Choosing the right performing arts education for your child is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a parent. While program descriptions and faculty credentials matter, nothing speaks more powerfully than the real experiences of families who have walked this path before you. At Asheville Performing Arts Academy, we're proud to share the authentic stories of our students and families—stories that reveal not just artistic growth, but personal transformation, lasting friendships, and life-changing experiences.

These aren't carefully crafted marketing testimonials—they're genuine reflections from parents, students, and alumni who have experienced the APAA difference firsthand. Their stories span over a decade of APAA's impact on young lives, from shy kindergarteners discovering their voice to confident high school graduates accepted into prestigious college programs.

Reading these reviews will help you understand what makes APAA special: our commitment to nurturing every child's unique potential while building a supportive community where families form lasting connections and children discover not just their artistic abilities, but their authentic selves.

What Parents Are Saying About APAA

Long-Term Family Commitment and Growth

"My children have been involved with the Asheville Performing Arts Academy for more than a decade. Over the years, I have watched them grow in confidence and creativity. They have had fantastic teachers and have made the best of friends. The community of APAA families is supportive and fun. The performances are professional and a joy to watch. The only hard part is saying goodbye to a show when it wraps. I will always be grateful that APAA was such an important, central part of my son's and daughter's childhoods."

— Heather Abernathy, Sr. Director for Advancement, East Coast - University of Washington

This testimonial captures what many APAA families discover: this isn't just a place to take classes—it's a community that becomes central to family life. When parents commit to a decade of involvement, you know the experience delivers consistent value and growth.

"Our ever-singing daughter Marta was in her first play with APAA as a community member in Spring of her Kindergarten year, at 5 years old. She loved learning the songs, wearing the costumes, acting with a friend, and performing in a theater with other kids. That summer, she got to participate in something really exciting, a one-week camp with APAA in which students prepared a fully staged and costumed premiere of a kids' version of the Mary Martin Peter Pan. It was enough to convince her, she wanted to do APAA's year long program—which she's been a part of from 1st grade on, now in her 6th year of all APAA, all year! While several other activities have come and gone in that time, every year we ask her, and every year she makes the choice again to recommit to the APAA experience."

— Andrea Rosal

The power of child choice shines through this review. When children consistently choose to return year after year, abandoning other activities to focus on APAA, it speaks to the program's ability to maintain engagement and excitement over time.

Professional Quality with Personal Attention

"Asheville Performing Arts Academy has been an important part of our lives for over 5 years now. We feel so fortunate to have found a program with such amazingly talented teachers and kind-hearted students who share my son's love of performing. The experiences APAA has afforded him over the years from performing on community stages to competing at Atlanta's Junior Theater Festivals to interacting with Broadway professionals has been life-changing for a child who loves to sing, dance, and act. There is nothing more wonderful than watching your child pursue his dreams within a community of friends that share his passion for the arts. The confidence he has built and friendships he has formed are life lasting."

— Holly M.

This review highlights APAA's unique combination of professional opportunities with personal community. The mention of Broadway professionals and national competitions alongside "kind-hearted students" shows how APAA maintains high standards while preserving the supportive environment that makes learning joyful.

Comprehensive Personal Development

"Asheville Performing Arts Academy provides not only high-quality theatre education, but also a supportive community of creative, empathetic teachers and young artists. Whether your child/teen wants to train for a professional career in the arts or just wants a space outside of school to explore their interests, learn responsibility and teamwork, and develop meaningful relationships, APAA will be a home for them. Having watched my daughter grow and change in this program over the last 8 years, I cannot overstate its value. Her dreams have shifted as she's gotten older, but the APAA staff have been there every step of the way customizing learning opportunities to meet her needs."

— Lyndi Hewitt

Adaptability and individual attention emerge as key themes. This parent recognizes that APAA staff adjust programming to meet changing student needs—a level of personalization that larger, more rigid programs simply cannot provide.

"My daughter has learned to work hard, to support her peers, to practice gratitude, to deal with disappointment, to resist injustice, and to be brave and authentic in expressing herself. As a parent, I'm profoundly grateful for the APAA family."

— Lyndi Hewitt (continued)

This continuation reveals the life skills development that parents value most: resilience, empathy, work ethic, and authentic self-expression—capabilities that serve children throughout their lives regardless of their ultimate career paths.

Building Belonging and Identity

"Heather Gallagher and her team of talented, professional staff have created a program at the Asheville Performing Arts Academy where kids who are passionate about the arts can fully explore their creative potential and thrive. Our daughter has been involved with the performing groups of APAA since she was in kindergarten. Here she not only learned to dance, sing, and act, she also discovered teamwork, professionalism (both on and off the stage), accountability (to herself and her team), and most importantly, a deep sense of friendship and acceptance. These are HER PEOPLE! Our daughter would rather be in rehearsal than anywhere else."

— Jen and Jason

"These are HER PEOPLE!" perfectly captures what many APAA families discover—their children find their tribe, the community where they truly belong and feel understood.

Transformative Experiences for All Students

"Enrolling my son in a Community show through Asheville Performing Arts Academy when he was 11 years old was one of the best decisions I have ever made, for both of us. The APAA created a comfortable and safe space and opportunity for my son to express himself freely and authentically, to be creative, to explore and realize his passion for performing, theater, and acting. The instructors care deeply about each student, taking the time to understand who they are, what their strengths and challenges are, and how to help them succeed in reaching their dreams and goals."

— Anastasia Bursenos, Kiran's mom

This review emphasizes individual attention within group settings—instructors who take time to understand each student's unique needs and adapt instruction accordingly.

"The staff does an amazing job at developing a fun, exciting, collaborative, creative space where students can really feel free to express themselves, and be whatever character in the moment they need to be. All this while offering a comprehensive educational model that gives students well rounded training in the performing arts."

— Anastasia Bursenos (continued)

Safe creative risk-taking combined with comprehensive education creates the environment where real growth happens.

Student Voices: What APAA Students Say

Junior Theatre Festival Experiences

"When I first signed up for JTF, I thought I was signing up for a competition. And I do love competition, But I found that it was so much more than that. I felt an overwhelming sense of community and belonging. But most of all, I felt an overwhelming love for theater. Watching so many different people from so many different places, who all loved theater as much as I do, I really did discover who I wanted to be when I grow up."

— APAA Student

Identity formation through artistic community—this student discovered not just what they wanted to do, but who they wanted to become through exposure to peers from across the country who shared their passion.

"JTF was super fun and amazing character-building weekend. I loved the chance to improve as an actor, dancer, and singer. I felt super proud of myself, my teammates, and our directors!"

— APAA Student

"JTF with APAA was a transformative experience for my 9 year old son, who found himself surrounded by thousands of kids who loved what he loved: musical theater. APAA supported the kids (and parents!) throughout the whole experience, and the group was brilliantly prepared to perform in front of talented judges such as the director of Newsies on Broadway."

— APAA Parent

These JTF experiences highlight APAA's commitment to providing national-level opportunities while maintaining the support and preparation that ensures student success.

Professional Recognition and Industry Validation

From Judges and Industry Professionals

"Asheville Performing Arts Academy's performance was as polished and professional as it gets. It's obvious that this is a serious and dedicated performing group. This cast is filled with triple threats, they acted, sang and danced with equal aplomb. Their energy was contagious! From 8-18, these students knew how to work together as a team and clearly had fun doing it."

— JTF Judge/Industry Professional

Professional recognition validates APAA's training approach—students who can perform at professional levels while maintaining the joy and teamwork that makes great theater.

"I have never seen a Seussical with such depth, nuance, and maturity. These characters felt far more lived in and real than I have ever seen before. Greatly enjoyed the way in which the piece explored different vocal and dance styles within the score as a tool for education. This program is clearly going above and beyond by diving deeper into the material and challenging its students to grow their work and their artistry."

— Professional Adjudicator

This feedback highlights APAA's sophisticated approach to material—not just teaching songs and dances, but exploring deeper artistic and educational possibilities within each production.

Alumni Success Stories

College and Career Outcomes

"Connor Dalton is an operatic baritone and voice teacher based in Asheville, NC. Connor's musical journey began as a member of the APAA, and has since appeared on international stages. Role highlights include Giovanni Belletti in the UK premiere of Barnum's Bird, Joseph De Rocher in Dead Man Walking, Marcello in La bohème, The Zombie in the world premiere of My Days As a Zombie On Earth, and Count Almaviva in Le Nozze Di Figaro."

— Faculty Bio (APAA Alumnus)

From student to international professional to returning faculty member—Connor's journey demonstrates the full circle of APAA impact and the program's ability to nurture talent to the highest professional levels.

"Mary Katherine is a working actor who started out as a student at the APAA herself! Since graduating from the APAA in 2010, she has attended Greensboro College for Acting Performance where she received training in Fitzmaurice technique, Alexander Technique as well as a firm foundation in classic, contemporary and musical theatre. Some of her favorite theatre roles include Nora in the world premiere of DOLL, Rifkele in INDECENT, Thomasina in ARCADIA and Marianne in the world premiere of WAKE-WALKING."

— Faculty Bio (APAA Alumna)

Multiple alumni returning as professional faculty speaks to the lasting impact of the APAA experience and the quality of education that prepared them for professional careers.

What Makes These Reviews Authentic

Specific Details and Long-Term Perspective

Notice how these testimonials include specific details: names, time frames, particular shows, and concrete outcomes. This specificity indicates genuine experience rather than generic promotional material.

Long-term relationships spanning 5-10 years provide perspective on sustained value and growth over time, not just initial excitement that might fade quickly.

Balanced Perspectives

These reviews acknowledge both artistic and personal development, recognizing that great performing arts education serves the whole child, not just their stage skills.

Honest recognition of challenges—dealing with disappointment, learning to work hard, supporting others—shows that families understand APAA's comprehensive approach to character development.

Community Impact

Multiple families mentioning lasting friendships and supportive community indicates that APAA successfully creates the social environment that sustains long-term engagement and personal growth.

Common Themes in APAA Reviews

Individual Attention Within Group Settings

Parents consistently mention how instructors understand their specific child's needs and adapt instruction accordingly.

Professional Quality with Personal Care

Families appreciate high artistic standards delivered through nurturing, supportive relationships.

Long-Term Commitment and Growth

Multiple families mention 5-10 year involvement, indicating sustained value and continued growth.

Life Skills Development

Parents recognize that their children develop confidence, work ethic, empathy, and resilience that serve them beyond the stage.

Community and Belonging

Children find their "people"—peers who share their interests and support their growth.

Flexibility and Adaptation

Staff adjust programming to meet changing student needs and interests over time.

Questions These Reviews Answer

"Will my child receive individual attention in group classes?" Multiple parents specifically mention how instructors understand their child's unique needs and strengths.

"Is this just about performance, or does it develop the whole child?" Testimonials consistently mention life skills: work ethic, empathy, resilience, leadership, and authentic self-expression.

"What if my child's interests change over time?" Several families mention how APAA adapted programming as their children's dreams and goals evolved.

"Will my child find friends and community?" The theme of belonging and lasting friendships appears throughout multiple testimonials.

"Is the training really professional quality?" Industry recognition and alumni success stories validate APAA's professional standards.

Ready to Become Part of the APAA Story?

These authentic testimonials from real APAA families reveal what makes our program special: the unique combination of professional-quality training with deeply personal attention, delivered within a community that becomes like family.

When you choose APAA, you're not just selecting a performing arts program—you're joining a community committed to nurturing your child's complete development through the transformative power of musical theater.

Experience the APAA difference that these families discovered. Contact us today to schedule a trial class and begin your own APAA story.

Call (828) 253-4000 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Asheville Performing Arts Academy... where the arts come alive!