Our Mission
Investing in the artistic and personal growth of our community through a dynamic performing arts education in an inclusive environment.
We seek to build and maintain a community where individuals can grow as artists and humans with the support and guidance they need to thrive.
Come try a class and join our community!
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Sep 2007
Popovsky Studios Opens
Popovsky Performing Arts Studio was launched by Michael Popovsky in 2007 as Popovsky Studios in East Petersburg, Pa. The studio was founded with the purpose of helping young singers to develop both in technique and performance ability while engendering their love of the art.
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2008
First Steps to Growth
In 2008, the studio began offering semi-annual recitals in order to provide the students regular performance experiences. Mr. Derek Martin then came on board both as the staff accompanist and second voice teacher.
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Summer 2009
Summer Programs Begin
In 2009, Popovsky Studios launched its first annual summer program, featuring two workshops, one on Performance, the other on Musical Theatre. In these workshops, students were encouraged to explore what it takes to marry acting, character, movement, staging and scene work together into a final performance.
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2010
Popovsky Studios becomes PPAS
2010 was a year of major changes. Popovsky Studios became Popovsky Performing Arts Studio.
The studio more than doubled its physical size as well as adding a new voice teacher, Jen Lobo, and an acting instructor, the wonderful Debra Macut, who still leads our acting department today.
Music Together® was also added to the studio’s lineup of offerings in 2010! The studio could now offer a series of acting classes, workshops, and master classes, plus Music Together® for our youngest students, as well as our private voice lessons.
This allowed the studio to work toward it’s goal of creating well-rounded performers.
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2011
PPAS produces Gifts from the Heart and Children of Eden
In 2011, PPAS offered the community a night of entertainment with the intent to give back. It was such a success that it was produced for four more years!
Children of Eden, presented in 2011 at F&M’s Green Room Theatre, was the first scripted musical produced by PPAS.
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2012
PPAS moves to our current space in Manheim Township
By late 2011 it was clear that that the Studio needed more space to support the needs of the community. On January 2nd, 2012 PPAS moved to a larger facility in Manheim Township. The expanded facilities allowed for the addition of dance classes, finally allowing the studio put all the pieces together: Voice, Acting, and Dance, to create truly well-rounded performers.
Bye Bye Birdie was presented in 2012, also at F&M’s Green Room Theatre, and summer camps were expanded to include a wider range of offerings and age groups.
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2013
The Triple Threat Program begins
In 2013 PPAS had it’s first complete year-long triple threat program. Students accepted into this program studied with three studio teachers- one specializing in dance, one in acting, one in voice – to work on honing the skills needed to develop as a triple threat. This program was designed for students who intended to study Musical Theatre as a career, and continued with great success for several years!
PPAS’s big production of the year, in addition to the annual Gifts from the Heart Concert, was Thoroughly Modern Millie, and this summer saw more growth in Summer Camp programs.
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2013-2014
New teachers join the team
The 2013-2014 school year brought even more growth to the Studio, and more teachers joined the team to support that growth! PPAS welcomed a new dance teacher, several new voice teachers, and Christyn Rutter joined the team as a Music Together teacher in the summer of 2014.
Anything Goes was the 2014 Main Stage show at the Green Room Theatre, and Gifts from the Heart continued for its fourth year.
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2015
Programs Continue to Expand
The Music Together® program grew under Christyn’s direction, and twice as many classes were offered by the end of 2015. Our dance program grew, and summer camp programs expanded to include students entering 1st through 10th grade.
PPAS entertained with the Gifts from the Heart concert for the 5th and final time in 2015, and in summer of 2015 produced Urinetown, featuring a cast of students and local performers, at the Green Room Theatre.
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2016
More Big Changes!
In February of 2016, Christyn Rutter joined the ownership team of PPAS.
The first official Mixed Up Cabaret was held at the Candy Factory in Lancaster city.
The first summer production camp, Aristocats Kids, was added to the Summer Camp lineup.
Our first adult show, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? was produced at Aspire Financial in Lancaster city.
In the biggest opportunity of the year, PPAS was granted the rights to produce School of Rock the Musical with a youth cast, 18 and under. It was performed at Franklin and Marshall College’s Roschel Performing Arts Center in August of 2016. The production was a huge success and featured a phenomenal cast, many of whom learned to play new instruments for the production. Many of these performers are currently studying Musical Theatre in college or have gone on to careers in the arts.
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2017
Summer Program Expansion
In 2017, having seen the success of the Aristocats Kids production camp the prior year, PPAS added more production camps to the lineup, combining the workshop-based camps it had been offering for years with a few additional production camp titles.
PPAS also produced 13 the Musical in 2017, at F&M’s Green Room Theatre.