- September 12, 2024
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Corie Orzel, Lyla Gigliello, Kelly Calderwood, Tatum Rezendes, Avery Jordan-Fields, Khloe Haack, Lily Clarke and Ayden Burgoyne take part in Class Act Kids' middle school summer camp performance. Courtesy photo
Charlotte Eltman and Josie Stover take part in Class Act Kids' elementary school summer camp performance. Courtesy photo
Ruby Goldberg and Sienna Guerrero take part in Class Act Kids' pre-K summer camp performance. Courtesy photo
Rielyn Newton, Aspen Papesca and Remington Telesh perform a scene. Courtesy photo
Lillian Tacinelli and Charlotte Calhoun are directed by Valerie Orzel. Courtesy photo
After eight years of traveling to local schools, Class Act Kids has found a home in Ormond Beach.
The kids acting school, founded by Ormond Beach resident Valerie Orzel, offers classes to preschool, elementary and middle school students, with the goal to not only teach them the art of drama, but also build up their confidence and creativity. Orzel offered her classes as an after school activity, but she really wanted her students to have their own space.
And, their own place to perform.
"It's fun because now the kids come in and they're like, 'Oh wow, we have a stage,'" Orzel said.
Class Act Kids moved into the a space inside the Melrose Plaza at 411 N. U.S. 1 back in March, and Orzel started offering classes in April. Orzel said she had been looking to rent a space for a while, and when a spot became available at the Melrose Plaza, she jumped on it.
Orzel has been acting for most of her life. Her passion for the art started when she was 5 years old, but it was when she entered high school at Mainland that theater became an integral part of her life. She's performed in community theatre productions, independent films and commercials.
In 2016, Orzel was trying to find her purpose. A mom of two, her daughter was taking a traveling dance class, and she thought, "Why can't I do that? I can teach acting."
So, she did. In the last year or two, she's realized Class Act Kids is her purpose.
"I just get so much joy out of seeing these kids get up on stage and just do something that they love to do," Orzel said.
With a home base in place, this is the first school year that she is not traveling directly to schools. It also allowed her to host five summer camps. In previous years, because she had to rent a space, she was only able to host one camp.
Orzel said she's thankful for the schools that allowed her to teach her classes after school, as they helped her to grow. Having her own space, however, is amazing, she said.
"It feels so good to have my own space —just to be able to come here and just this be home to Class Act Kids," Orzel said.
Her classes are taught in eight-week sessions, with a short performance celebrating what students' learned at the end of the session. Class sizes usually cap at between 12-14 students and she offers 10 different classes on Monday through Thursday.
Her favorite part of the job? Seeing her students' creativity. It's also important for children to have an outlet through the arts, she added. She's seen how it's helped build the confidence of the shyest of kids within a few classes.
"I've had quite a few kids that have ... come out of my class being able to stand on the stage and perform in front of, not only their peers, but their parents at the end of class," she said.
Visit classactkids.net.
