PopRock Academy is at 9657 Las Tunas Dr., Temple City, CA 91780, serving families throughout the San Gabriel Valley including Arcadia, Pasadena, San Marino, Alhambra, Rosemead, and Monterey Park. You can reach us at (626) 282-7625 or info@poprockacademy.com. Free public parking is available in the back of the building.

The minimum age is 3 years old for music and 5 years old for dance. Piano and voice lessons begin at age 4. Drum lessons — including the Mini-Drummers group class — are available starting at age 3.

PopRock Academy offers three conservatories: Music (piano, voice, guitar, drums, songwriting, audio production), Acting (Fundamental Acting, TV/Film/Commercial, Voice Over, Audition Coaching), and Dance (Hip Hop levels 1–3, Break Dancing, KPop, Jazz Funk, private lessons, and the Hip Hop Competition Team). Private and group lesson formats are available across all disciplines.

Both are available. Private music lessons are open to any student. Private dance lessons are primarily for competition students or special performances; private acting is mainly for students preparing auditions or working on accent and speech. Group classes are offered in acting, dance, and music ensemble programs.

Private music lessons are $90 for 60 minutes, $71 for 45 minutes, or $48 for 30 minutes per session. Semi-private lessons (two students together) are $31 per person per 30 minutes. First-time students receive 50% off their first private music lesson.

Group acting classes for ages 8 and up — including Fundamental Acting, TV/Film/Commercial, and Voice Over — are $56 per class on a monthly subscription. Fundamental Acting for ages 5–7 is $28 per class. Private one-on-one acting is $62.50 per 30-minute session; semi-private (two students) is $40 per person per 30 minutes.

Entry-level group dance classes (Hip Hop 1, Break 1, KPop 1) are $28 per class on a monthly subscription. Hip Hop 2, Hip Hop 3, and PopStar classes are $42 per class. Adult drop-in is $20, or $15 as a substitute student. Private dance is $65 per 30 minutes with a Dance Director or $55 per 30 minutes with a Dance Instructor.

The Dance Conservatory offers Hip Hop (levels 1-3), Break Dancing (ages 8-13), KPop (a dedicated class for ages 5-7, with KPop also integrated into Hip Hop classes), Jazz Funk, and private dance lessons, for ages 5 to adults. The competitive Hip Hop Competition Team performs at regional and national dance competitions, and students perform at annual recitals on a professional stage plus festivals throughout Southern California.

The Hip Hop Competition Team is a competitive dance team with group, solo, duo, and trio options. For the 2026-2027 season, entry auditions are June 13 and placements are August 29, 2026; the season runs September 2026 through June 2027. Once accepted, families commit to the full season under a strict no-withdrawal policy. The first fall competition is Dance KAR Anaheim on September 27, 2026.

Yes. A one-time $50 registration fee applies to new students under 18. If a student withdraws and later re-enrolls, the fee applies again as a returning student registering anew.

Students 17 and under are charged an annual performance program fee of $175 for the first acting or dance class, $150 for the second, and additional classes are free. Music is $100 per year but is waived if an acting or dance fee was already paid. Students enrolling April–May pay a partial fee of $50. The summer period (May 16–July 31) is complimentary. The annual fee is charged each September 15.

Yes. The third and subsequent group classes in the same enrollment are 50% off. Private lessons count as one qualifying class toward the discount threshold, so a student with one private lesson plus two group classes qualifies for the discount on the second group class.

Yes. PopRock Academy offers a free first group class and 50% off the first private lesson. Restrictions apply — contact the front office at (626) 282-7625 or info@poprockacademy.com for details.

Enrollment is month-to-month only. No long-term contract is required. The exception is the Hip Hop Competition Team, which has a strict no-withdrawal policy for the duration of the competition season.

Tuition is due on the 1st of each month and is processed via Opus1.io and Cardpointe approximately 10 days before the billing date. A 3% surcharge applies to credit and debit card payments; ACH bank transfer has no surcharge for enrolled students. A $40 late fee applies when payment is 3 or more days past due; a 1% monthly charge accrues after 30 days past due.

No. Tuition payments are non-refundable. Recital fees are absolutely non-refundable for any reason. Competition team fees are also non-refundable for any reason.

For group classes, you have 3 months from the missed date to attend a make-up class of the same duration, age range, and level. Make-up credits expire after your last paid enrollment day. For private music lessons, no make-up or rescheduling is available. Students in private acting or dance may attend a group class in place of a missed private lesson.

Submit a completed PopRock Withdrawal Form to the front desk by the 15th of the month before your intended last month. There is no prorate for the final month. All make-up credits must be used before your last day of enrollment. Students who withdraw and return must re-register as new students and pay the registration fee again.

The Acting Conservatory includes Fundamental Acting (ongoing group class, ages 5–17), TV/Film/Commercial Acting (ages 8+), Voice Over Acting (ages 8+), Audition Coaching and Self Tape (all ages, in-person or Zoom), and private training. An annual Industry Showcase provides feedback from working directors, producers, and actors.

TV/Film/Commercial Acting builds on the foundational skills covered in Fundamental Acting, and co-enrollment in Fundamental Acting is recommended. The class is open to students ages 8 and up and covers camera auditioning skills including eye lines, micro-expressions, body positions, and on-camera performance technique.

Yes. Voice Over Acting is a weekly group class for students ages 8 and up, covering commercials, animation, dubbing, video games, and audiobooks. Students record in a professional recording booth each week, and online classes are available. The curriculum was developed by founder Paul Kwo, whose credits include Everything Everywhere All At Once, Shang-Chi, and Black Panther.

Sessions with founder Paul Kwo are $36 per 15 minutes for current students, $41 for alumni, and $50 for non-students. Sessions with a PopRock coach are $31.25 per 15 minutes for enrolled students and $36 for non-enrolled students or alumni. Self-tape production sessions are $30.

The Music Conservatory offers private lessons in piano, voice, guitar, drums, songwriting and composition, and audio production. Ensemble classes include Show Choir, Instrumental Jam, Rock Band, Mini-Drummers, Drum Circle, and Musical Theater, each priced at $28 per class on a monthly subscription. PopRock Academy is an official Roland dealership and Steinway of Pasadena partner; piano students perform recitals on a Steinway grand piano.

Yes. Online lessons are available for private acting and music. Voice Over Acting group classes also have an online option. All other disciplines are taught in person at the Temple City studio.

For acting: comfortable clothing you can move in and closed-toe shoes (no flip-flops). For dance: athletic attire and tennis shoes. For music: any instrument materials or books you already have — if you have none, just bring yourself. Songwriters and producers should bring a laptop if possible; singers should prepare one or two songs they know. Bring a positive attitude.

Yes. Acting students have booked roles on Netflix's Squid Game (Seasons 1, 2 and 3), CBS Young Sheldon, NBC St. Denis Medical, The Bold and The Beautiful, ABC Will Trent, Jane the Virgin, and Jimmy Kimmel Live, plus commercial campaigns for American Girl, Lowe's, and Delta Air Lines. A student appeared in Pixar's Elemental and another performed as a soloist with the LA Youth Philharmonic at Walt Disney Hall. Music students have won the Golden Classical Music Awards.

PopRock Academy is led by founder Paul Kwo, a veteran Hollywood actor and voice artist whose credits include Everything Everywhere All At Once, Shang-Chi, Black Panther, and the God's Not Dead franchise. Faculty include Ally Dixon (SAG-AFTRA voice actor; The Croods: Family Tree), Bryan Rone (Director of Dance; credits with Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, and Rihanna), Misuzu Kitazumi Burns (pianist; BFA and MM from California Institute of the Arts and University of Redlands), Stefanie K. (Berklee College of Music; composed for the Academy Awards and Call of Duty), and Alec Anderson-Carrasco (MFA in Acting, California Institute of the Arts).

Yes. Music students have two annual recitals in June and December with free admission for family and friends. Piano students perform at the Steinway of Pasadena gallery on a grand piano. Acting students complete an annual short film project with a red-carpet screening, and a Winter Acting Showcase is also held each year. The Annual June Recital for all students is held at the AGBU VTM Performing Arts Center in Pasadena (2495 E. Mountain Ave.).