Maryland Performing Arts Center: Your Local Dance and Arts Studio in Severna Park

Maryland Performing Arts Center Introduce

In the heart of Severna Park, Maryland, a vibrant community hub for creativity and artistic expression thrives: the Maryland Performing Arts Center. This local gem, often referred to as MPAC, is more than just a dance studio; it's a comprehensive performing arts center dedicated to educating and inspiring students of all ages. For families in Anne Arundel County and the surrounding areas, MPAC offers a welcoming and professional environment where young talents can explore a variety of disciplines, from dance to musical theater and beyond. The studio prides itself on providing a positive and supportive space where students can build confidence, develop new skills, and foster a lifelong love for the arts.

This article aims to provide a detailed and engaging overview of the Maryland Performing Arts Center from a local's perspective. We'll delve into what makes this studio a standout choice, including its prime location, the breadth of its programs, and the features that contribute to its excellent reputation. It's a place where every child, from the three-year-old taking their first ballet steps to the aspiring teen performer, is given the opportunity to shine. The positive energy and talented staff, as noted by numerous satisfied families, are central to the studio's success, making it a highly recommended destination for arts education in the area.

The performing arts have a unique way of enriching lives, and having a high-quality center right in our own backyard is a tremendous benefit for the Maryland community. MPAC’s commitment to artistic excellence is evident in its dedication to its students. The studio focuses on building a family-like atmosphere where students can thrive under the guidance of passionate and skilled instructors. This personalized approach to arts education ensures that each child feels valued and is given the individual attention they need to succeed, both in and out of the studio.

For many Maryland families, finding an activity that is not only enriching but also a positive influence on their children's lives is a top priority. MPAC's focus on teamwork, inclusiveness, and achievement resonates deeply with these values. They strive to create a safe place, free from bullying, where children can be themselves and grow. This is a crucial aspect of what makes the studio so appealing, as it provides a nurturing environment where students can focus on their art without external pressures.

We'll cover everything from the convenient location on Ritchie Highway to the specific types of classes offered, ensuring you have all the information needed to consider MPAC for your family. The impressive recitals, often mentioned in reviews, are a testament to the hard work of both the students and the instructors, showcasing the high level of talent and dedication found at the center. Finally, we'll summarize what makes the Maryland Performing Arts Center a top choice for performing arts education in the Severna Park region.

Location and Accessibility

The Maryland Performing Arts Center is conveniently located at 844 Ritchie Hwy, Severna Park, MD 21146, USA. Its position on a major road, Ritchie Highway, makes it highly accessible for residents of Severna Park, Arnold, Millersville, and other nearby communities. The location ensures a smooth commute for parents dropping off and picking up their children for classes.

In terms of accessibility for all patrons, the studio is equipped with a wheelchair-accessible car park. This feature is a significant benefit, ensuring that families and visitors with mobility needs can easily access the facility. The studio’s commitment to being welcoming and accessible starts with its physical space, making it a convenient and stress-free destination for everyone in the community.

Services Offered

MPAC offers a comprehensive range of performing arts education for students of all ages. Their curriculum is designed to provide a well-rounded artistic education, covering various genres and disciplines. The services offered include:

Dance Classes: The studio offers a wide array of dance classes, including ballet, tap, and hip hop, catering to different interests and skill levels. They also offer combination classes, such as ballet/tap combo for younger children.
Musical Theater Program: MPAC is noted for its well-rounded and respected musical theater program, a unique offering for a facility of its kind in the county. This program helps students develop skills in singing, acting, and dancing.
Vocal Training: Students can receive vocal training to enhance their singing abilities, either through private coaching or as part of a larger musical theater program.
Acrobatics and Conditioning: The studio provides classes in acrobatics and conditioning, which help dancers improve flexibility, strength, and overall physical performance.
Private Coaching: For students preparing for auditions for schools, colleges, or shows, MPAC offers one-on-one private coaching to help them with their specific needs and goals.
Recitals and Performances: The studio produces impressive recitals and shows that provide students with valuable performance experience in a professional setting, showcasing their hard work throughout the year.

Features / Highlights

The Maryland Performing Arts Center is distinguished by several key features that make it a premier choice for families in the Maryland area.

Talented and Dedicated Staff: The studio is led by a team of professional and passionate instructors who are highly dedicated to their students' success. Their excellent instruction and positive energy are frequently praised by parents.
Impressive Recitals: The annual recitals are a major highlight, known for their high production quality and the opportunity they provide for students to perform on stage in front of a live audience.
Good for Kids: The studio is specifically noted as being good for children, offering a wide range of classes for all ages, including very young dancers, and creating a fun and positive environment for them to learn and grow.
Family-Owned and Community-Oriented: As a family-owned business, MPAC takes pride in building individual relationships with each student and actively gives back to the community through participation in statewide events that support charitable causes.
State-of-the-Art Facility: The studio features properly sprung floors to ensure the safety and well-being of the dancers, as well as a video system in every room that allows parents to watch their children in class from a monitor in the lobby.
Welcoming Atmosphere: The studio is celebrated for its positive energy and encouraging environment, which helps students thrive and feel like part of a family.
Accepts Various Payments: For convenience, the studio accepts major credit cards and debit cards, making tuition and other payments easy for parents.

Contact Information

For more information about class schedules, tuition, or to register your child for a class, you can contact the Maryland Performing Arts Center using the following details:

Address: 844 Ritchie Hwy, Severna Park, MD 21146, USA
Phone: (410) 421-8960

What is Worth Choosing

Choosing a performing arts studio is a significant decision for any family, and the Maryland Performing Arts Center offers several compelling reasons why it stands out as the best choice in the Severna Park area. Its reputation is built on a foundation of excellent instruction and a genuinely positive and supportive environment. The review from a satisfied parent, who describes the studio as having "wonderful" staff and "excellent instruction," speaks volumes. The sentiment that the recitals are "very impressive" and that it is the "best in the area" is a powerful endorsement from a local user who has experienced the studio firsthand.

The studio’s dedication to its youngest students is particularly noteworthy. As one parent mentioned, their "3 year old little girl... LOVES dance class days," which highlights the studio's ability to create a fun and engaging experience for even the youngest learners. This early positive exposure to the arts can be incredibly beneficial for a child's development, fostering confidence and a love for creative expression that can last a lifetime.

Furthermore, MPAC’s commitment to being more than just a dance studio is a key factor. Its offerings in musical theater, vocal training, and acrobatics provide a comprehensive arts education that is rare to find under one roof. This allows students to explore different passions and develop a well-rounded skill set, which is a valuable asset whether they pursue a career in the arts or simply enjoy them as a hobby. The studio's focus on resume-building opportunities and preparing students for future success is a testament to its forward-thinking approach.

In conclusion, the Maryland Performing Arts Center is a top-tier destination for dance and arts education in Severna Park. It combines talented, caring staff with a wide variety of programs and a state-of-the-art facility. The overwhelmingly positive reviews from local families confirm that MPAC delivers on its promise to provide a nurturing and enriching environment where every student can achieve their full potential. For any family in Maryland looking for a place where creativity, confidence, and community thrive, MPAC is undoubtedly a choice worth making.

Maryland Performing Arts Center Details

Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park

Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
Credit cards

Children
Good for kids

Maryland Performing Arts Center Photos

No photos available at the moment.

Maryland Performing Arts Center Location

Maryland Performing Arts Center

Maryland Anne Arundel County Severna Park Ritchie Highway

844 Ritchie Hwy, Severna Park, MD 21146, USA

Maryland Performing Arts Center Reviews

An average rating of ★4.1 from 16 user reviews.

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★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1

Wonderful dance studio and performing arts center. Talented staff and excellent instruction! My son loved the hip hop class! My 3 year old little girl is currently doing ballet/tap combo class and LOVES dance class days!! Studio has a lot of positive energy!! Recitals are very impressive! Highly recommend to friends, in my opinion, best in the area!
October 14 · Brittany Spiker
Wonderful dance studio and performing arts center. Talented staff and excellent instruction! My son loved the hip hop class! My 3 year old little girl is currently doing ballet/tap combo class and LOVES dance class days!! Studio has a lot of positive energy!! Recitals are very impressive! Highly recommend to friends, in my opinion, best in the area!
October 14 · Brittany Spiker
This arts studio is the best in the area, from their attention given to each child’s success to the cleanliness of the environment where the classes are held. My daughter is going on her third year at this studio she could not be in better hands in developing into an amazing young dancer! I would fully recommend MPAC to anyone looking for a studio to further develop their children’s dreams, aspirations and potential.
September 30 · Wayne Sarro
This arts studio is the best in the area, from their attention given to each child’s success to the cleanliness of the environment where the classes are held. My daughter is going on her third year at this studio she could not be in better hands in developing into an amazing young dancer! I would fully recommend MPAC to anyone looking for a studio to further develop their children’s dreams, aspirations and potential.
September 30 · Wayne Sarro
We coordinated a trial, but they didn’t update me on instructions on arrival and when we got there it was unclear if there was even a class.Two girls did join late and they allowed my 2 year old to participate. The instructor was wonderful and patient with my daughter, but said she would reach out to discuss if she was a fit for the class.This class was advertised for 2 year olds, but I could tell the instructor was hesitant. I never heard from them. I sent an email that I was disappointed and we still never heard from them.I think it’s important for parents to know this experience. It takes a lot to put your child out there with new experiences and I’m not a fan of the how this studio handles their communication.
February 07 · Alyssa Cary
We coordinated a trial, but they didn’t update me on instructions on arrival and when we got there it was unclear if there was even a class.Two girls did join late and they allowed my 2 year old to participate. The instructor was wonderful and patient with my daughter, but said she would reach out to discuss if she was a fit for the class.This class was advertised for 2 year olds, but I could tell the instructor was hesitant. I never heard from them. I sent an email that I was disappointed and we still never heard from them.I think it’s important for parents to know this experience. It takes a lot to put your child out there with new experiences and I’m not a fan of the how this studio handles their communication.
February 07 · Alyssa Cary
My oldest started here almost 6 years ago when she was 3 years old, and our youngest just started last year. I would never take them anywhere else! Kelsey treats my children as if they were her own and is incredibly patient and kind, even when teaching the youngest of children. When my children started they were nervous and anxious (they were only 3!), as this was their first experience in any form of sport and for the first few classes they cried and were scared to go in to dance without myself or my husband. Kelsey and Colleen were so patient with them, encouraged them and were finally able to get them to come in class (so much that they didn't want to come back home afterwards!)I personally danced for 15 years when I was younger, and I wish that I had attended dance at a studio that measured even halfway to Maryland Performing Arts Center! They recently moved into a new space that was completely remodeled and is gorgeous. I would recommend coming here to anyone looking for the perfect dance studio!
September 30 · Sarah Dungan
My oldest started here almost 6 years ago when she was 3 years old, and our youngest just started last year. I would never take them anywhere else! Kelsey treats my children as if they were her own and is incredibly patient and kind, even when teaching the youngest of children. When my children started they were nervous and anxious (they were only 3!), as this was their first experience in any form of sport and for the first few classes they cried and were scared to go in to dance without myself or my husband. Kelsey and Colleen were so patient with them, encouraged them and were finally able to get them to come in class (so much that they didn't want to come back home afterwards!)I personally danced for 15 years when I was younger, and I wish that I had attended dance at a studio that measured even halfway to Maryland Performing Arts Center! They recently moved into a new space that was completely remodeled and is gorgeous. I would recommend coming here to anyone looking for the perfect dance studio!
September 30 · Sarah Dungan
I've tried several dance studios in the area and I have to say the quality of the teachers and facility at Maryland Performing Arts is the best in the area. I tried Dances Dream (Pasadena) and Creative Force Dance (Severna Park), and while they were acceptable, they didn't meet my needs any where near as well as Maryland Performing Arts did.With Dancers Dreams the responses to my email inquires always seemed very short/curt. When I inquired for ballet and/or tap classes for my girls we were placed into a technique class with a teacher who caters to younger students. The girls liked the teacher (Hannah Feather) well enough, as she was very friendly and causal, but I thought for my daughter's age (9yr), the classes should be more mature and have a better balance of seriousness with fun. At $90 per hour of class per month (as of this writing April 2021) I didn’t find the tuition on par at all with the level of service.My experience with Creative Force Dance was a slight improvement from Dancers Dream. Creative Force Dance offer a very large selection of mix dance classes (like acro/hip hop, “creative dance” or strength/stretch/jazz to give you an idea of the array...) which seems novel at first but I think too much selection made it overwhelming to pick a class, especially when we couldn’t do in-person trial lessons (which to be fair, was mostly Corona’s fault). When trying out the only in person trial class available (tumbling) my older daughter felt very self conscious by one of the teachers' comments (she couldn't do a hand stand and the teacher said "she's as flexible as a stick”—while I’m sure he didn't mean any harm, my daughter can be overly sensitive and she was turned off from the class). After that, I didn't want to commit to any classes until my daughters had done in person trials to make sure they were comfortable with the teacher(s) but none of the other classes were offered with in person trials. In the end, I just gave up on doing trials and jumped into signing up for strength and stretch and tap to try it out (I thought I could put in the 30 day notice when signing up in case they didn’t like it but we were told we that the cancel wouldn’t commit until next month so we had to do 2 months). The girls liked their tap teacher well enough (Maura DePascal) and their tap skills improved greatly over the 2 months they attended but at $60 a month per class per child (as of this writing April 2021) I only found the tuition to be satisfactory for the level of service.As for Maryland Performing Arts, they offered in person trials for every class. They recommended age appropriate ballet classes for my girls when I explained their ages, situation and break from dance and set us up to try Tap, Ballet and Movement trials on Tuesday and Hip Hop and Ballet trials on Thursday. They followed up with phone calls after the trials and even helped to set up make up trials when the snow cancelled Thursday's trials. The girls loved the Hip Hop class but my priority was the Ballet. Maryland Performing Arts requires Ballet students to take two Ballet classes (as with my experience with more professional dance studios). We ended up signing up for Ballet 2 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and voice lessons on Fridays. The girls said, even though they find the Ballet classes challenging they like both their Ballet teachers. The dance rooms have glass facing the parking lot so you can observe from you car and I can see how skillful the teacher are. It was also refreshing to find a male Ballet teacher for a change (Patrick Harrington on the Thur classes) to give the girls a little balance in gender role models. The voice teacher, Mr. Michael (Michael Gellert) is my favorite. He lets me sit in during their lessons (so I feel like I’m getting a free singing lesson myself), and he’s always very animated and enthusiastic to teach the girls. I really get the feeling that everyone who works there loves to teach and loves their job. At $80 a month per class per child, it is well worth the tuition for the service we receive.
April 06 · Rachel Endo
I've tried several dance studios in the area and I have to say the quality of the teachers and facility at Maryland Performing Arts is the best in the area. I tried Dances Dream (Pasadena) and Creative Force Dance (Severna Park), and while they were acceptable, they didn't meet my needs any where near as well as Maryland Performing Arts did.With Dancers Dreams the responses to my email inquires always seemed very short/curt. When I inquired for ballet and/or tap classes for my girls we were placed into a technique class with a teacher who caters to younger students. The girls liked the teacher (Hannah Feather) well enough, as she was very friendly and causal, but I thought for my daughter's age (9yr), the classes should be more mature and have a better balance of seriousness with fun. At $90 per hour of class per month (as of this writing April 2021) I didn’t find the tuition on par at all with the level of service.My experience with Creative Force Dance was a slight improvement from Dancers Dream. Creative Force Dance offer a very large selection of mix dance classes (like acro/hip hop, “creative dance” or strength/stretch/jazz to give you an idea of the array...) which seems novel at first but I think too much selection made it overwhelming to pick a class, especially when we couldn’t do in-person trial lessons (which to be fair, was mostly Corona’s fault). When trying out the only in person trial class available (tumbling) my older daughter felt very self conscious by one of the teachers' comments (she couldn't do a hand stand and the teacher said "she's as flexible as a stick”—while I’m sure he didn't mean any harm, my daughter can be overly sensitive and she was turned off from the class). After that, I didn't want to commit to any classes until my daughters had done in person trials to make sure they were comfortable with the teacher(s) but none of the other classes were offered with in person trials. In the end, I just gave up on doing trials and jumped into signing up for strength and stretch and tap to try it out (I thought I could put in the 30 day notice when signing up in case they didn’t like it but we were told we that the cancel wouldn’t commit until next month so we had to do 2 months). The girls liked their tap teacher well enough (Maura DePascal) and their tap skills improved greatly over the 2 months they attended but at $60 a month per class per child (as of this writing April 2021) I only found the tuition to be satisfactory for the level of service.As for Maryland Performing Arts, they offered in person trials for every class. They recommended age appropriate ballet classes for my girls when I explained their ages, situation and break from dance and set us up to try Tap, Ballet and Movement trials on Tuesday and Hip Hop and Ballet trials on Thursday. They followed up with phone calls after the trials and even helped to set up make up trials when the snow cancelled Thursday's trials. The girls loved the Hip Hop class but my priority was the Ballet. Maryland Performing Arts requires Ballet students to take two Ballet classes (as with my experience with more professional dance studios). We ended up signing up for Ballet 2 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and voice lessons on Fridays. The girls said, even though they find the Ballet classes challenging they like both their Ballet teachers. The dance rooms have glass facing the parking lot so you can observe from you car and I can see how skillful the teacher are. It was also refreshing to find a male Ballet teacher for a change (Patrick Harrington on the Thur classes) to give the girls a little balance in gender role models. The voice teacher, Mr. Michael (Michael Gellert) is my favorite. He lets me sit in during their lessons (so I feel like I’m getting a free singing lesson myself), and he’s always very animated and enthusiastic to teach the girls. I really get the feeling that everyone who works there loves to teach and loves their job. At $80 a month per class per child, it is well worth the tuition for the service we receive.
April 06 · Rachel Endo