About Newtown Academy of Performing Arts

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Newtown Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA), formerly The Graceful Planet Studio of Dance, believes that dance education is about so much more than learning steps. We want our students to become strong, confident dancers, but we also want them to become kind, compassionate and confident people.

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Dance teaches lessons that reach far beyond the studio. Our students learn how to set goals, work with others, solve problems, accept corrections, persevere when something is difficult and take pride in what they accomplish. They learn that hard work matters, that being a good teammate matters and that how you treat people matters.

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Some of our students will go on to pursue careers in the performing arts, and many will choose completely different paths. Both are successes. Our goal is to give every student excellent training while helping them develop the confidence, discipline and work ethic they can carry with them wherever life takes them.

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NAPA is led by Studio Director Grace Barton, a graduate of The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, where she currently serves on the faculty teaching Ballet and Jazz in the Musical Theater department. Grace trained with the School of the Hartford Ballet and studied Martha Graham based modern technique. As a professional dancer, she performed solo and ensemble works in New York City with Off Center Dance Theater.
 

Just as important as the quality of our training is the community we create. NAPA welcomes dancers of different backgrounds, abilities, identities and experiences. We believe every student deserves to feel valued, respected and supported in the studio, and we are committed to making dance education accessible and welcoming to everyone.
 

At NAPA, we teach dance. But we are also helping raise good humans.