Yumenosaki Private Academy

Yumenosaki Private Academy (夢ノ咲学院, Yumenosaki Gakuen, lit. A School where Dreams Bloom) is a performing arts school that overlooks the ocean. The exams to get into Yumenosaki are known to be rigorous, and involve written and performance exams. Courses consist of the idol course, producer course, vocal course, music course, theater course, and regular course. The regular course is the only course that is not performing arts-related.

The idol course behaves as an idol training school while simultaneously allowing students to undertake formal idol work. Idol course students make connections and find work in the entertainment industry, making the idol course somewhat like a huge idol agency. Many students in Yumenosaki intend to continue as idols after graduation, but some may choose to enter different professions.

Location= Yumenosaki overlooks the ocean on one side with mountains at its back, located close to nearby cities and towns. Though the school is not meant to be in any real-world location, the artists referenced Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture when illustrating backgrounds.

Facilities at Yumenosaki include a Dance Room, Tennis Court, Basketball Court, Gym, Archery Ground, Track Ground, Dojo, Pool, Kitchen, Grower Barn, Library, Broadcasting Room, Music Room, AV Room, and Auditorium. Later on, a Nap Room was developed as well for students to rent out when needing to stay late and sleep at school.

The idol course and Producer Course are both located in the same building, separate from the other courses. The Player is meant to act as a test run for the Producer Course curriculum in the current year, and thus attends class alongside the students in the idol course. However, Operetta established that the Producer Course opens up to general admission in the following year, and that producer classrooms are separate from idol classrooms.

See the backgrounds gallery or this page for most school locations.

Units= Units are groupings of two to five students in the idol course who are officially registered as a group and perform idol activities together. While there's no rule against units having more than five members, due to the way profits must be divided among members (as dictated by the school's regulations ), in turn dictated by the student council), units would lose money by performing with more than five members. It is against school regulations for units to have less than two members, which renders MaM a special exception.

Units are formed through sending in an application and getting approved by the the student council. A new application must be sent if you are forming a new unit, disbanding, withdrawing, or adding new members. Additionally, most units have their own exam process wherein prospective members must demonstrate their skills to the unit leader before the leader will permit them to join.

Depending on a unit's results in DreamFes, the school will provide the units with additional funding and support. Some units have their own fan clubs, and the more well-known units can have their photo books sold in general bookstores.

Temporary units function in a similar way to units, but they are typically formed for a specific purpose and for a limited amount of time, and the DreamFes that they can participate in cannot be official. A prime example of a temporary unit would be Knights Killers formed by Leo Tsukinaga during Rebellion.

See the units page for all official and temporary units.

Dream Idol Festivals= A Dream Idol Festival, or DreamFes (DreFes in the anime) for short, is battle of the bands-style live show students perform against one another to test their Dance, Vocal, and Performance skills. Students can perform solo or in units. The outcome of the live is determined by how the audience votes, and how a student's performance is graded has heavy impact on their grades and whether or not they can stay in Yumenosaki (see Grading). It's a relatively new system introduced by Eichi Tenshouin in the year prior to Ensemble Stars! (see also: the war).

DreamFes shows are categorized by prestige. From highest to lowest, the DreamFes ranks are: SS, S1, S2, S3, A1, and B1. The school does not officially recognize B1 lives, and they do not count toward a student's grades. The higher the rank of the DreamFes, the harder it is to win; however, it will offer far more rewards and opportunities if won. Officially-recognized DreamFes performances are typically planned by staff, but some performances are planned by individuals in the producer course, or the units themselves (such as Chocolat Festival).

In regards to the officially-recognized DreamFes shows:
 * The SS is a nation-wide idol competition wherein a representative from each idol training school is chosen to compete against one another in accordance to the SS's specific set of rules.
 * Dreamfes shows ranked S1 are large-scale shows open to the public, though tickets must be purchased in advance. These shows tend to be seasonal. The content of these performances must be first approved by the student council, or altered depending on the student council's feedback.
 * DreamFes shows ranked S2 are restricted to on-campus students but are still large-scale. These shows tend to be seasonal. The content of these performances must be first approved by the student council, or altered depending on the student council's feedback.
 * DreamFes shows ranked S3 were added later in the current school year . S3 performances are campus-restricted, but large scale. While only producer students and unit leaders can place a request for a S3 live, they are unrestricted by the student council and staff, allowing for great flexibility in how creative students may want to be with their performances.
 * DreamFes shows ranked A1 are of a moderate scale, but they are considered as beginner-level. Anyone can submit a request to hold an A1 performance.

In regards to the unofficial DreamFes ranking:
 * A DreamFes ranked B1 an unofficial live which has not been approved by the academy. Any student is free to perform in B1, and there are little to no restrictions about what a performance can consist of. For example, in the Dragon King competition, performers are allowed to engage in fist-fights on stage. The student council is responsible for these matches, but tend to turn a blind eye to them unless students cause trouble.

Grading= When enrolling into Yumenosaki, you will be given your uniform, student ID, and a Cyalume, or glow stick. (Note that this article only covers the Yumenosaki-specific cyalume. You can read more about cyalumes and their general relation to idols here.)

At the bottom of the Yumenosaki-issued cyalume, there should be a dial. The dial changes the display to any number between one to ten, which corresponds to a particular color. The number it's set to will be recorded as a vote for the individual or unit performing. In official DreamFes performances, the cyalume will give off an electric signal and the votes will be tallied up by a machine. The color of the cyalume can be changed at any time during the performance.

The results will affect the grades and the rank of the student(s) and unit(s) performing. Students who achieve high ranks from the DreamFes will receive rewards and special treatment from the academy, and those who obtain the lowest ranks from the DreamFes will be scorned. DreamFes performances function as graded assignments and account for a sizable portion of each student's grade, so students must perform in a minimum amount per year.

If a student does not perform in DreamFes performances, they will be forced to drop out. If a student does not score well enough in DreamFes performances, they will also be forced to drop out. Students who have not performed in enough DreamFes performances or who have scored poorly in too many DreamFes performances may need to find a way to qualify for, and succeed in, a higher-ranking DreamFes to compensate for their lost points.

School Life= Clubs, Committees, Class Presidents
 * Extracurricular Activities are mandatory in the Yumenosaki idol course. Every student must be in one club, but joining a committee is optional. All clubs must have at least 3 students, or it will be dissolved.
 * The student council overlooks the single-member Ninja Association due to Mao Isara, the student council secretary, vouching on its behalf.
 * Clubs allow students to hone their skills and form bonds with students who share their same interests. Committees are a way for students to get involved in the hands-on work related to idol performances, as well as make connections within the industry related to that committee's field.
 * See the extracurricular activities page for a list of all students' activities.
 * The class presidents in Ensemble Stars! are as follows:

Campus Security
 * Due to several incidents involving non-students lying in order to sneak into Yumenosaki, the school maintains a high level of security to prevent the general public from entering the campus. The academy only opens during special occasions, such as during Halloween lives or Chocolat Fes, selling admission tickets on the same day.
 * In the novel, Anzu describes the security as extremely strict: she notes that the guards search students' wallets, bags, and even the inside of their mouths.

School SNS
 * The School SNS is an online network students can use to talk to one another, view upcoming campus events, and view available on- and off-campus jobs.

School Jobs
 * While the student council provides basic funding for most live shows, the rest of the performance (including the stage, props, staff, outfits, etc) must be funded by the unit.
 * Lives not approved by the student council must be entirely funded by the unit.
 * Additionally, soundproof practice rooms and other school facilities students may need to prepare for and use for their performances must be funded by the unit.
 * Students lacking in cash may desire to work part-time jobs off-campus, use the money they're paid from performing off-campus, or take on part-time jobs on-campus.
 * On-campus part-time jobs dispense currency, known as yumecoins, which idol course students can spend to pay for on-campus goods and facilities. Producer course students are paid in producer points.

The Seven Mysteries of Yumenosaki Spoilers :
 * The Seven Mysteries of Yumenosaki were revealed in Test of Courage by Yuta Aoi, though only not all have been revealed yet:
 * 1) Every time you look at a certain portrait of Bach, his hair will continue to grow.
 * 2) Even when nobody's around, you can hear the piano being played in the music room. (See: Test of Courage)
 * 3) A female student who was aiming to be an idol had to quit her dream due to certain circumstances. Losing all hope in this world, she threw herself off the roof. (See: Liar's Idol)
 * 4) If you go to the garden terrace at night, you can see will-o-wisps created by spirits. (See: Onibi)
 * 5) If you stay late at night to practice, a phantom will either appear before you or leave you a letter. Students who follow the phantom's instructions will see a dramatic improvement in their skills as an idol. (See: Main Story)
 * Akiomi Kunugi is to blame for 2, as he stays late at night to play the piano.
 * It is revealed later on in the story that 3, a female student attending an all-male idol school, was caused by Jin Sagami crossdressing during his time in Yumenosaki as a student.
 * 4, the will-o-wisps seen at night, is also caused by Jin smoking in the dark after school in the present.
 * In Onibi, Jin remarks he's likely to blame for most of the seven mysteries, since most of them originate from his activities.
 * In the Main Story, it's revealed that the "phantom" described in 5 is Mayoi Ayase. Despite being enrolled and despite his great skills as an idol, Mayoi never attended school, instead (presumably) living in the walls and ceiling. He watched struggling students lacking skill as idols practice late into the night. Moved by their efforts, he decided to help them.