Miss Iliza's Philosophy

Each of my theater arts classes has both a singing and an acting component.

My singing instruction begins simply.  I teach the children vocal warm-ups and use singing games to encourage and instruct their developing voices and “ears.”  My three-year olds finish their year of study by performing beloved Disney songs as an ensemble to our delighted audience of parents and friends.  There is a natural progression, with our musical performances evolving along with the students and reflecting their growing ability with increasingly complex choreography and emerging solos, leading to my oldest performers, who each sing solo parts and perform challenging choreography from current and classic musicals.  We have two talented accompanists, Miss Pat and Miss Olga, who play for my classes and work with us all year as we build toward the end-of-year show.

It is my strongly held belief that everyone can sing.  Some people may be more naturally gifted with ear or voice, but in all my years of teaching and singing I have never had a student, who, with support and practice and encouragement, does not attain a lovely performance voice and the magnificent confidence that goes with it.

My acting instruction follows a similar progression. My youngest students play charade games, taking on different characters and emotions and engaging in fun theater games that help them recognize and communicate emotions using their bodies, expressions and voices. Each year the games and exercises become more in depth and challenging, culminating in my oldest students performing scenes, taking multiple roles, and working together to perform those scenes for their friends and family at the end of the school year.