Girl Pow-R founder Dawn Van Dam is expanding the training model behind the JUNO-nominated Canadian pop group with the launch of the Pop Star Performance Academy, a youth performance school designed to develop singing, dancing, acting and stage-presence skills in children of different ages and experience levels.
The academy is positioning its approach around the idea that performance ability can be developed through structured instruction rather than viewed solely as an innate talent. With in-person programs operating across the Greater Toronto Area and online training available internationally, the initiative aims to make professional-style performance education accessible to a wider group of young performers.
Girl Pow-R Experience Forms Foundation of New Performance Academy
The academy builds on nearly a decade of experience developing Girl Pow-R, which has performed more than 450 live shows and accumulated more than 2.2 million streams worldwide. The group’s music has reached listeners in 240 countries, while its career has included extensive performances across Canada and the United States.
Van Dam, Girl Pow-R’s founder, executive producer and creative lead, developed the group after auditioning young singers rather than relying on performers to naturally develop the chemistry required for a pop act. An initial audition involving 100 girls ultimately led to the creation of a group that earned a JUNO Award nomination in the Children’s category.
The training systems developed during that process are now being adapted for students through the Pop Star Performance Academy.
“We’re not just inviting families to join our training program,” said Van Dam. “We’re inviting them to be part of a life changing experience.”
Programs Range From Toddlers to Advanced Teen Performers
The academy offers multiple training levels, beginning with the Little Sparks program for children as young as 18 months. At the other end of the program, Supernovas serves performers aged 14 and older, with participants also taking on leadership and mentorship responsibilities.
Instruction focuses on developing students as multi-skilled performers across singing, dancing and acting. Vocal development is approached as a motor skill involving areas such as breath control, muscle memory and ear training.
The academy has assembled instructors with professional entertainment industry backgrounds spanning Broadway, Tokyo Disneyland, Eurovision and Canada’s Got Talent.
Vocal coach Joseph Spitale previously performed as a Tokyo Disneyland mainstage singer and studied at the University of British Columbia and New York’s American Musical and Dramatic Academy. His experience includes coaching national champions as well as Girl Pow-R members.
Producer and composer Jovan Jovanov, whose songs have generated more than 100 million YouTube views and who represented Macedonia at Eurovision, is also part of the instructional team. JUNO-nominated Girl Pow-R member Carina Bianchini is among the choreographers and performers involved in the program.
Academy Combines Contemporary Music With Industry Opportunities
Students work with contemporary repertoire, including choreography and vocal material connected to songs from KPop Demon Hunters, as well as music associated with Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey. Original Girl Pow-R material is also incorporated into training.
The academy operates two main development routes. The Training Pathway focuses on foundational skills, confidence and practical stage experience, while the Girl Pow-R Pathway provides audition-based advanced training for performers seeking additional industry opportunities.
The advanced pathway includes opportunities such as selected auditions with a Disney casting director and connections with U.S. talent agents, according to the academy.
Social Causes and Collaboration Included in Training Model
Beyond technical performance skills, the program incorporates a values-based component intended to encourage students to connect their public performances with community issues.
Students are encouraged to select a social cause that matters to them, including areas such as youth homelessness and mental health awareness, and learn how to discuss that cause during interviews and public appearances.
The academy also emphasizes kindness and collaboration, seeking to create a supportive environment alongside its professional-style performance training.
With Greater Toronto Area locations already operating and additional locations planned on a rolling basis, the Pop Star Performance Academy is seeking to broaden access to the training model developed through Girl Pow-R.
The Girl Pow-R Pathway is accepting performers through an audition process, while the Training Pathway offers rolling enrolment for new students. The broader model places confidence, resilience and stage readiness alongside singing, dancing and acting as skills that young performers can develop through sustained instruction and practical experience.