2022-23 Year II diploma program student Jasmina Parent welcomes us in on her perspective as a CCPA student with her new podcast, “Dear Ballet”.
In September, 2021, I moved across the country to attend the Canadian College of Performing Arts on Vancouver Island on the West coast. I don’t know if it was the existential tone of Covid that forced me into deep solitude or the power of distant mentors such as Liz Gilbert, James Clear, Michael A. Singer. But all I know is one of the only things that was left remaining was this innate desire for my soul to express itself through movement. I had always dreamed of learning dance, but always felt like it was too late, and that’s why I was so excited when I discovered CCPA. I knew I had to go there. I’m currently a year two student at the college.
This school has given me so much, and as cliché as it sounds, I wanted to create a space where I could show the world how magical this place. And hopefully help spread the word about CCPA, all while being able to capture memories that I could share with my loved ones back home in Montreal. My goal was to create a tool for either potential students and also simply to share the great love I have for the people I’ve met as well as this institution.
And so that was the vision, and then reality hit. Truth is, I’m an open book with my friends and family, but not quite when it comes to the internet. And so this was an entirely new space to navigate. But that’s one thing I’m so grateful for the training at CCPA for. They really help you with befriending your fear.
I’m so grateful for the training at CCPA, they really help you with befriending your fear.
They teach you to push through yourself doubt and believe in yourself. You’re trained and even encouraged to sit and feel and embrace all the discomfort that may arise during your training. And that’s why I created Dear Ballet. That’s what it’s all about. It’s about doing something you never thought you could do. It’s about following your intuition and trusting blindly where it guides you. And for me, well it led me here, and even though I don’t know exactly where it’ll bring me, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s not about ballet. It’s about the fears you face along the way that make you who you are. This past year has made me grow in ways I didn’t even know were possible.
I’ve learned to trust myself more every single day, and this project has become so much bigger than me. It’s about this incredible community of artists at ccpa, and it’s about sharing our. Because every person has a journey, and it’s not about reaching a final destination. It’s about overcoming challenges and learning and growing so much along the way.
And let me tell you, CCPA is the best training ground for that. In the diploma program for two years, up to six days a week, up to 12 hours a day, you’re working on your craft. On dance, acting voice. But more than that, you’re really working on yourself, on what you wanna bring to the world, what you want to say, how you want to use your voice, and I’m beyond grateful for this environment that enables for such reflections. If you’d like to learn more about Dear Ballet, you can head over to the blog at dearballet.com.