Welcome to Project Performing Arts (PPA), a vibrant, Harlem-based program where children and teens explore, discover, and experience the transformative power of the arts. Located within the historic Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Community Center—a Catholic Charities institution deeply woven into Harlem’s community and cultural landscape—PPA is proud to serve as a vital community partner. We offer an inspiring environment where young people learn, create, and grow. Our classes come alive in dynamic, non-traditional spaces that inspire students to think creatively, engage fully, and experience the performing arts far beyond the traditional classroom.
PPA offers an immersive range of classes in Dance, Theatre Arts, and West African Drumming, specifically designed to nurture personal creativity, unshakeable confidence, and bold self-expression. Our core Saturday program provides students with meaningful opportunities to master new skills and build lasting connections to the arts and peers. Whether stepping into a studio for the first time or continuing their artistic journey, every student is supported by age-appropriate instruction that encourages curiosity, trust, and profound personal growth.
For students seeking a more intensive artistic path, IMANI Dance offers an elite pre-professional training program designed to deepen technique, artistry, and discipline. This advanced track features specialized 2.5-hour Friday workshops, complemented by rigorous technique and style classes on Saturdays. Through consistent training and focused artistic development, IMANI provides aspiring dancers with the foundation, performance experience, and confidence to take their training to the next level.
Our Academic Year & Semesters
PPA’s commitment to artistic growth thrives year-round through two 15-week semesters, thoughtfully structured to meet students where they are—from absolute beginners to advanced performers.
At PPA, the performing arts are so much more than classes. We provide a dedicated space for young people to amplify their voices, build confidence, embrace community, and imagine what is possible.
Founded in September 2013, Project Performing Arts (PPA) opened its doors with a clear, powerful vision: to bring high-quality, accessible performing arts education to the youth of Harlem. For more than a decade, PPA has cultivated a deeply supportive, creative community where children and teens can explore, discover, and experience the meaningful power of the arts.
From day one, we have believed that arts education extends far beyond mastering artistic skills. It is a vehicle for personal transformation—helping young people amplify their voices, build unshakeable confidence, discover their inner strengths, and develop the discipline and sense of community that will serve them both on and off the stage.
Our faculty is comprised of exceptionally talented professional educators and working artists who bring immense passion, real-world expertise, and a deep dedication to youth development. Together, our instructors represent decades of collective experience across dance, theatre arts, music, and live performance. Because many of our teaching artists have chosen to remain part of the PPA family for years, they provide a rare continuity of mentorship and artistic practice that sits at the very heart of who we are.
One of PPA’s greatest strengths is the enduring, multigenerational community we have built over time. Our alumni remain a vital part of this legacy. Many have gone on to pursue thriving careers as professional dancers, musicians, actors, choreographers, directors, and creative educators. Beautifully coming full circle, many alumni regularly return home to PPA as master teachers, choreographers, accompanists, and guest artists—passing their professional wisdom and personal experiences down to the next generation.
This seamless, ongoing connection between current students, alumni, faculty, and the broader Harlem neighborhood reflects what PPA has always sought to create: a place where young people grow through the arts, build lifelong relationships, and become part of something bigger than themselves.