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Pretty Little Liars and Devious Maid's star returns home to lead performing arts Summer Intensive in Newtown

Any young person with an interest in the performing arts should take notice of the Summer Intensive coming to Newtown.

Drew Van Acker will be the celebrity headliner at the Broadway Break Thru Summer Intensive to be held just outside his hometown of Philadelphia. Drew currently stars in two popular television series - ABC Family's “Pretty Little Liars” and Lifetime's “Devious Maids.” He previously starred in Cartoon Network's “Tower Prep.”

Van Acker grew up in Medford, N.J., and attended Shawnee High School, where he began acting in their high school drama classes, and he also played on his school's soccer and lacrosse teams. His soccer abilities led him to receive a soccer scholarship to Towson University in Maryland. While attending Towson, Van Acker took a number of theater courses in order to refocus on acting. There he focused his academics on acting. He will be returning to the Philadelphia area to help coach students at the BBT workshops.

“I’m thrilled to return to my home area, to meet and work with the Broadway Break Thru students,” said Van Acker.

More celebrities will be helping students hone their craft at the summer intensive.

“So You Think You Can Dance” finalist Ricky Jaime will be on-hand as well. Jaime began exploring dance at the age of ten. Ricky has been a part of hit television shows like Bunheads, Glee, and has guest performed on Dancing with the Stars. He trained in different dance studios in Miami, FL, before his family moved to Tampa where he began to cheer competitively. Since his move to Los Angeles in November 2012, he has had the opportunity to work on two films. Ricky was a featured dancer in the Disney musical Teen Beach Movie.

Broadway Break Thru has held celebrity workshops throughout the country, bringing education in performing arts to places all over, this season the elite performing arts program will hold intensives in Chicago, Boston, Orlando and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Broadway Break Thru is the creation of former Broadway performer and Disney, Nickelodeon and Broadway casting director, David Petro.

This summer's Broadway Break Thru summer intensive workshop will be held at the Newtown George School August 11-16. The school is located at 1690 Newtown-Langhorne Road, Newtown. Spaces is still available for students 8 - 20.

Students take these 20+ classes throughout the week-long program: Acting 101, Acting for Television & Film, Improv, Scene Study, Arts & Technology, Song Selection, Headshots & Resumes, Film Making, Vocal Performance, Song Interpretation, Dance, Theatre Tech, Film Editing & Sound, Professional Auditioning, College Advisory and more.

During the week, students conceive, write, direct, cast, shoot, edit and produce their own short feature films. Students also perform in Mini Musicals, which this year will include excerpts from Wicked, Rent, Mama Mia, Motown, Footloose and Mary Poppins.

The intensive will also include a Free Teacher Day, where performing arts teachers in the area will be given access to continuing education and networking opportunities.

For information or to register, visit www.BroadwayBreakThru.com.           

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