PopRock Academy is the San Gabriel Valley's triple-threat school: acting, music, and dance under one roof, founded in 2011 by Paul Kwo and relocated from Alhambra to a purpose-built Temple City space in 2022. A correction to common listings: it is not in Pasadena, though it serves Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, and Alhambra families a short drive away.
The acting studio covers fundamentals, TV, film, and commercial technique, voice-over, private lessons, and audition coaching, while the musical-theatre track starts remarkably young, with a Disney musical program from age 3, a Glee-style workshop for ages 8 to 14, and two full recitals a year. Music and dance conservatory tracks (private voice, piano, guitar, drums, hip hop, and a performance crew) let ambitious kids stack disciplines, and a three-week summer musical-theatre production camp serves ages 5 to 17. Adults are welcome across programs.
Tuition is quoted at the front desk rather than published, billed monthly, and the first class is free, which is the sensible way to test it. For east-side families for whom NoHo is a freeway too far, this is the area's most complete performing-arts option.
Techniques taught
- Eclectic / multi-technique: Schools that draw on several lineages and fit the tools to the actor, not the reverse.
- On-camera technique: Camera-specific craft: frame awareness, stillness, commercial and film/TV set behavior.
- Comedy technique: Craft-first comedy training: joke structure, sitcom rhythm, and comedic character work.
Class types
Enrollment and schedule
No audition is required. Open enrollment via booking system; PopRockers troupe/dance crew is the selective performance track. Schedule: Lessons/coaching available 7 days a week; published hours roughly M-F afternoons-evenings, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun afternoons; biannual recitals June and December. Duration: Ongoing monthly enrollment; summer camp runs in 1-week units (production program 3 weeks).
Audit, trial, or intro class
Yes. Free first class advertised on official homepage ('Restrictions apply'); 50% off first music lesson
Published pricing
This school does not publish tuition on its website. Contact the school directly for current rates. We never estimate or invent prices.
Instructors
- Paul Kwo, Founder / owner. Taught 10+ years before founding academy in 2011
Location
Questions actors ask
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When was this information last verified?
Sources and verification
- About PopRock Academy, accessed 2026-07-16
- Performing Arts Academy in Temple City, accessed 2026-07-16
- PopRock Summer Camps, accessed 2026-07-16
- Scheduling & Pricing, accessed 2026-07-16
- PopRock Academy homepage, accessed 2026-07-16
- Danceplace: PopRock Academy Inc 2025 listing (Aug 2025-Apr 2028), accessed 2026-07-16
Researched 2026-07-16, last verified 2026-07-16. Facts above come only from these sources. Anything we could not confirm is simply not shown. Report incorrect information or claim this listing if you represent the school.
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