The Whole YADA Enchilada!
Welcome! The Youth Academy of Dramatic Arts (YADA) is excited to have you as a part of our family. We are pleased to bring you the highest quality theatrical training for youth that Los Angeles has to offer. For the children, we offer spontaneity, enthusiastic imagination and fun ways to implement personal growth. For the parents, we offer a safe, encouraging, communicative environment for both parent and child. What makes YADA come alive is the unique element that each child brings to the theatre.
This section of the website is designed to provide you with information about YADA - THE YOUTH ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ARTS and to help with any questions you may have about our program. Please take the time to review this information with your child and direct any comments or questions you may have to our YADA staff by clicking HERE or call us at 323-655-9232.

General Stuff
During the school year, the YADA business office is open:
Mondays: 10:00am - 7:30pm
Tuesdays: 10:00am - 7:00pm
Wednesdays: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Thursdays: 10:00am - 7:00pm
Friday: 10:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am - 6:30pm
Sundays: 9:00am - 3:30pm
During the summer YADA is open: Monday– Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
- All tuition must be paid in full before the first day of class.
- All drops or withdrawals or class changes must be confirmed in writing to the YADA Office
- YADA is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged of personal property.
- Gum chewing, foul language, disruptive behavior, weapons, smoking and alcoholic beverages are not allowed.
- There is no food or drink (except water) allowed in the theatre.
We discourage parents from viewing classes as it intimidates the students and inhibits their personal and theatrical growth. We understand that this may be difficult for parents, but we ask that you respect the student’s desire to explore independently for a few hours. If you are new and would like to observe a class to see how the program works, we will be more than happy to accommodate you.
CELL PHONES: Cell phones are not allowed during rehearsals/shows at YADA. We encourage kids to leave their cell phones at home. If they are brought to YADA, we will ask them to keep them in their bags in the cubby room. If you need to reach your child during YADA office hours, please call 323-655-9232. We want YADA to be a place of human interaction and learning from directors, staff and each other.
Health and Emergency Forms
Student Health Forms are required for all YADA students. These forms, always kept confidential, are essential in case of an emergency, and are a good opportunity for you to inform YADA of any special needs your child may have. No child will be allowed to participate at YADA without a completed Health Form. If you have not yet filled out a Health Form for your student and they are participating in an upcoming YADA production please click here to complete the YADA Health Form.

YADA's Communication Policy
Communication is an essential element to our program. Each week YADA sends out a newsletter to help keep you informed of everything that is happening at YADA. These newsletters contain very important information that you will need to know in order to keep up to date with your child’s classes, tickets, rehearsals, parking, souvenir orders and weekly announcements. You will receive your weekly newsletter by email. It is essential that YADA has a current e-mail address on file. Families are encouraged to contact us at any time with questions or concerns at 323-655-9232, or e-mail us at yadakids@gmail.com. We want you to feel informed, safe and confident about your decision to register your child with YADA.
Rehearsals
- Students are required to bring a pencil and their YADA provided script to all rehearsals.
- Students are not allowed to leave the rehearsal or the YADA facilities at any time during their scheduled classes, rehearsals and performances.
- During rehearsals, students need to turn all cell phones off. They can be checked during their snack break. If you need to reach your child, please call the YADA office and we will be happy to get your child from class.
- Cell phones are not allowed at anytime during rehearsals/shows. If you need to reach your child, please call the YADA office and we will locate your child for you.
- Students are not allowed to bring anyone to class or rehearsal unless it has been cleared with YADA instructors.
- Lines are due when requested. Each rehearsal, new scenes are blocked, and at the next class meeting, a review is done of all the material previously learned. At this time, all lines, songs & choreography must be memorized from the previous rehearsal.
- If necessary, YADA reserves the right to cut or reassign lines and solos if they are not memorized on time.

Dropping off & picking up your child
As the Third Street area is very busy and often congested, YADA has specific rules regarding dropping off and picking up your child to and from YADA:
Drop-off is IN FRONT of YADA only. Please do not drop your child off in the alley and have them knock on the back theatre door – most likely they will not be heard in the school. YADA cannot guarantee supervision for students who are dropped off behind the building.
- There is no outside adult supervision for Drop-off. Parents are welcome to walk their children in and spend a few minutes in the Observation Room at the beginning of each class, but we ask that you say your good-byes within the first 15 minutes of rehearsal.
- Students may be dropped off up to 15 minutes prior to the beginning of class. Once your child comes into the lobby, a YADA staff member will check them off on their attendance sheet. Once each child is in class, another roll call will be made with each student.
- Pick-up for weekend daytime classes is located in the alley behind YADA: Please drive down the Alley from KILKEA ONLY. Entering from Crescent Hts. is not only dangerous for Crescent Hts. traffic, but also for the children being picked up at that time. A YADA Staff member will walk your child to your car and have you sign out your child. Please do not block our neighbors downstair’s parking spaces. Also, please leave all driveways open to allow people to enter and exit businesses. We try hard not to disrupt our fellow businesses.
- If at any time you see that traffic is congested with many families picking up their children, kindly circle the block to keep the traffic flowing.
- Parents are always welcome to park in city designated areas (i.e.: meters or street parking) and walk upstairs to YADA and pick up their child.
- Pick up for any evening classes will be in assigned windows from specific rooms.
- Children who remain at YADA for more than 15 minutes after the end of class will be charged a late fee of $1.00 per minute. If you are unavoidably stuck in traffic, or have a last-minute emergency and cannot be here on time, please call us so we can let your child know you are on your way! The reason for this is most children become very anxious once all the other children have been picked up.

General Casting Information
The Process: YADA's goal is to give your children the tools they need to participate in an ensemble, and have a fantastic time learning and growing in this group process. YADA strives to give as much stage time to every child as possible, and encourages them to be part of an ensemble group no matter what character they are cast to play. We’re here to have fun!
- Casting: When casting your child, YADA takes many things into consideration. Some of which are:
- Auditioning: We base the majority of our casting choices on the audition of your child. We encourage them to give the best audition that they can by being prepared, showing character work and researching the musical or play.
- Child’s ability: Some students may or may not be ready for certain parts in the show. We ask that you trust our experienced directors and staff to place your child in a part that will encourage him or her to grow as an artist, but at the same time not give them so much that they feel overwhelmed and/or scared.
- Rotation of parts: Some students may have a leading role in one session and/or an ensemble role in another, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the child is being punished or isn’t good enough for a bigger part. At YADA, learning all areas of being in a show is important. Learning how to take a part that has only a few lines and creating a character’s life is a valuable lesson that can be used in all areas of their life.
- Hard Work : Many students are given larger roles, once they have shown a commitment and dedication to whatever size part they are given. Nothing is more exciting to a director than seeing a student work hard and give 100% in rehearsal and to the show.
- No part is too big or too small: Encourage your children to be enthusiastic about their roles, and please discourage them from counting their lines. YADA is sensitive to the fact that some "lead" parts are bigger than "ensemble" roles, but children who participate in the ensemble often have more stage time than the principals do! During the rehearsal process many ensemble players are assigned solos or are featured in dance numbers.
- Disappointment: If your child is unhappy with their role, we ask you, as parents, to be as supportive as you can. When a child doesn't get the role he or she wanted, it is natural to feel some initial disappointment. Please re-read the advice in the first paragraph with your child, and understand that disappointment most often turns to delight when your child realizes how important their role is to the production. If after three rehearsals your child is still unhappy, please call us to set up a telephone conference to discuss your child’s needs.
A note about Junior Master/Master Level casting:
While factors such as rotation, talent, audition, and hard work are all taken into consideration at this level, there are other important variables as well. These are pre-professional classes, and, as such, factors like professionalism, work ethic, consistent memorization and attendance all play into casting.
- Each student's behavior on and off the stage is taken into account when casting, as we are training them to be ready for professional theatre. If a student does not conduct themselves professionally, it may take longer for them to rotate up to a leading role. That includes showing respect and maturity towards the teachers and fellow students, accepting their role with grace, and memorizing their lines and blocking.
- At these levels, learning the lines and blocking is the bare minimum requirement. Students are expected to understand how to create a character or be willing to try during the rehearsal process. These skills and attitude are noted throughout the session and are taken into consideration when casting.
- While rotation is still a factor, setting each student up for success in the role that is most likely to both challenge and make them shine is heavily weighed when casting. In addition, casting the show as a whole and doing what is best for the entire cast in order for everyone to succeed on stage is extremely important when casting at these levels.
- There will be times when directors of a specific class at this level will explain any special casting processes to students in person. Please reach out to the directors with any questions.
- Please note that Master class casting expectations are a little different from Junior Master casting, as it is based less on rotation and more on the audition, dedication and behavior.
- If a student is unhappy with their role, we encourage them to talk to their teachers themselves. Since the students at this level have chosen to further themselves as performers and audition for this level, they are expected to voice their concerns on their own.


Snacks
Your children will have snack breaks during their rehearsals at YADA. Students are encouraged to bring snacks and drinks from home as they use up a lot of energy in the rehearsal period. YADA does not have snacks on hand to sell so please pack a snack for your child. YADA also recommends that all students bring water bottles clearly labeled with their names.
Celebrations!
If your child wishes to celebrate their birthday or other milestone such as a cast party here at YADA, we welcome the opportunity to celebrate together! If you do choose to bring in any food items for the entire cast such as cake or cupcakes, we ask that you please let the office know at least a day in advance so that we may alert the rest of our families in that cast who may have children with allergies or dietary restrictions. This will allow those families to provide their children with celebratory snacks that they can also enjoy. We take great pride in creating the second Happiest Place on Earth here at YADA, and we want to include ALL children in that happiness!

Attire
YADA requires that all students follow a dress code for rehearsals. This dress code insures that actors are clothed properly for rehearsals and helps to maintain an effective, neutral learning atmosphere. Below is a list of proper attire.
- Black shirt & Black pants/Shorts, YADA shirt & black pants/Shorts or YADA Show Shirt & Black pants/Shorts. All should be solid colors with no brand logos.
- Shoes must be closed toed. NO FLIP FLOPS! Sneakers are allowed, but YADA recommends proper dance shoes such as ballet or jazz.
- No skirts or tight fitting jeans.
- Pants should be comfortable and easy to move in.
- If the character your child plays wears a skirt or a dress, shorts are required underneath for warm-ups.
Warm-ups
Each class begins with a warm-up to get the students to release their day and focus on the work they are about to engage in. It is important for students to arrive punctually, as it is an essential time for bonding and getting to know class members. If students arrive late, they will be asked to wait outside the room until the warm-up is over.

Parent participation
Parents and guardians play an important role in the development of each student. Although YADA instructors give the students the necessary information for each class and rehearsal, we do require practice outside of YADA
TIPS FOR HELPING YOUR CHILD:
- Use the provided YADA practice CD to rehearse the musical numbers your child has learned in class. It’s easy to simply pop it in the car or at home!
- Sometimes students are shy about practicing in front of their family; please do not force them! Learning a new personal activity can be vulnerable and often times overwhelming. We recommend you let your child develop at his or her own pace. YADA wants learning to be as fun as possible.
- If your child does want your help, in addition to encouraging them to practice with their CD, go over their lines with them. Help them to not only memorize their lines, but their cue lines as well. (A cue line is the line directly before they speak.) Also, help them to learn the plot of each scene. You can start by asking him or her what is happening in the scene. This will help your child memorize their lines with an idea of what the scene is actually about.
Attendance
Please be prompt for rehearsals. Late arrivals are a disruption to the class. Students must attend their dress rehearsal. No exceptions. All production and program photos will be taken at the dress rehearsal.
Sick Policy
- fever
- diarrhea
- vomiting
- consistent cough
- sneezing
- runny nose where discharge is yellow or green
Please help us prevent the spread of germs by:
- Keeping even mildly ill children home.
- Washing your children’s hands frequently (soap & warm water for the length of "Happy Birthday" twice or "The Alphabet Song" once) and teaching them cough and sneeze etiquette.
We do this not only for the health of other children but our staff as well. These policies are meant to serve the best interests of the children and our staff. If you have any questions concerning this policy and whether your child should attend our program or not, please contact us before bringing them in.
WEEKLY REVIEW:
If a child is unable to attend their regular class during the week, they may attend the weekly review class offered for their level (for a small fee). If they are unable to attend the review class, they also have the option of scheduling a private lesson. To provide the best learning environment for ALL of the students (those in regular rehearsals and those making up a rehearsal), YADA will no longer allow students to attend a different class of the same level. The weekly review class will focus on the material taught in their normal class that week, and if time allows, other material learned to that point will also be reviewed. These classes are also open to any child wishing to have extra practice on the numbers learned that week, even if they did attend their own class.

YADA Ticket Policy
- Each cast will have 1 or 2 public performances.
- Final dress rehearsals are closed to the public.
- Tickets are sold through showclix.com
- Tickets are $15 each.
- TOTS shows are free.
- Entrance to the shows is not granted without a paid ticket.
- There will be a Pre-Sale time for tickets where each YADA Family can purchase 4 tickets for each show, this is to insure that each family is guaranteed tickets to each show. After the Pre-Sale, there will be a general release of tickets where families can purchase unlimited, additional tickets for each show.
- All seating is reserved.
- Please note, any tickets purchased are a final sale. No refunds or exchanges will be given.

Photographs
Production photos are taken throughout the rehearsals, dress rehearsals and performances. Individual portraits, cast photos, and/or production photos are available for purchase. Photos can be ordered online at yada.smugmug.com after your child’s show.