The Canadian Opera Company’s Education and Outreach team has had the honour and pleasure of collaborating and connecting with thousands of young people through its opera programs for students, children, youth, and their families. There is no greater moment of pride than when a former participant reconnects and shares with us their current interests and achievements and conveys the positive impact a COC program had on their life.

A few weeks ago the COC Education team received a heartwarming update from a parent of a former participant of the COC’s After School Opera Program (ASOP) that her son Nassir had landed the lead role in his school’s upcoming production of High School Musical. Today we take a look back at how Nassir’s experience in the After School Opera Program helped him make the leap from a COC rehearsal room to the school stage. 

By Vanessa Smith, School Programs Manager

While it’s true that every child is different, there is one thing about children that stays pretty constant - they’re always on the move! Running, playing, dancing, fidgeting – movement is always present in their bodies and minds. When tackling a subject like opera, which can be difficult and foreign to younger students, it’s good to “start from where you are” – in this case, we decided to start by getting moving!

About a year ago, Howard Park Junior Public School approached the COC education and outreach team to discuss ways to give their entire school an opera experience. In consultation with the school’s Arts Council and teachers, we came up with a plan to teach sections of the dance curriculum through opera workshops this spring. Each class, including both French immersion students and English students, would participate in two to three workshops over the course of three weeks in March and April.