- About Leah Prunty Dance Arts -

Leah Prunty Dance Arts started with a dream in 2001, when the C.E.O., Mrs. Prunty, was a high school student and a member of a professional high school dance company in Portland, Oregon called the Jefferson Dancers. She was blessed with the opportunity to participate in multiple styles of dance, and to travel and perform at grand venues up and down the West Coast. She wanted to be able to share her experience with all youth who wished to have the same opportunity, as soon as she was able.

The Leah Prunty Dance Arts Non-Profit Youth Dance Organization was officially founded on August 6, 2009. Mrs. Prunty's passion was driven most urgently by the fact that vast amounts of funding has been cut out of the budgets for arts programs at public schools in Southern California that benefit the whole learning of the child. Thus, LPDA seeks to be a formidable bridge to help remedy this problem, keeping the arts and schools together in harmony. LPDA also stands firm in helping to reverse the drop-out rate among teens, and reduce adolescent obesity. Adding much needed jobs to communities we serve is also a top priority. Mrs. Prunty earned her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, which has helped fuel her desire for positive change and access to these programs in a practical and professional manner. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Dance from California State University, Long Beach, and has been dancing since the age of 5. She's been teaching and choreographing dance performances for children and adults ages 3-45 and beyond since the age of 14.

Leah Prunty Dance Arts (LPDA) After School Performing Arts Program is a comprehensive learning experience that is infused with the creative aspects of individual expression, dance history, subject matter coherent with California Content Standards, as well as a culmination of performance and choreographic work. Students have the opportunity to express themselves through a number of different dance styles, find themselves in an environment of learning and positive family oriented values, and to share their talents with the community and the world. Guest artists are invited on a regular basis to divulge wisdom, knowledge and choreographic work with our students so as to prepare them for the world of professional dance and artistry. This collaboration gives local, emerging and renowned artists an opportunity to choreograph and perform. Service Learning projects such as: green matters, lowering one's carbon footprint, cleaning of our local environment, reading and advocating literacy to elementary school children and collaborating with foster children and the elderly on creative and movement projects, will also be embarked upon as the students fuse the dance of life with preservation of the environment we all share.

- The Mission at LPDA -

Our mission at LPDA is to positively impact our students so that they become healthy, well-rounded, inspired and accountable youth that will grow into intelligent, articulate and creative individuals who joyfully share their artistic passion, while actively striving to support and improve their communities.

• We place full and engaging performing arts programs into middle schools and high schools throughout Los Angeles County that lack them. Our program is an artistic outlet that works hand-in-hand with each host-school, using cross-disciplinary applications of dance and academics. For example: Ballet corresponds with geometry, Hip-Hop with human biology and more.
  
• We invest time, resources, technique, discipline, performance etiquette and pertinent tools that prepare young artists for their pursuit of professional dance careers.
  
• We network and solidify partnerships with local businesses that are passionate about sustaining after school programs and arts education.
  
• We help students learn retention skills for their regular academic classes, in order to improve their test preparation abilities and enhance their GPA.
  
• We offer a health conscious program called The LPDA Healthy Habits Program, where we focus on introducing healthy food options and educate young dancers on the value of habitually planning and properly preparing meal servings. Positive personal health, gradually eliminating adolescent obesity and diabetes, and improving healthy brain function are key results that LPDA strives for in this program.

- The Vision at LPDA -

• Instilling positive values and invaluable life skills.
• Encouraging and fostering natural talents.
• Imparting and sharing individual and chronicled dance history.
• Bridging gaps between the pioneers of dance and new age, innovative dance styles if the current era.
• Building career competencies as well as marketing and business knowledge in the field of dance.
• Teaching dance discipline with an air of integrity, inspiration and FUN!!

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