About Us: History

A Personal Message from Ann Davison, Director

As a performing arts school, our mission is to provide excellent education to our students. And in the course of doing so, it’s our greatest hope that we inculcate in our students the values we at BYPC hold dear – respect for one’s self and others, working hard to achieve personal goals, meaningfully contributing to the community. In other words, when our students come through our doors, they’re gaining unique perspective and important life skills we hope will serve them now and in the future. We are grateful to be a part of their journey toward self-discovery.

Like our students, the directors and faculty of BYPC continually learn, grow, and strive for excellence in teaching, program development, and community outreach. We do this by being open, by listening to professional musicians, dancers, and educators with whom we come into contact, and applying their wisdom and knowledge to our programs. Our students directly benefit from this though the creation of new paths and methods of learning, broad experience, and performing opportunities.

Recently, BYPC directors enjoyed numerous opportunities to learn from some of the country’s foremost performing artists and arts educators, including the dean of the Boston Conservatory and the New York City cast and director of “A Chorus Line.” All graciously shared with us their definition of excellence in dancers: solid technique, versatility of background, discipline, presence, musicality.

At BYPC, we respond to this knowledge by offering a comprehensive program that is centered on quality training and skill development. Our faculty is comprised of true professionals who are passionate about both teaching and learning. Our shows are directed by professionals and offer students broad opportunities to apply their skills before an audience. A plethora of visiting artists – well-known choreographers, dancers, musicians, directors – teach special master classes at BYPC which give our students exposure to a variety of styles and genres, and an important link into a vast human network of performing artists.

This year, many of our students met with the cast of “A Chorus Line,” Drowsy Chaperone, the a cappella group Rockappella, and the Boston cast of “Wicked.” Like dozens of BYPC alums, our teen students will perform at Walt Disney World this year, and in the process, befriend and connect with other performers, and return home with renewed insight and inspiration.

Music education at BYPC is truly world-class; our musicians are continually challenged by our Music Director’s creativity and influence as a musician, composer, and arranger. It is common for our students to work on complex musical arrangements including four-five- and six-part harmonies. At BYPC, our students strive to learn and become the best musicians they can be.

And that, in a nutshell, is what BYPC is truly about: excellence in teaching, and the capacity to evolve into the best performing arts school we can possibly be. It requires enormous energy, understanding, and skill – qualities we are fortunate to have in abundance in our faculty and department directors, and cultivate in our students.