About

The Warwick Center for the Performing Arts (WCPA) was founded in 2017 when Melissa Padham-Maass returned to her hometown to reopen her childhood dance studio, The Dancer’s Studio. Originally directed by Lucinda Henry, The Dancer’s Studio was one of Warwick’s first Classical Ballet and Performing Arts Schools, serving the community from 1984 to 2010.

Located most recently at 63 Wheeler Ave, the studio was also home to the nonprofit dance company Warwick Ballet Theatre, which produced over 30 full-length productions and helped launch the careers of numerous artists. Inspired by this rich legacy of educational excellence and professional-quality performances, Padham-Maass sought to carry the tradition forward with the opening of WCPA seven years later.

Today, as the Lower Hudson Valley’s premier performing arts studio, WCPA offers a comprehensive range of dance and theater classes, including ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, Irish step, jazz funk, acting, acting through song, and musical theater dance. Students also benefit from specialty workshops and performance opportunities throughout the year, such as audition preparation, Youth America Grand Prix training, and competition teams.

In 2021, WCPA expanded into a spacious, state-of-the-art facility at 28 Church Street, featuring over 10,000 square feet of space, six studios, student lounges, homework stations, and a dedicated costume shop. WCPA is also home to the Warwick Dance Collective and Warwick Broadway Collective, which perform in the Center’s full-length productions, regional festivals, and self-produced local shows throughout the year.

Further expanding its impact, in 2024, Padham-Maass also co-founded Forge28 Studios in partnership with Diamond Great Media and the Sugar Loaf Arts Collective creating an innovative space dedicated to fostering creativity, collaboration, and artistic expression across multiple disciplines.

Warwick NY Dance Classes
Warwick NY Dance Classes

Culture & Values

Warwick Center for the Performing Arts is a community for artists of all ages to flourish.

    • We hold ourselves to high artistic and educational standards.

    • We work together to build amazing things.

    • We offer constructive criticism with grace and kindness when it furthers the goal of excellence.

    • We constantly strive for growth in the areas where we want to excel.

    • We each take personal responsibility for our own improvement.

    • We recognize that failure and burnout can be a part of the growth process and we support each other when this happens.

    • We celebrate growth in ourselves and others without jealousy.

    • We encourage one another at every opportunity prioritizing effort based encouragement over skills based encouragement.

    • We believe collaboration comes before competition.

    • We nourish the mental and physical health of our fellow artists.

    • We do not tolerate gossip, belittling others, or body shaming.

    • We believe that the arts belong to everyone.

    • We invite members of our community to participate in events regularly.

    • We do not tolerate discrimination.

    • We base our curriculum on art-centered developmentally age-appropriate goals.

    • We encourage creative thinking and teach creative problem solving.

    • We provide a home for artists with ongoing professional development and peer support.

    • We share time, energy, and resources with one another to create new works of art.

    • We prioritize creating supportive and creative classes that allow children to be children.

    • Our choreography, music, and costumes are age-appropriate to ensure a positive and nurturing dance experience.

    • We foster an environment that encourages artistic expression and exploration while respecting the developmental needs of each child.