Frisco Youth Theatre is excited to announce their Starcatchers Therapeutic Arts program with an Ariel and Friends production!
The class kicks off on February 15th and will meet Thursday evenings from 6:30-7:30 at Power House of Dance Frisco. The program will culminate with a free performance showcase during the last Thursday class on March 29th, which family and friends are invited to attend. This program is offered for special needs students ages 8 and up.
North Texas Performing Arts (the parent organization of Frisco Youth Theatre) has been offering high-quality therapeutic drama programs for years. In recent years, they formalized their therapeutic arts offerings under the Starcatchers name and expanded their offerings to include classes in other art forms such as music, dance and visual arts.
Special needs students have enjoyed participating in dramatic showcases such as Annie Kids and Some Enchanted Evening with Plano Children’s Theatre. We are excited to hear NTPA has expanded the Starcatchers programming to Frisco Youth Theatre.
Diane Ockerman has two children involved in the Starcatchers program at Plano Children’s Theatre.
Both of our kids, Kaylee and Jaden, have been students at Starcatchers for over a year now and have been in five productions. They have loved being involved and it has helped them both in so many ways including their confidence, social skills, motor skills, speaking and more. It has been a huge blessing to find a program for both of them that they love and have so much fun being involved in. Nick and Gabby are amazing to work with and we have the most awesome interns at NTPA! The kids can hardly wait for the next class to start!”
Starcatchers drama programs are unique in that they are designed specifically for youth and adults with special needs. Participants in the program learn the fundamentals of theatre and acting. They get the experience of working together as a team to bring stories to life on stage.
Throughout the program, students are paired with interns – often teens who are veterans of NTPA’s theatrical programs – who assist the students during rehearsals and the final show. The students and interns work together closely on learning lines and practicing song and dance numbers.
The benefits of participating in the program extend to both the students and the interns. The theatre activities can help develop the students’ social, motor, cognitive and communication skills. In their role as a mentor, the interns are also developing interpersonal and leadership skills along with compassion and empathy. Plus, all the participants share lots of fun and laughter.
Lara Clarabut knows first-hand the impact the program can have on the interns, as well. Her daughter, Karsen, has dedicated much of her time to the program.
Karsen has a passion for the arts and helping others. She interns for the NTPA Starcatchers program and has participated in the last 3 productions. The program is a blessing to the participants and to our daughter. Her greatest joy is to see the smiles on their faces as they perform.”
You won’t want to miss out on this opportunity for your special needs child. Registration is available online and no previous experience is necessary!
