Discover the Best Acting Classes in NYC
Acting is a great skill that can take you far, especially in a city like New York. However, if you are considering entering the acting world with little experience, you should take a few classes to perfect your craft. If you choose to get into acting but need more insight into what it entails, there is a class for just about everything. You can consider voice acting, commercials, theater, movies, or all four. Acting is a skill that just about anyone can learn, but how far you want to take it and your projected success depends on your skill level.
Why You Should Learn Acting in NYC
You could learn acting for numerous reasons aside from just wanting to make it big in the Big Apple. For example, acting is a great way to get comfortable with public speaking. If you fear speaking in public or want to improve your public speaking skills, an improv class could be just what you need to make this happen. These classes typically teach students how to think on their feet or be comfortable in their own body. Improving your comfort around public speaking doesn’t only have to happen for an aspiring film actor but also for a company executive or even a sales rep. Anyone can use the skills taught in an acting class to improve an aspect of their life.
If you don’t need to enhance your public speaking skills, maybe you want to increase your friend group. NYC offers acting classes all over the city, giving students a chance to make new friends. Attending an acting class in New York, where many come to learn and live, can allow you to meet people from all over the world. You can connect with others on an acting level or simply find other similarities. Whatever the case, taking an acting class can be a phenomenal way to connect with new people and make new friends. Finally, you can decide to act just simply because you want a chance to laugh and learn something opposite to what you do during your day today. Imagine a banker by day and an improv actor by night. Taking an acting class can be a stress relief and a time to have fun and not take yourself too seriously.
In-Person Acting Classes & Schools in NYC
In-person acting classes should be plentiful in a city like New York. There are performing arts schools that offer courses or even some community colleges that can host beginners level courses.
For example, the Barrow Group Acting School hosts classes for just about every acting need. Founded in 1986, this school is an award-winning non-profit studio. Located in Hell’s Kitchen New York, they offer an extensive list of workshops, a 6-week summer acting program, and even a 2-year acting program for students. The Barrow Group is considered one of the best-performing arts training schools in New York. One entry-level course they offer is Beginners Acting I: The Basics. For $425, this class is broken into 8-sessions. It highlights quick and powerful ways to make your performance more natural. It’s an excellent start for a beginning actor. No experience is required, and it’s a great introduction to the Barrow Group approach.
After you complete level one, you can move on to Beginners Acting II: Getting Specific, also offered at the Barrow Group Acting School. The prerequisite for this class is to complete level one to allow a deeper dive into the Barrow Group approach. This 8-session course is designed to help actors become more sensitive, imaginative, responsive, and relaxed as an actor. Students also work on script analysis structure, monologues, and scene study. Getting Specific is considered an intermediate level and would be for someone who wants to take their craft to the next level.
The Barrow Group also offers courses for kids. There’s a One Week Kids Acting Camp (Ages 6-9) for aspiring child actors. Starting in the summer, this all-day camp is just what your kid needs if they are looking to act or even play. The camp explores ensemble building, improvisation, and foundational elements of storytelling and ends with a show for friends and family. Camp runs six hours a day, giving kids plenty of time to learn and play.
The Acting School for Film and Television in Midtown Manhattan offers many options for in-person classes. The school is located on the Westside of Manhattan in New York and teaches practical acting skills year-round. The Acting School teaches small classes year-round to meet your accommodations. One class that many find interesting is the Business of Acting course. The class, split into four sessions, will teach students how to promote themselves as an actor to land roles. They cover the basics, such as headshots, resumes, casting notices, networking, acting reel, and websites. There is also a guest lecturer, a professional manager or agent, who comes during the last week.
Essentials of Film Acting 110 is offered at the Acting School in Greenwich Village as a one-time new students course with a promotional price of $99. Students can only take the course once due to this fantastic rate. It’s a three-part course that stresses acting for film and television. The class sizes are kept small to ensure that each student gets their own camera time. All the work and techniques in this course aim to make students look most effective on camera. Instructors spend time helping students properly convey their emotions on screen while teaching tricks of the trade. Their work is screened for casting directors, agents, managers, and others in the final class. An Essentials of Film Acting 110 (For Returning Students) is also offered, teaching the same techniques but for students who have already taken the original course.
Edge Studio Voice Over is one of the most recognized voice over casting, recording, and educational training centers. They produce work for Disney/Pixar, Chase, Google, and many others making them the ideal place to obtain voiceover training. In addition, Edge Studio Voice Over offers The “Vocal Health” course. This class is aimed at helping students understand how their voice works and how speech and sounds are produced from their vocal cords. Students can also expect to learn behaviors that damage their voice and how to avoid them, develop a daily vocal care routine, and voice care for when sick. As a voice artist, your voice is your job, and it is crucial to maintain your vocal health to continue booking jobs.
Want to get into voice over work but can’t book an audition? Auditions 101 might be the course you need. By the end of this class, students can expect to be better prepared to deliver an exceptional performance when they get a script and practice voice over audition etiquette. Learn what elements a casting director looks for in auditions, and gain the skill to self-direct auditions and self-critique performances to improve your audition submissions. In addition, students should be prepared for a performance-based class that is high energy, interactive and receives feedback from a qualified coach. All of this for only $45 should help students deliver successful auditions.
Virtual Acting Classes & Schools
You may not have access to in-person acting classes right now; not to worry, a virtual class is an option. While virtual acting classes can be great for someone looking to attend a class from anywhere or who wants to cut out their commute time and take the course from home, there could be some challenges with taking an online class too. In more physical courses, getting a feel for the emotions or “vibes” online might be hard but not impossible. Also, some courses require materials that could be available during an in-person class, but online, you could be required to provide them yourself. If you find that the pros outway the cons when it comes to in-person versus virtual, you have options for online acting classes.
Linklater Center offers a Drop In Warm-Ups online class. Warming up your body and vocals is an essential part of acting. It’s kind of like warming up before you exercise. This drop-in course offers a series of exercises designed to help students become more expressively present in the world. The warm-ups class can be used to prepare for an audition or show, care for vocal strain, or keep your vocal fresh for your next job. For $20, students can enjoy this drop-in as long as they have a reliable internet connection to access the Zoom class.
Acting for Film and TV is another great online option for someone looking to venture into acting. Broken into four sessions, this class explores the basics of acting in a safe, positive, and encouraging environment. Students can also expect to work on film and tv scripts with scene partners in an audition style.
Private Group Acting Classes in NYC
Private group classes are always a great option. They can be used as a fun team-building event for a business or even with a group of friends. CourseHorse offers live online group class options; for example, private group acting classes in NYC can be arranged for your next event. You could host a Virtual Team-Building Improv Workshop for up to 40 people. This one-hour workshop costs $500 for ten people and then $25 per person afterward. Your team can practice listening, collaborating, problem-solving, and being fun and silly. The improv class does not have to be for aspiring actors; it is a way to have fun and bond with each other.
If improv is not precisely what you had in mind, you can have your class curated by CourseHorse. When you complete the contact form on the CourseHorse site, within two business hours, you will hear from someone on their free event planning team. Provide them with the details of what you are looking for and your group size; not to worry, this can be changed later if needed, and someone will help book the class you need with no booking fees. You’ll receive confirmation within 24 hours, and all the heavy lifting will be handled. CourseHorse also supports multiple virtual platforms if your company has a preference.
