In Fall of 2015 4th Avenue Arts began a new venture: 4th Avenue Homeschool Extension Program. This program is currently a two day a week program designed for 3rd -6th grade, and then a higher level of 6th - 12th graders. This program centers around a performing arts focus with a cross curricular approach to related subjects like music, drawing, anatomy, writing, history, and more.

4th Avenue Arts has always been focused on developing the whole person through positive interaction; the expansion into a daytime homeschool option for our community was a natural progression and something I have dreamed about since the doors opened 10 years ago.

Growing up in this community there wasn't access to a performing arts high school education, or really any dance education outside the competition circuit. So...that's what I did. Sadly, I went to my first round of college auditions and heard things like, "You have amazing talent, but you've been trained completely wrong." Or, "The investment you have spent in competitions over the years have done little/nothing to support your goal of making dance a career...if you want this, you need to start at the beginning." Unfortunately, my experience is not 1 in a million. I spent years re-developing myself as an artist, re-training my body, and my mind into something I am today extremely thankful for...ultimately, the answer to those beginning auditions could have been "no". 10 years ago I knew I would never be able to justify supporting a students journey into the competition world (if they have a want to explore that area then by all means, 4th Avenue Arts is not the place) - and somewhere in my heart I knew I wanted to create a school. An actual school that goes beyond dance and theatre, into everyday life...into the space that resides in students where we dream, where we have excitement and passion for learning, where you are "moved" by something every moment of every day because the experience itself is an investment...

And I have to say, this past year has been AMAZING!!! We have been blessed by four unique, committed students: Allsion, Maci, Sarah, and Myli. These girls have delved into projects and techniques head first, been given room to explore, problem solve, and create...and I literally feel like a proud Mama!

Stay tuned in Fall 2016 for the launch of the k-3 one day a week homeschool program! We are so excited!!! Move...Create...Inspire...

Take a look at some of the latest things we've been working on:

4th Avenue Arts Homeschool Extension Faculty:

Jessica Lynn Fox: BFA from Ohio University 2004, Pilates & Yoga Certified 2005, ABT Certified; 2014, Reiki Certified 2015, MFA Hollins University; 2016

Summer O. Logan: BFA from Ohio University, Pilates Certification 2013, ABT Certified 2014, MFA St. Mary's: 2019

Maggie Jackson: Musical Theatre Graduate from Baldwin Wallace; 2010

Robin Conley: Doctorate of Anthropology at ULCA, studied dance at NYU & UCLA

Josiah Knight: Improvisational Theatre Artist, studied in Lexington, KY

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