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| Stephanie Cadman, a world champion tap dancer and former graduate of Canterbury High School, said if the high school had not been there, 'I don't know whether I would have had the confidence' to do what she has done. She will be among many other successful graduates staging a fundraiser this weekend. |
"We can't make it any easier for parents to keep kids away from Canterbury," says Mr. Bhaneja, an actor, blues musician and '93 Canterbury graduate. "A lot of parents don't want their kids coming anywhere near an arts school. Not stable work and all that.
"Now, if we have to start charging kids to come here, that will just be one more way for some parents to say no. We can't let it happen."
And so, Mr. Bhaneja will be returning to Ottawa this weekend to perform in A Class Act - Canterbury Stars Return, a variety show that will feature nearly 40 Canterbury graduates.
'It is a kind of homecoming for all of us.' - Stephanie Cadman, world champion tap dancer
The alumni on stage will be an eclectic bunch. Tyley Ross, star of the Broadway show Miss Saigon, will be there. As will Jessica Holmes, a Gemini award-winning comedian. Ditto for world champion tap dancer Stephanie Cadman, jazz singer Leah State and Lion King dancer-singer Arthur Kyeyne.
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| Actor Arthur Kyeyune |
"We asked all the performers for bios, and it was quite funny when they came in," says Ms. Kirsh. "Every single person said they wanted to help Canterbury, and that they were 'so looking forward to coming back.'
"We had to edit the comments out of the program, just so everyone wasn't saying the same thing."
It's a feeling some high school grads may be unfamiliar with - love of the old alma mater - but it seems to run deep at Canterbury. The only arts school of its kind in Eastern Ontario, Canterbury started its arts program in 1983. Since then, hundreds of teenagers from across Eastern Ontario have attended the school.
"It's a kind of homecoming for all of us," says Ms. Cadman, who will be performing a Celtic fiddling and tap dance number for the show. "I grew up in Nepean and I always wanted to be involved in the arts. If Canterbury had not been there, though, I don't know whether I would have had the confidence to do it."
Every performer is donating their time. Volunteers are building the stage sets. Corporate sponsors have defrayed the cost of printing tickets and programs.
As a result, nearly all the money raised at the variety show will go directly into the coffers of the arts program, which has had its budget slashed so badly, Ms. Kirsh was even laid off last year.
When that happened, a protest vigil by students, teachers and alumni managed to get Ms. Kirsh her job back. It also saved the arts program.
Now, the variety show is being staged to do the same thing.
"We absolutely need this show," says Jim McNabb, a retired drama teacher and one of the chief organizers of the show. "We are thinking of making it an annual event. In this day and age, you have to do anything you can to raise funds."
A Class Act starts at 8 p.m. Saturday in the school auditorium. Tickets are $35, and although the show is close to a sellout, a small number will be available at the school on the day of the show.
"What people don't know about Canterbury yet, is how important it is to Canadian culture," says Mr. Bhaneja, who will be performing a version of the Leadbelly song Leadin' Track for the show.
"Our oldest graduate is 31. It takes a lot of time to build a career in show business, but on Saturday you can see what we've done already. And get a good sense of just how far we're going to go."