Camp CBY at The CBY Academy of Performing Arts opens your child up to new experiences and skills. From Broadway belters to budding rock stars, our theatre and music camp will help your child realize their creative potential in the performing arts in a safe and inclusive environment. Camp CBY: where campers thrive and come alive!
Special needs:
Yes, mild support. A few of our campers have special needs.
Camp CBY is first and foremost a safe space for all. We welcome young people from all walks of life, across spectrums of various learning differentiations, abilities and identities. We strive to help them flourish as both an individual and a team player, delivering arts education that build their self-confidence, communication skills and inter-personal development. We take this pedagogical corner stone and deliver it through our award-winning experiential learning; our founding principle is “learning by doing”. We believe that the campers learns most successfully when they are fully engaged and immersed in their discipline, so a CBY camper can look forward to always being on their feet, learning and having fun!
Choose the right programs and sessions for your child; Camp CBY currently has 0 program available; 1 TBD.
Registration for Camp CBY 2024 opens on January 15th at 9am at cbyacademy.com/campcby. Full payment is required at time of registration. Please see our FAQs at the bottom of this page to learn about our withdrawal and refund policy.
Kids who are interested in the arts and performing arts will love CBY Music & Performing Arts. There, kids learn so much about performing in dance, acting, and music. What’s unique about this program is that it expands into the industry to help kids do performing arts professionally. They work with those in the industry to give kids lessons in the professional part of the arts. The instructors are perfectly encouraging, giving kids the confidence they need to take the stage, but giving them room to express themselves. Kids can start as soon as they can walk, and many stay for the long haul, graduating from CBY after many years together. CBY is seen as a community, where everyone is really close. The relationships made here ensure a good cohesiveness in the performances and the creative process. Kids take home activities to practice, and they really want to do their homework. Parents are always in the know of what’s happening at the school, so they can help their kids at home.
CBY offers a performing arts experience that is very well-rounded. It has voice and music, musical theater, acting, and voice acting all under one category. What do I mean? Kids who are interested in the arts, or moving into the performing arts, can work on their performance and on the behind-the-scenes production for musical theater, film, and TV.
CBY is very unique in that it doesn't just offer your typical voice, piano, guitar, and things like that. It educates kids about the actual industry and offers opportunities to kids interested in pursuing an area further to work with agents who have connections in the industry.
How did you know CBY Music & Performing Arts was the right fit?
We started off here because my daughter wanted to sing. So we did a trial and we really loved how Christian [the owner] was with her. He was really supportive, warm, friendly, just a great teacher. And then we met Karen, his wife, and she was also just amazing. They were so supportive, so nurturing. They build confidence in the kids and are just great people. As we continued down the path of performing arts, each teacher my daughter had has been just as warm and friendly.
CBY is such a great academy. Its staff and faculty are warm, friendly, supportive, very approachable, and open with communication. They're also very inclusive of all kids, which is a wonderful environment to be in.
For my son, Christian taught him piano for a little bit. And it was also a great fit. My son is a teenager ... with teens there's lots of bringing them back to focus, and Christian was really good at helping my son do that. CBY was a really good fit for both my kids.
Was there any noticeable personal growth in your children after their time CBY?
I'll answer for both my children. My oldest absolutely had never touched an instrument before, so we started him on piano. We saw some growth for him, which was great. It introduced him to the world of music. He got to learn notes and read sheet music.
My youngest started at the age of 7 and she's 10 now. She started off having never sang before, outside of singing at home along with the Disney princesses. This year she was cast in a musical theatre production in Toronto with Mirvish Productions, and she's doing a show for the next three months.
There was significant growth for my youngest. It's just been a wonderful experience.
How can a parent support their child to get the most out of CBY?
Christian and Karen, and the rest of the team, are really great in terms of sending home notes, practice notes, or sheet music. I would just say make sure your child practices every day if possible. Make sure they have the tools available, such as some sheet music they might need to print off at home. Go to your lessons with your scripts, your music, and your books prepared.
The team is great. They're very open, they communicate a lot with the parents. You're always in the know of what's going on, upcoming events, and upcoming opportunities. But just at home, I'd say prepare your children for lessons by practicing and making sure that they come to CBY with the tools that they need for that lesson.
What do your children say about CBY?
My oldest really loved his piano lessons with Christian. He loved that Christian was so open and how he listened to him when he just wanted to talk. It was a great experience and he really liked his time at CBY.
My youngest, she just loves everything about CBY. Everything that they offer, every teacher they have, she just loves it. She's currently not in some of the programs because they conflict with rehearsal for her, but she has no problem on a weekly basis telling me how much she misses certain programs. But she's very excited to be involved with CBY. She's very much looking forward to being back in the programs in March.
Any final thoughts?
The arts community is a wonderful community. We come from a very athletic background and my kids have transitioned over to the arts community. We are embracing it and it is a wonderful community. So anybody who's on the fence about trying singing, an instrument, acting, dance, voice acting, musical theater, anything they offer, I would say just do the trial lesson and embrace the community because it is a wonderful inclusive place that accepts everybody. They welcome all families and kids with open arms. So it's something that I would highly recommend to every family. If you're on the fence or you're looking for something great, just jump in with both feet.
We joined CBY in the fall and I was shocked at how quickly the Director and instructors knew my daughter and family. Even during a pandemic you can feel the community vibe. The instructors are phenomenal, friendly, and you can feel the quality in what they teach. My daughter loves it and I look forward to taking other programs with CBY! Highly recommend ...Show More
Isabel Berger, Parent
My daughter enjoys piano lessons at CBY
My daughter enjoys piano lessons at CBY. Her instructor Christian is patient and motivating. She is wxcited to attend every week! Also worth noting they have been able to accommodate due to COVID which we appreciate considering the current environment. Definitely recommend ...Show More
Brandon Cooper, Parent
Really fantastic studio
Really fantastic studio where my daughter takes ukulele lessons. Her instructor Calvin is patient, kind and knowing. Christian and his staff are a pleasure to deal with and have created a welcoming, creative environment for students to learn how to express themselves through music ...Show More
Lisa Boles, Parent
A wonderful experience
My daughter started in the Tot Dance program this fall and it has been a wonderful experience so far! She has learned a great deal over the past few months and looks forward to it every week. We are really grateful to be a part of this awesome community. Their passion for what they do comes through constantly. Thanks, CBY team ...Show More
Christine Wiecko, Parent
My daughter has absolutely loved being at CBY
My daughter has absolutely loved being at CBY. She looks forward to her program every week. She's always singing something from Annie around the house. I couldn't be more pleased with how much she has learned.
Our Mission:
Our mission is to equip young aspiring singers, musicians, songwriters, dancers, and actors with the best resources for pursuing the performing arts. We offer diverse opportunities such as private music lessons, dance lessons, musical theatre programming, access to a recording studio, workshops with internationally-renowned artists, and agent showcases. But most of all, we are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive studio culture for students and parents alike.
Our Vision:
Our vision is to build a supportive community of students, parents, mentors, and professional Canadian talent who can rely on each other beyond industry-specific matters. We work hard to create an inclusive studio culture that makes all members feel valued and proud so that our studio family can grow for generations.
Our Core Values: - Growth & Development
We have the resources and network to set students up for success within the performing arts industry, but we go even further. We work with students who are enduring some of the most impressionable and pivotal years of their lives and we are genuinely invested in their personal growth. Students can laugh, cry and most importantly, feel safe to express their true selves free of judgement. We instruct, we mentor, we guide, and we listen - as family should.
- Community
Community is absolutely everything to us. Our students and their families have formed new friendships that would not have otherwise existed. Our staff are made up of former students and talented parents. We organize local fundraisers. We brought the Waterdown community together during a global period of isolation and turmoil. Our community is one of support, friendship, and pride that’s here for the long haul.
- Pride
We’re proud of who we are and what we do. We have a diverse team of musicians, actors, and live performers whose talent is highly in-demand. We’re confident in our expertise, as we have years of experience and a fervent passion for the arts. We strive to make students and parents feel proud of their studio and pass on that CBY pride to future generations.
- Honesty & Integrity
We strongly believe in a right to privacy and freedom of choice for each student and family. We are transparent with our intentions and ensure that students are never exploited for personal gains of the studio. Communication is key.
- Inclusivity
We believe that everyone deserves access to quality education and opportunities irrespective of background. We work diligently to create a studio culture that makes all members feel valued and integral, with less of an emphasis on “star culture”.
No matter which performing arts discipline you are interested in, there is something for you at the CBY Academy of Performing Arts. We can’t wait to help you realize your potential.
Explore Your Creativity. Find Your Place.
Staff and Counsellors
Our camp staff are comprised of our permanent academy teachers, academy graduates and current senior students. All have been part of the CBY family for years and have a deep understanding and appreciation of our culture, ethos and vision. Staff are experienced practitioners in the performing arts, from teaching to performing, and have years of experience excelling in their respective artistic fields. We always have a qualified first aider on staff, usually the camp leader, and have staff member who are qualified in disability and neurodiversity training.
