Submitted by Gallo Center for the Arts<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\nGCYA started during the center\u2019s 2018-19 season, she said, born from its other arts education programs as a supplement for younger students.<\/p>\n
The academy takes place during the school year. The center\u2019s Creation Station program is a weeklong, summer-only program for grades one through six \u2014 an option for \u201cdipping your toe in the water of trying musical theater,\u201d Hurst said.<\/p>\n
GCYA provides a bridge between that program and its YES Academy and YES Company, both for older students, grades seven to 12.<\/p>\n
For Kenna Middleton, joining GCYA was a way to keep her interest in performing going during the school year, her mom, Diana Middleton, said.<\/p>\n
Now a 15-year-old sophomore at Gregori High School, Kenna started GCYA while in the eighth grade, after she\u2019d already been part of YES Academy and YES Company.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t take the traditional route,\u201d Diana Middleton said. \u201c(But) as one of the older kids in GCYA, she got to do more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenna \u201creally, really enjoyed GCYA,\u201d her mom said, and it fit well into her student schedule. \u201cShe got some great roles, got some great experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The teen now goes back and volunteers to help the younger students.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were so impressed as a family,\u201d Diana Middleton said. \u201cWe were just really impressed with the whole program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Offering \u201csomething the community is wanting\u201d<\/h2>\n
Hurst said the 65 students in GCYA are the most it can accommodate. The popular program is held twice a year \u2014 spring and fall.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re clearly providing something the community is wanting,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Registration is first come, first served for grades one through five. Those in grades six through eight audition to be included.<\/p>\n
Tuition is $275 for the younger students; $330 for grades six to eight, who get more instruction and class time, Hurst said.<\/p>\n
Semesters have a variety of focuses. \u201cWe\u2019re obviously working on all the musical theater fundamentals \u2014 singing, moving, acting,\u201d Hurst said.<\/p>\n
But academy leaders also pinpoint specific theatrical areas for more in-depth instruction at each grade level, so what the students learn can be applied to their final performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re not just showing up and rehearsing for a show, but they\u2019re learning something they\u2019ll be able to build on … whether back at GCYA or at school theater programs,\u201d Hurst said.<\/p>\n
The youth learn \u201chow to process and apply all that thinking in their own way,\u201d at each grade level, such as learning why they\u2019re entering the stage at a specific time, she said.<\/p>\n
One week is dedicated to teaching about specifics such as lighting, sound, set design and costumes, Hurst said. The Gallo Center\u2019s own professional technical team helps with this instruction.<\/p>\n
The specialized learning helps lessen nervousness for kids who previously have not been in a public performance, she said.<\/p>\n
The program, which is held along with the Stanislaus County Office of Education, has two teachers: Laura Martinez, who is the show director, and Ally Munson, the music director and instructor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really proud of the work the GCYA team does,\u201d Hurst said.<\/p>\n
Students rehearse in class settings, based on grade levels, at the SCOE building until the 10th week, when they move to the Gallo Center to rehearse together on stage.<\/p>\n
And, at the end of the week, comes that big performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiants in the Sky\u201d will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 17, at the Gallo Center. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at tickets.galloarts.org\/10493<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cI feel like GCYA has really solidified itself as a place for young people to explore their interests in the performing arts,\u201d Hurst said. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward (to doing) more of that and to continue to create a place and a space for these young people.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.modbee.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Get the Eat. Sip. Play. newsletter in your inbox Available now: Sign up here for the best food, drink and entertainment coverage in Stanislaus County. They\u2019ll sing, they\u2019ll dance, they\u2019ll take over the stage with childlike exuberance at the Gallo Center for the Arts. That\u2019s because all 65 of the performers actually will be children. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2373440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2373439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Gallo-Center-Youth-Academy-showcases-younger-performers.JPG","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2373439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2373439"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2373439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2373441,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2373439\/revisions\/2373441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2373440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2373439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2373439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2373439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}