Laura Slinn
5/5
We enrolled My 6 yo son in NYLA and while I was a little unsure of the decision in the beginning, it has turned out to be the BEST decision! He has always shown interest in acting. Whether his funny voices and personas or dressing up in a different costume every day, he has been asking how he can become an actor. NYLA came around and we were concerned he would be too shy or scared. And he was shy and scared for the first couple of classes but with the training, coaching and encouragement of his coaches, he came right out of his shell and built the confidence to show up! Even his teachers at school asked what we were doing with him because they could see the confidence he was showing up with! That confidence transferred from acting to academics and he started to take more risks with learning and reading and he excelled so much in the last part of the school year as a result! What a great added bonus! He attended his showcase and truly shined and received an invite to iPop. I'm so impressed with everything NYLA brought to the table - from rehearsals to bootcamps to behind -the-scenes-support for this Mama's gazillion questions, this was a great decision for our family and I highly recommend them!
Update: January 2024!
Thanks to an NYLA showcase, our son Drew was invited to attend iPop December 2023. We just return and I have to share what a phenomenal experience we had! With the help and management of Shelby-Lynne, EVERYTHING was managed and organized so well in advance. I've never come across a more detail-oriented person! (exactly what I need given my busy schedule!). Shelby-Lynne and Amanda we super helpful leading up to the event and at iPop too. We felt so blessed to be there as part of NYLA's group and were confident that we were exceptionally well prepared!
Coming from Toronto I wasn't sure what opportunities we'd have at iPop, especially because our work with NYLA was Drew's introduction to acting and modelling. But I'm thrilled to share that we've just signed a contract with a dream-come-true agent in Toronto for both Acting and Modelling. And we had a second, equally dream-come-true offer from another Vancouver based agent. And over 20 callbacks at iPop with many more meetings booked and contracts to review for representation in the USA. Drew won awards and was so thrilled with himself and was part of the Barbie Runway show at showcase too. Ms. Bridgett was phenomenal with the kids and put on such amazing shows! Coaches Connor Weil, Gabe Fonesca were awesome supports leading up to the event and Drew always loved working with Robert Vito for classes and we were so thankful to have him there as a support and coach too! Steve Roberts was a Godsend. Not only an amazing acting coach but his unique perspective as an agent too was such an asset. And he was just amazingly supportive and encouraging and reassuring. Drew was nervous and anxious and Steve's prep, plus the love and support of all the coaches and NYLA staff helped make iPop the most wonderful experience. As the callbacks and contracts have come in Shelby-Lynne has also offered herself as a resource and reviewed and helped understand and advise our next steps. This is so unexpected and incredibly appreciated. We didn't expect that and it's been a real gift having help as it's been an overwhelming amount of attention for a little kid from Toronto! Thanks so much Shelby-Lynne and team for everything! We made lifelong friends, the environment was supportive and fun, and this has been an experience we'll all cherish forever!
