Overview

The AFA major in musical theatre offers a conservatory and holistic approach to musical theatre training, one that not only concentrates on a participatory performance perspective, but also prepares the student for a wide and exciting range of careers available in the performing arts industry. While performance remains an integral component of the programme, students are also prepared for the vast array of work that supports and produces performance, such as directing and staging, creating written material for performance, production, management, marketing and funding of the performing arts. The programme is based around live theatrical performance, whilst also preparing the graduate for further study in all cognate specialisms in musical theatre, as well as the required preparation skills for the professional industry.

The Associate degree produces a wide spectrum of transferable skills such as effective presentational technique, expertise in using the voice and the body as communicative instruments, interpretational and compositional competency with written texts, management, marketing and organisational skills. These are applicable not only in the context of the many career paths within performing arts, but also in a wide variety of social, cultural and business vocations.

The programme’s structure combines conservatory training and academic classroom modules. Approximately two-thirds of total weekly contact hours consist of modules devoted to practical aspects of performance. Students are tutored in the required musical theatre modules -Music, Dance and Acting respectively, including private weekly tuition in vocal technique and vocal repertory. The students’ progress involves development and accumulation of material for a portfolio which provides evidence of their achievement of the programme’s required learning outcomes, and functions as a basis for individual assessment. The remaining one-third of weekly contact hours concentrates on class-based academic instruction that supports and contextualises the ascending levels of practical training, and includes such subjects as theatre history, performance theory, drama and politics, creative writing, management and marketing.

Students are required to demonstrate an understanding of the integration and interdependence of the activities and to provide mutual support and encouragement for the group as a whole. The programme lays great stress on the development of an ensemble ethic; alongside the development of the individual’s creative impulses and abilities, the Associate degree seeks to imbue the student with an awareness of the paramount importance of responsibility to the collective in musical theatre practice.

Throughout the two years of this programme, students are introduced to the fundamental concepts of Acting, Music and Dance techniques.

Acting classes explore technical perspectives and development through the study of the Stanislavski, Laban and Meisner techniques. The practical actor training module of this unique programme is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to emerge as a successful professionally trained actor for the stage and screen. The course is a comprehensive cross methodology programme that supplies the practitioner with the tools to apply the craft of acting physically, vocally and intellectually. The current musical theatre industry is a competitive one, with “triple threat” demands on the artist auditioning for roles. American College Dublin’s musical theatre programme ensures that each student receives the necessary training, skills and techniques to reach the professional standards, whilst ensuring that their training in acting is not diminished or compromised as a result. 

Throughout the two years of training, students will study the methods of a wide range of genres and repertoires in Acting, from classical to contemporary practitioners and styles.

In the Music module, there is a strong emphasis on acquiring a Legitimate Vocal technique and learning about the overall Health and Care of the Voice in first year, which feeds into respective Vocal Repertory, Vocal Technique, Voice and Phonetics and Acting through Song classes. Each student’s talent is nurtured with a strong emphasis on maintaining individual vocal qualities and characteristics, while extending range, accuracy in pitch, developing resonance, good breath control, support and stamina. Confidence building is a strong ethos which runs throughout the respective classes and modules, creating a safe environment to make mistakes and in turn develop as a person and performer. Continuous assessment, performance projects, master classes and workshops with guest international tutors are some of the many tools used as part of the conservatory training throughout this programme.

Dance

Year 1 (Elementary)

In the first year of the programme, the students are introduced to fundamental concepts of dance and movement. Dance foundational skills include a broad introduction to Musical Theatre dance styles; the development of Classical Ballet, Jazz ballet, Musical Theatre dance, Ensemble Improvisation and Body

Awareness-Classical Ballet foundation (Cecchetti method – Italian style), Jazz Ballet foundation (Jack Cole method, Gillian Lynn method, Bob Fosse style), Musical Theatre dance styles (Legit) foundation, Movement Ensemble Improvisation/Spatial Awareness, Movement Vocabulary/Theory of Dance, Body Conditioning/Pilates . All taught through the parallel system (MMD Method).

Year 2 (Intermediate)

In year two, the focus shifts increasingly towards application development of the skills learnt in the first year, with the addition of tap dance/rhythm and contemporary dance-Classical Ballet continuation (Cecchetti method – Italian style), Jazz Ballet continuation (Jack Cole method, Gillian Lynn method, Bob Fosse style), Musical Theatre dance styles (Legit) continuation, Movement Ensemble Improvisation,  Movement Vocabulary/Theory of Dance, Body Conditioning/Pilates,  Tap Dance/Rhythm introduction, Contemporary Dance (Martha Graham method) introduction,  Commercial Dance style, and an understanding of Dance History.

Students are all given the opportunity to put said Acting, Music and Dance techniques together in weekly production classes which are showcased to the public at the end of the academic calendar.