BWW Blog: A Day in the Life - A Look at Full Time Theatre School Before the Pandemic

On my very first day at the Canadian College of Performing Arts, I thought my phone had led me to the wrong place, that this set of concrete stairs leading me down to a set of doors attached to a church could not possibly be a college, right? But upon opening the doors, I found that my phone was correct when I saw the hustle and bustle of first year jitters, older students leading tours, and a school that felt like a maze of hallways, studios, and stairwells. I now realize it was hardly the labyrinth I made it out to be, but instead it was the place that would house me for a long time to come.

In the first week it was a whirlwind of singing for voice teachers so I could be placed with the right one, running from ballet to tap classes to be put in a dance level that would make sure I didn't end up with someone who had been dancing since the age of three, an abundance of meetings about what to expect, and meeting my new classmates.

Eventually I got into a groove, I would wake up at 6:15, have breakfast, brush my teeth, get dressed, and go to catch my first bus, once I was downtown I would catch my second bus and eventually get to the school where I would fill my water bottle, and grab my dance shoes. From 8:30 to 11:45 we had dance classes ranging from jazz, ballet, tap, or musical theatre styles. I'd have lunch, and try not to spend all my money on coffee. From 1 to 5 we would switch our focus to acting, physical theatre, career management, theatre history, or a vocal lesson. I'd have dinner, and still try not to spend all my money on coffee. Then we'd have vocal ensemble or rehearsals for a show until 8:30. Afterwards, I'd cave and eventually buy myself a coffee to keep me awake on my two busses home, where I would shower, sleep, and repeat.

It wasn't always 12 hours a day, six days a week, we would have spares sprinkled throughout our week in order to have time to do any school work, or the occasional evening off, but for the most part it felt like I lived there. For my second year I moved closer to cut down on bus rides, which allowed me to give more of myself to my classes, and ultimately myself.

On the last day of every year, I couldn't help but feel melancholic, having to say goodbye to a place where I spent a majority of my time because even though a day in the life of theatre school can sound repetitive, each day was a new adventure filled with opportunities, it was where I learned, grew, cried, laughed, struggled, and overcame. I wasn't just saying goodbye to a collection of classrooms hidden by stone steps in a church basement, I was saying goodbye to the place that became my home.