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Achieving Dreams!
The Story of PA Academy of
the Arts
Achieving dreams; that�s the story behind the
Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts. Since the Academy opened in 2003, PAA
students have accomplished more than they
could imagine, dancing with the world�s finest dancers and performers. They fulfill dreams each day in Potters Mills
- a priceless experience during a time when achievement in the
performing arts has never been more difficult. School districts
eliminate arts programs, higher education increasingly focuses on
science and technology, and parents worry about their children
succeeding in a technologically advanced world. The Arts seem more
irrelevant as each day progresses. But children (and adults!) do
not love the Arts any less simply because society chooses to diminish
their value. Artists never give up on their desires to achieve, they
never stop dreaming, and never stop wondering,� What if�� or �Could that
be me?� Dreams never die within the hearts of artists, they are
just abandoned because aspiring artists lack the guidance, opportunities
and role models they need to encourage them to believe that they can
achieve those dreams. Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts provides area
artists of any age the finest opportunity available to achieve their
dreams, because the Academy is the result of the owners, Sarah & Chuck
Mason, achieving their own dreams.
 Sarah began
dancing in Chicago at the age of five, determined to become a ballerina,
but in junior high school she switched her focus to tap and never looked
back. Her talent was instantly recognizable, and at the age of 15, she
auditioned and was part of an exclusive group of dancers to study with and
perform the choreography of rising young star Savion Glover. Upon
graduation from high school, Sarah attended the International Tap
Festival in Portland, Oregon where she trained with the world�s best tap
dancers -- masters like Dianne Walker, Ted Levy, Heather Cornell and
Brenda Bufalino. She made such an impression with these dancers,
that Heather Cornell invited Sarah to become a young apprentice with her
New York-based tap company Manhatten Tap at the age of 17 (although Sarah
declined at her parents request). In 1995, Sarah formed Footprints Tap Ensemble,
which rapidly became one of the nation�s most prestigious youth tap
ensembles. Under her direction, Footprints performed in the Macy�s
Day Parade, The Nutcracker on Broadway, and at Walt Disney World by the
year 2000. By the time she was 25, Sarah had danced on Broadway and shared
stages with dancers such as Gregory Hines, Jimmy Slyde and Savion Glover
in Chicago and New York.
 Chuck began
studying music in grade school and moved through a variety of
instruments. After high school he finally settled on the guitar, the
instrument he wanted to play since he had been six. Although he was studying
biology at Penn State, he began taking lessons and started his own
personal study of music theory , spending more time studying chord forms
and lead guitar techniques than organic chemistry. After graduating from
Penn State, Chuck traveled to New Jersey to work with the band Critical
Mass as they wrote songs preparing demos for major recording labels. Chuck returned to State College to form an original music project that
gained the respect of award-winning contemporary Christian artists,
gaining the highest praise from Dove Awards �Best Guitarist� Rex Carroll for
his song writing and lead guitar work. Unable to find musicians committed
to the demands of producing original music, Chuck moved to Los Angeles to
become involved in music, while completing a Masters Degree at Fuller
Theological Seminary. Chuck�s L.A. area guitar students have gone on to
work with Interscope records while writing songs. After completing his
degree, Chuck lived in Denver and Chicago and worked with musicians in a
variety of blues and rock projects.
 After
marrying in 2002, Sarah and Chuck decided that it was time they would
complete their greatest dream. Having been successful teaching and
performing in some of America�s largest cities, they felt they had nothing
to prove, so decided to quit their day jobs and relocate to Central
Pennsylvania to make their dream of owning an Arts academy a reality. The
Academy would exist to enable aspiring artists to achieve their dreams by
offering the best training, guidance and opportunities they could provide,
drawing from their decades of experience. Their goal would be simple;
they would develop programs that would be open to dancers and musicians of
all abilities, but they would lead the way for those whose aspired
for achievement on the highest levels. After three years, they are
thrilled with the results.
 Without
question, the response from the community has been overwhelming. After
two years, the Academy has outgrown its original location in Centre Hall, and
now has a new home with multiple studios and one of the area�s best dance
spaces on 5-1/2 beautiful acres in Potters Mills. PAA�s list of
accomplishments is outstanding. In three short years, the Academy has taken
students to New York city to study with the world�s finest dancers such
as, Heather Cornell, Ayodele Casel, Jeannie Hill, Mike Minery, and Gil
Stroming; has hosted a master class with Emmy award winning dancer Jason
Samuels Smith in Centre Hall; has hosted dancer and costar of Law and Order
and Third Watch Ayodele Casel for master classes in Potters Mills; has
raised over six thousand dollars for children with cancer from the
annual Kids-4-Kids benefit concert; and has provided many opportunities for
students to perform locally at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of
the Arts, Grange Fair, and Festival of the Trees. This summer,
arrangements have been made for PAA students to travel to the Chicago
Human Rhythm Project and once again train with the world�s finest dancers,
including the infamous icon of tap, Savion Glover. Sarah and Chuck are
planning many other great opportunities for the upcoming year and are
excited for the future for PAA and all of their students.
Students after master class with
Emmy Award Winner Jason Samuels Smith
(left to right)
Dayna Hasson, Becky Mastin, Amanda Keister, Lauren Carnali,
Sarah Mason,
Samantha Masters, Janice Miuccio
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