Have a middle school student passionate about the arts?
Join us for the 2025 Spring Saturday Program! Classes begin March 8
Session I: Saturday, March 8—Saturday, March 29, 2025
Session II: Saturday, April 12—Saturday, May 3, 2025
More about the Saturday Program
The Academy offers a series of 4-week arts intensives on Saturdays in the Fall and Spring. These classes are designed to introduce students currently in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades to the arts education offered at The Academy.
If you have any questions about our programs or would like to receive more information, please don't hesitate to reach out to programs@chicagoartsacademy.org.
Who: The Academy Saturday Program is for students currently in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. The program is for students serious about the arts.
What: Two 4-week arts intensives in Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre & Musical Theatre, and Visual Arts. Registration for one session is $250. Registration for both sessions is $475.
Where: 1010 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60642
When: The program runs 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays in the Fall and Spring.
Saturday Program Curriculum
Please note that course descriptions are working and may be adjusted before the start of the program.
The perfect program balance for comprehensive dance training. We will give your child the fundamentals of ballet, jazz, and modern dance, all while inspiring their creative voice. This is the perfect introduction to dance training at The Academy. Each session will offer codified techniques and also allow your child to learn to express themselves through the language of dance.
Students will spend 8 weeks creating their own animated projects, learn digital art techniques, and study the theory and history behind the art of animation. They will develop an understanding of animation principles, expand their creative and technical skills, and gain hands-on experience with industry-standard animation software.
Spend four Saturdays getting acquainted with and proficient in many aspects of drumming! From Afro-Caribbean grooves on traditional instruments, to jazz and pop styles on drum set, to electronic beats on ableton, students will learn techniques, musicianship, and ensemble skills. Students of any experience are welcome to participate; students with prior vocal training or training on a different instrument are also invited to join this exciting session!
An exploration of language and character relationships, this four-week program allows students to play with and recreate iconic Shakespearean scenes. This class aims to break down the barriers of classical text and showcase how even Shakespeare can be comical, relatable and joyful as an actor. The scenes will feature some popular Shakespearean conflict scenes and the class will start to incorporate some combat movement as storytelling towards the end of the session.
The Visual Arts Saturday Program mirrors The Academy’s Visual Arts Department’s curriculum and pairs teaching foundational skills and techniques with contemporary art-making practices. In Sketch to Study students will explore working at various speeds from gesture and improvisational methods of drawing to more planned and intentional methods of image making.
The perfect program balance for comprehensive dance training. We will give your child the fundamentals of ballet, jazz, and modern dance, all while inspiring their creative voice. This is the perfect introduction to dance training at The Academy. Each session will offer codified techniques and also allow your child to learn to express themselves through the language of dance.
Students will spend 8 weeks creating their own animated projects, learn digital art techniques, and study the theory and history behind the art of animation. They will develop an understanding of animation principles, expand their creative and technical skills, and gain hands-on experience with industry-standard animation software.
Spend four Saturdays getting acquainted with and proficient in many aspects of singing!
From jazz and pop performance fundamentals to song-writing to improvisation, students will learn technique, musicianship, and ensemble skills. Students of any experience are welcome to participate; students with prior vocal training or training on a different instrument are also invited to join this exciting session!
A great follow-up to Session One, this four-week stage combat program will build upon basic combat techniques that can be used to deepen the storytelling of conflict in a scene. Students will use a Shakespeare scene from the first session as a template for creating a fight sequence. By the end of the program, students will be able to determine if the pen is truly mightier than the sword.
Students will learn printmaking techniques to develop and build a series of narrative images. From monoprints to working with relief plates, students will experiment with the various ways images can convey information and tell stories.