The David School of Performing Arts (DAPA) was launched in September 2010 to provide high calibre artistic education in vocal music, performance, musical theatre and related fields. In just three months, the school has grown from five students to over 60 and has launched its official website- www.dapasrilanka.com.
Andre David, founder and director of the school, is keen to attract and develop performers to reach international standards. The school, will focus on musical theatre and vocal training for modern musical genres.
“We believe in bringing a balance to the development of children and performers. In the case of those who are geared towards a career in performance, no matter which category of performance arts one wishes to specialize in, to make it as a performer, you’ve got to have complementary performance skills,” says Andre. A singer has to develop basic acting, dance, movement and presentation skills, he says, adding that for those who are not planning on a performance career and are interested in singing, dance or drama as a hobby or an extra-curricular activity, learning performance arts as a whole helps general development.
Andre has years of experience and exposure to vocal music and drama. As Deputy Director of the Mary Anne School of Vocal Music, Andre directs the junior school and is Deputy Conductor of the performing group, The Merry An Singers. He has created, directed and produced several large-scale productions over the last ten years, including “A Riot of Rhythm” and the critically acclaimed “Bustin’ Broadway”.
DAPA currently runs classes in Moratuwa and Kohuwela, where students are trained personally by Andre. It is open to students between the ages of 8 and 27.
“I firmly believe that there is an amazing pool of talent in Sri Lanka and all that is lacking is high quality training in technique. My mother (Mary Anne David) set the foundation for me by changing the face of vocal training and choral singing in the country, I want to take it one step further by expanding this change to the performing arts as a whole,” Andre added. |
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