Naperville, IL

(630) 243-5100

Same Programming, New Name! Academy of the Arts is now Illinois Conservatory for the Arts

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A Night of Broadway

Friday, February 21, 2025

The Pilot Program for ICA’s K-12 day school is launching Fall 2025.

At Illinois Conservatory for the Arts, our students will engage in a practicum of pre-professional arts training balanced with rigorous academics.

Applications will open Early Spring 2025 for a limited number of spots. Selected applicants will audition for ICA with placement for those accepted in Late Spring 2025.

Performing Arts

Dance
Music
Theatre

Visual Arts

Drawing
Painting
Ceramics & Sculpture

Media Arts

Graphic Design
Animation
Photo & Video

Arts Business

Entrepreneurship
Finance
Marketing

Academic areas

Math
language arts
Reading
Science
Social Studies

OUR APPROACH OUR APPROACH OUR APPROACH OUR APPROACH OUR APPROACH OUR APPROACH

Artistic Mentorship

Adjunct instructors from the collegiate and professional artistic industries provide our students with a direct link to the current state of the arts world.

Arts Business

All students take business courses to prepare them to be artistic entrepreneurs.

Dual Credit/ap courses

In partnership with College of DuPage, ICA high school students are able to receive college credit for coursework in the arts and business.

Capstone Projects

Students conduct capstone projects in their major art area of concentration. A culminating project where students will be encouraged to think critically and creatively. Artists develop skills in research, communication, media literacy, self-sufficiency, and professionalism.

Masterclasses

Guest teaching artists are essential to our curriculum. All arts areas feature a rotation of professional teaching artists throughout the year to provide a wide, scope of skills and perspectives.

Hands-on learning

Students have access to professional experiences to prepare them for the real artistic world.

modern technology

As a pre-professional arts program, students have access to modern technology that prepares them for arts experiences in the real world.

specialized coursework

As students grow in the program, they take specialized courses to prepare them in their areas of interest beyond general arts classes. For example, a music student will take courses in conducting, arranging, and private lessons on their instruments as part of their school day.

Student Internships

With professional partnerships at the core of our philosophy, students are given the opportunity to partner with professional artists and arts organizations to further their education through internships.

Ica... future in the arts path to a career world of possibilities dream becoming reality

ica...

Dream becoming reality
future in the arts
path to a career
world of possibilities

k–12 day school
launching Fall 2025

pre-enrollment Auditions begin january 2025

official enrollment opens march 2025

Nondiscriminatory Policy

Illinois Conservatory for Arts employs staff and admits students of any race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, gender, religion, and sexual orientation to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It doesn’t discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin, gender, religion, and sexual orientation in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.

JOIN THE INTEREST LIST

The Pilot Program for ICA’s K-12 day school is launching Fall 2025.

Fill out the form below to get on the official interest list and access the survey form. Applications will open in Early Spring 2025.

JULY 28 - AUGUST 1, 2025

Check availability

IMPACT is popular and fills up fast! You'll be forwarded to the registration form to grab your spot.

Stay Connected with ICA!

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news, upcoming events, and exciting updates from the Illinois Conservatory for the Arts. Be the first to learn about performances, student achievements, and opportunities to support our mission of empowering young artists through innovative arts education.

DONATE TODAY!

Illinois Conservatory for the Arts is a 501c3 not-for-profit arts institution. Your support provides high-level arts experiences for students in the Chicagoland area.

Justice Moore / Dance

JUSTICE MOORE is a New York based performer and choreographer. Growing up in Dallas, Texas, she trained in all styles at Next Step Dance Performing Arts Center. Upon graduating from Allen High School, she had the amazing opportunity to open Hamilton in Chicago as ‘The Bullet.’ She then went on to open the second national tour of the show and join the Broadway production. Moore had the honor to work on projects by Keone and Mari Madrid such as Once Upon a One More Time on Broadway and The Karate Kid: The Musical in St. Louis. She worked on seasons four and five of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” with choreographer Marguerite Derricks. She made her movie debut in Disney+’ Better Nate Than Ever, directed by Tim Federle and choreographed by Zach Woodlee, and her television choreographic debut in CBS’ “East New York.” She was the associate choreographer for London’s Fangirls (under Ebony Williams) and New York City Center’s production of Jelly’s Last Jam (under Edgar Godineaux). Never limiting herself to one side of the dance industry, she continues to keep expanding her community, training, and possibilities. She performed with Doja Cat for MTV’s VMAs, Tyla for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and Stray Kids for the 2024 Youtube Brandcast. She is currently in Broadway’s Sunset Boulevard starring Nicole Scherzinger. Moore has captivated audiences online and off through her story telling, choreography, and comedy. She hopes to continue exploring the many ways dance and storytelling can connect with humans of all avenues. Instagram: @justicemoore_.

Samantha Pauly / Voice

Samantha Pauly is a Grammy nominated and Drama Desk Award winning actress best known for originating the role of Katherine Howard in SIX the Musical on Broadway. She was most recently seen starring as Jordan Baker in the premiere of The Great Gatsby at Papermill Playhouse. In the summer of 2019, Samantha was hand picked by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jamie Lloyd to play Eva Peron in Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s critically acclaimed revival of Evita on the West End. The production went on to receive nominations and wins at The Evening Standard Theatre Awards, the WhatsOnStage Awards, and the Oliviers. After returning to the U.S., Samantha went on to tour with SIX the Musical and made stops at The Citadel Theatre, The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts before landing on Broadway in the early spring of 2020. She has starred in many regional productions including Mimi inRENT, Betsy in Honeymoon in Vegas, Eva Peron in Evita, Jovie in Elf the Musical, and Amber von Tussle in Hairspray, to name a few. In 2018, Samantha joined the first national tour of Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell as Valkyrie, before an abrupt cancellation. Soon after, she was cast as Katherine Howard in the US premiere of SIX the Musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre for which she received a Joseph Jefferson Award. She also tours and performs her solo cabaret An Evening with Samantha Pauly, and has performed in NYC, LA, Chicago, and more. Samantha’s TV credits include: Chicago PD (NBC), and ads for Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Purina, and T-Mobile. Since her journey with SIX began, Samantha has also been seen and reviewed in The New York Times, Vogue Magazine, The New York Post, The Associated Press, andthe Washington Post.

Kara Lindsay / Acting

KARA LINDSAY Broadway: Wicked (Glinda), Beautiful (Cynthia Weil), Newsies (Katherine Plumber) Original Cast/ Fathom Events Film, Once Upon a Mattress (Winnifred Standby for Sutton Foster). National Tour: Wicked (Glinda), Little House on the Prairie (originated role of Laura). Paper Mill Playhouse: Newsies, Jolly Holiday, Little House…Prairie. Sacramento Music Circus: Singin in the Rain (Kathy Selden). NCT: Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins). Kansas City Starlight: Cinderella (Cinderella). Kansas City Rep: Cabaret (Sally Bowles). 5th Avenue: Lone Star Love (Miss Ann Page). Geva: A Christmas Carol(Belle). Film: Wicked Movie Part One ensemble vocals. TV: “Murphy Brown”, ABC’s “Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong”, ABC’s “The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II”, Tony Awards, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. BFA Carnegie Mellon University. Huge thanks and LOVE to my family and to Stewart Talent/ Amplified. @karalindsay1

Maggie Spanuello / Casting

MAGGIE SPANUELLO (she/her/hers) works at Gray Talent Group as an Associate Agent on the Chicago On-Camera and Voiceover team after working as a director and music theatre educator for ten years in Chicago, Off-Broadway, regionally, and internationally. Selected credits include work at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Windy City Playhouse, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Brightside Theatre, and Hope Summer Repertory. She was the Associate Director on the award-winning Off-Broadway Production of THE WOMAN IN BLACK (“Best Play Revival”-Off-Broadway Alliance Awards, “Critic’s Pick”-NY Times) and the US Tour (Royal George Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Pasadena Playhouse, Seattle Rep, American Conservatory Theatre) directed by Robin Herford.

JOIN THE STUDIO INTEREST LIST

Evening & Weekend Classes
Individual Courses & Conservatory Tracks

Fill out the form below to get on the interest list for The Studio. We will update you with schedules and registration information as enrollment opens.

JULY 28 - AUGUST 1, 2025

Check availability

IMPACT is popular and fills up fast! You'll be forwarded to the registration form to grab your spot.