Ovation School for the Performing Arts

Ovation was founded in 2004 to provide a quality performing arts education that is accessible to children and teens of all demographics.  In doing so, Ovation has become a safe haven for many youth in our community.  We attract students of all levels of ability, from the professional child actor to the extremely shy teenager that just wants to try something new.  The students are free to explore their creativity without fear of judgment or rejection.  As a result, the students who go through the program have discovered more  than a gift in the arts; they have discovered security and confidence in themselves as individuals.  

At Ovation creativity is encouraged without limits. However, true creativity must have proper structure. In the classroom, we allow the creativity to blossom while teaching structure in a non-critical way. While it is true that the process of being creative is equally as important as the final product, it isn’t enough to simply have the natural gift and allow it to run freely. It must be cultivated and developed to its fullest potential. The most powerful way to develop this balance of self-discipline and creativity in the student is through self-discovery and pride in their accomplishment.

The goal for Ovation has always been to use the Arts to teach life skills such as self-discipline, teamwork and most importantly the concept of “paying it forward” by giving back to their community. Ovation is dedicated to building the character of each individual student, with the belief that they will use these life-skills to make a difference in the world. By teaching the students to use their gifts in this way, we change the world one child at a time.

Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, imagination encircles the world.” Stimulating the imagination promotes social development and the growth of cognitive thinking in children.  Unfortunately, recent education budget cuts in California have removed the Arts from most schools making the Ovation programs even more important to our community.

A ten-year national study (Heath, Stanford) demonstrated the effectiveness of four or more years of a non-school arts-based program in under-resourced communities.  This study found that these students were 4 times more likely to win an academic award, 8 times more likely to receive a community service award, 3 times more likely to win a school attendance award, 4 times more likely to participate in a math or science fair, and more likely to have higher SAT scores.

While giving the students the opportunity to discover and develop their talents, it is the stimulation and discipline that these art forms give to our students’ imagination that is Ovation’s most important contribution to their lives.