but Peavey wants their school to do more than just have students perform. She plans to "really focus on the educational components of performance arts, character analysis and how to act in front of an camera or audience," believing it makes for a more meaningful theater experience.
Nelson adds that future classes, offered for both children and adults, will be focused on the emerging film industry.
"Auditions for film are completely different than auditioning for theater," says Nelson, whose experience within the film industry includes a role in the cannibal-themed horror movie, Offspring, filmed in Muskegon. Besides auditioning strategies, Nelson will include instruction on developing a film-ready resume, building a portfolio and acting in front of a camera.
With years of experience in local theater, independent films, radio commercials and performance arts instruction, Nelson and Peavey are confident that the Grand Rapids arts community is vibrant enough to support their new venture. Peavey also strongly believes that performance arts training has many ancillary benefits.
"This type of training offers great life skills, such as public speaking, and it can really help build self-confidence," says Peavey.
Prices for the instruction ranges from $30 to $45 per class. Individual lessons are also available. Find out more via the A and E Performance Arts Facebook page or by e-mail at [email protected]. To reach either Nelson or Peavey by phone, dial 616-780-6383.
Sources Ed Nelson and Angela Peavey, A and E Performance Art
John Rumery is the Innovation and Jobs editor for RapidGrowth Media. He is an educator, board member of AimWest, WYCE music programmer, entrepreneur, raconteur and competitive barbecuer living in Grand Rapids, MI. He can be reached at [email protected]. For story tips you can e-mail [email protected]
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