After-school classes & workshops

Play A Story (Ages 4-K)

Each class children listen to a classic folk or fairy tale and create their own version through creative drama, movement and song. On the final day of class, parents are invited to share one of the students’ favorite stories.

Animal Planet (Ages 4-K)

If you were an animal, what animal would you be? Take a trip through the animal kingdom in creative drama, movement and song. Young explorers will hop, creep, lumber and gallop, even create characters and stories with animal heroes and villains!

Imagine That! (Grades 1-3)

In this introduction to acting and the magic of the stage, students will create stories using everyday objects, transform into unique characters and animals and improve their speaking skills as they learn the basics of improvisation and acting.

Performing A Story (Grades 1-3)

A variety of classic fairy tales and stories by today’s favorite children’s authors provide the foundation for this class that features storytelling, creative drama and movement.

African Rhythms (Grades 2 & up)

Students participate in a hands-on exploration of the different instruments in the drum orchestra. Playing hand drums, stick drums and a variety of small percussion instruments, they learn traditional rhythms ofWest Africa. As they work with the music and rhythms they discover the culture and countries the music comes from and even try out the language.

Broadway Bound (Grades 2-5)

Explore the world of musical theatre and develop skills in acting, singing and stage movement. Students will develop vocal projection and proper breathing through song and develop stage presence through creative movement.

Drama Express (Grades 2-5)

Young performers play theatre games; learn about theatrical improvisation, and how to use their bodies and voices to create both comic and dramatic characters of all kinds. The class explores acting terms and all the “do’s and don’ts” of professional theatre.

Performance Poetry (Grades 4 & up)

Students explore the use of poetry in culture as they read, write and perform both classic and contemporary poetry.While learning about the poetic form they encounter special techniques and vocal exercises to improve the speaking voice, stage presence and creative writing potential.

Meet The Bard (Grades 4-8)

Experience the fun of performing Shakespeare. Students learn how to “translate” the language, work with monologues and scenes, create characters – and stretch their acting abilities along the way.

Playwriting (Grades 4 & up)

This program shows students how to develop and structure story or character ideas for stage performance. Focus is on understanding the differences between the dramatic and narrative modes of writing. Basic acting techniques are explored to strengthen and inform the young writer's sense of dynamic dramatic action. Students will have the chance to see their strongest work enacted by other members of the class.

Theatre Production After School Residency (Grades 4 & up)

COCA has a limited number of openings each year for its year-long Theatre Production Residency in the after-school setting. First semester is dedicated to learning basic elements of the craft of acting through improvisation, character and movement study, and vocal development techniques. Second semester focuses on the rehearsal process, culminating in a fully staged production in spring for families, fellow students, and friends.

Hop To It (Ages 4-K)

Children are encouraged to move actively – to hop and slide, spin and stomp to a variety of lively musical styles from around the world. Student imagination provides the basis for building stories using dance steps and movements learned.

Let’s Get Moving (Ages 4-K)

Fundamental movement skills are introduced through creative improvisation, play and guided discovery. Children are inspired by stories, games, words, music and instruments as they explore such basic movement concepts as space, shape, time and rhythm.

Dance Exploration (Grades 1-12)

Students delve into the world of dance styles, which may include a combination of Jazz, Modern, Haitian, Hip-Hop or Creative Movement. Students gain knowledge, techniques and the vocabulary of dance while making connections to a variety of cultural influences. Skill areas include physical coordination and fitness, counting, concentration, flexibility, spatial awareness, cooperation and performance.

Haitian Dance (Grades 1-12)

Haitian folkloric dance combines African, French and Native heritage into a beautiful, polyrhythmic style of movement which mirrors aspects of human life and imitates elements of nature or animals. Accompanied by drum music and song, students build strength, balance, flexibility, coordination and stamina while learning geography, the cultural contexts of the dance and making linguistic connections.

Mexican Folk Dance (Grades 2 & up)

Explore dance from south of the border! Students learn the basics of several traditional Mexican folkloric dances which may include: polkas and redovas from the North; sones and huapangos jarochos from the East; sones and jarabes from theWest; jaranas from the Yucatan and marimba from Chiapas in the South. Classes will include focus on both footwork and use of props and the cultural origins of the dances.

Hip-Hop (Grades 3-12)

Classes include warm-ups and instruction in basic break dance moves, followed by short combinations that build into a basic routine. Connections to African dance and other dance forms are discussed and explored through movement.

Drawing from Life (Grades 1-12)

Students develop their ability to draw images from the world around them. Through a variety of challenging and fun assignments, students will explore contour, line, positive and negative space, perspective, proportion and shading.

Sculpture Safari (Grades 1-4)

It's time to explore the animal kingdom through a variety of sculpture media. Students will use clay, wood, even handmade paper to create 3-D creatures of all kinds. This class will emphasize construction and shape recognition and help students to link physical skills with their imagination. Interest in an art adventure is a must; no passport is necessary.

The Young Illustrator (Grades 1-4)

Young illustrators experience popular children’s tales by authors like Maurice Sendak, Lane Smith and Eric Carle. They will then learn techniques to develop their own creative ideas in watercolor, tempera, collage and chalk illustrations.

Shutterbug (Grades 1-4)

Students experiment with the basics of photography, with a variety of conventional and unconventional cameras and techniques. They will learn how to use composition, light and shadow, as well as point of view to communicate their ideas. Plus, they'll have lots of fun photographing family, friends, and the world around them.

Creating Mosaics (Grades 4-12)

Students learn the art and craft of mosaics as they make beautifully decorated objects, like picture frames, boxes for treasures, bird houses and many other works of art using ancient techniques and materials like glass, stone, tile and more.

The Book & Beyond (Grades 4-12)

Students create a variety of book forms – accordion books, box books, pop-up books – and learn different binding techniques. The process integrates focus on drawing skills and work in collage with creative writing, as students explore new and unique ways to combine words and images.

Sculpture Studio (Grades 4-12)

Students fashion original works in a variety of three-dimensional media. Artists will practice techniques for working with wire, clay, paper, found objects and natural materials to create miniature, life-size and large-scale sculpture.