22
Jun
The growing success story of Ripon performing arts school
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It's Saturday morning and students of a Ripon perfoming arts school are getting ready to rock as they rehearse for a show being staged next month at Harrogate Theatre.
For the 30-plus young people who are members of Upstage Academy, School of Rock The Musical, featuring a score by Andrew LLoyd Webber, will provide the opportunity to showcase their talent.
The academy, located above the Yorkshire Trading Store in Queen Street, was established 14 years ago, when it provided classes at Allhallowgate Methodist Church Hall.
Now, in the performance studio that it created for itself 10 years ago by transforming a former stockroom, Upstage has become a hot house for nurturing talent.
Amelia Urukalo, founder, principal and owner, who also teaches musical theatre and singing, told the Stray Ferret:
We started out with 15 children at Allhallowgate and have grown to 150 members and run 20 group classes a week and 10 one-to-ones, teaching singing, acting and multiple styles of dance including jazz, street, contemporary and ballet.
We have students currently training at the top drama and dance schools including Bristol Old Vic, Italia Conti, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Performers College, URDANG and Tring Park.
We undertake three festivals a year, two showcases including a full-scale licensed musical at Harrogate Theatre and are the current champions of speech and drama at Harrogate Festival and have been selected from both the Wharfedale and Harrogate competitive festivals to represent them in a regional competition to be held at Leeds school of Music in September.
Amelia Urukalo, with drama tutor Alistair Stickland.
In addition to Amelia Urukalo and Alistair Stickland, the academy employs Phoebe Tomlinson as dance coach and Annie Wallen as dance and singing coach.
Further details about the School of Rock musical being performed at Harrogate Theatre on July 19, can be obtained via www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk
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