Welcome to The Conservatory

Foothills Conservatory for the Performing Arts (FCPA) is a volunteer-based, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Seneca, South Carolina. We are a fine arts organization dedicated to furthering the presence and availability of fine arts in our upstate South Carolina community by providing quality training and performance opportunities for youth and adults alike.

Beginning in a single-room upstairs studio on Ram Cat Alley, Foothills Conservatory for the Performing Arts has grown over the last 25 years into one of the leading artistic institutions in the Upstate. Now located off Main St. in historic downtown Seneca SC, the conservatory continues to be a driving force in shaping both local and regional growth in and around the Upstate within the Performing Arts.

We are affiliated with the Foothills Dance Conservatory in Seneca, SC, who works with us to build fantastic community performances including our annual production of The Nutcracker, our outreach initiatives through local schools and libraries, and our M.A.D. Camp summer experience.

The mission of FCPA is to foster the arts through instruction, training and performance as an aid to the mental, physical and aesthetic development of participants, thereby improving the quality of life and enhancing the culture of the community we serve.

Through workshops, outreach performances, and our popular production of The Nutcracker, we focus on instructional and performance aspects for those students interested in potentially pursuing a career in the arts, or for those who just want to pursue their interest in serious art forms. Students not only learn to perform, but also develop personally through the physical activity, discipline and cultural growth that are at the heart of the performing arts.

We are a small organization, managed directly by our board of directors and supported entirely by member dues, program admission fees, grants, and the generous contributions of our sponsors and volunteers.

​FCPA is also funded, in part, by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

In honor of founding member and Seneca dance school owner Ginny Siano-Eck, 

we offer three one-time $500 scholarships to individuals seeking Performing Arts advancement, 

and one $500 scholarship toward the FDC Summer Dance Intensive.

Application deadline: February 10, 2025

Awards announced: May 2025