When Revathi’s family moved from India to Canada four years ago, everything felt unfamiliar. They knew few people outside their own cultural community, and financial and transportation barriers made it nearly impossible for her daughter to join extracurricular activities. As Revathi explained, enrolling her child in a private ballet class “costs so much and there is no grant for such classes”, and living in the far Northeast” meant that “it was very difficult for me because I do not drive.”
Their first connection with the ballet program came through attending another Centre for Newcomers (CFN) program. When an instructor mentioned that Alberta Ballet was offering free ballet classes at CFN, Revathi immediately felt hopeful. She had been searching for an affordable dance option for her daughter, who had recently discovered a strong interest in ballet. “It was very useful because it was totally free, so I enrolled my children,” she said.
Accessing ballet shaped the family’s settlement journey in meaningful ways. Revathi described how her elder daughter, once shy and reserved, began to flourish: “At first, she was very shy, and she did not show what she learned. After attending some classes, she became excited to demonstrate her movements. She is very confident now.”
Ballet also helped the family build a community. Through CFN, they entered a diverse social environment where they could interact with people from many backgrounds. Revathi reflected, “when we came to Canada, we only knew people from our own community. After joining CFN, we met families from different backgrounds. It helped us talk to others and understand each other.”
When transportation became a barrier, CFN and Alberta Ballet stepped in with additional support. “When my child had the opportunity to attend classes at the Alberta Ballet studio, they gave me a bus pass for a month, which helped a lot. During very harsh weather, Alberta Ballet helped me with 250 dollars so I could take an Uber to the classes” she shared.
Revathi’s younger daughter, who was initially considered too young for the dance program, became unexpectedly inspired simply by accompanying her older sister to class. As Revathi recalled, “At first, she was very angry and restless. But when I brought my elder daughter to the classes, the younger one would stand behind and dance. Finally, they let her join. She enjoyed it. I think watching her older sister helped her develop interest.”
Today, both children have grown socially and emotionally through the dance program for newcomers at CFN. Ballet classes also offered them a healthy outlet during the long winter months. As Revathi put it, “Without activities, it is difficult for kids to remain active, especially in winter. Ballet helped with that”.
Revathi valued the ballet program so much that she encouraged other newcomer families to join. “I recommended some of my friends because they were also searching for ballet classes, and they came with us,” she explained. For her, the support from CFN and Alberta Ballet made a meaningful difference. As she put it simply and sincerely, “Whatever you guys are doing, it is very good.”
Reflecting on her family’s journey, Revathi summed up the impact in one sentence: “She enjoys ballet, she is very open now, confident, and enthusiastic.” .
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