22 Jul 2014 CAPAA: Academy supports the arts in the 501

Story and photos
by Stephanie Byrnes

When Danelle Hoffer’s daughter, Riley, expressed an interest in the performing arts, she never imagined it would lead them to starting their own academy.

“We had a young 11-year-old daughter who was interested in performing arts with nowhere to go,” Danelle remembers. “We saw in her the passion for performing and made the decision to turn a warehouse into a studio for kids.”

That decision has now provided an incredible opportunity for children and teenagers in Central Arkansas who might have otherwise gone without. In 2011, Danelle, along with her husband, Joe, opened the Central Arkansas Performing Arts Academy (CAPAA) to students from Cabot, Beebe, Jacksonville and even West Little Rock. Located in Cabot, CAPAA allows students ages 4-18 to explore interests in dance, acting, voice, show choir and musical theater. In addition, students put on 6-8 shows annually, including recitals and musicals open to the public. These classes meet a need that Danelle realized three years ago, but they do more than just teach children to sing and dance.

“Having a regular creative outlet is not just part of a well-rounded education,” Danelle said. “It is essential for a child’s emotional health and wellbeing. Producing a show brings the arts together and provides growth opportunities for all varieties of learners.

“For example, kinesthetic learners engage their bodies through dance, linguistic learners dive into the written and spoken word, spatial learners tackle set and costume design and musical learners revel in the show’s score. Besides being incredibly fun, musical theatre helps young people develop many of the skills necessary for success in today’s world.”

And Danelle believes at CAPAA they see evidence of this kind of growth in students every year. Some of the successes parents and students accredit to their time with CAPAA include everything from higher reading scores to even landing acting roles in New York. Several actors have even participated in other community theaters, the Arkansas Repertory Theater and movie or commercial roles. A performing arts travel team established by CAPAA even performed in March on stage at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. Through these kinds of worthwhile experiences, Danelle has seen incredible gains in many students’ self-confidence.

When CAPAA first opened in Cabot, however, the reaction from the community was mixed. Often misunderstood as solely a dance academy, the unique opportunities for learning musical theatre and acting often went overlooked. In addition, finding members of the community that saw the value in the arts, especially with young children, was not always easy. Eventually, however, Danelle reports that they found a strong group of “believers” who see all acting has to offer children, allowing CAPAA to open to more than 240 families initially. “Once we posted positions for instructors and held interviews, the talented began coming our way.”

As a 501 non-profit organization, CAPAA relies heavily on grants and donations for operating. Students do pay a tuition fee ranging from $60 per month to $129 per month, but finding additional funds for after-school programs, which will begin this fall, along with costumes and set design, has been a challenge.

This challenge, however, has not stopped CAPAA from increasing the opportunities for students to perform. This summer several children participated in intensive summer camps designed to allow students to perform an entire play in as little as two weeks. Students then perform for the community, giving them the opportunity to sharpen their craft with a real audience. Little Mermaid Jr., which ran six nights the beginning of June at the West Main Street warehouse in Cabot, sold out every night.

With a mission “to inspire those they serve through the arts to realize their full potential and be a positive influence in the global community,” it is the hope of Danelle and her team of diverse instructors at CAPAA to provide students with skills not only fulfilling for acting interests, but also for a wide range of future endeavors.

For more information on how to donate to CAPAA or enroll a child, visit mycapaa.org.