Warmth first
A child who feels safe takes risks — and a child who takes risks grows. Encouragement is where everything starts.
Our story
Big dreams start here.
From a small Oakville basement to Waterdown’s leading performing arts academy — the same belief has carried us the whole way.
It started in a basement.
In 2017, in a small Oakville basement, CBY began with four students and one stubborn belief: that every child deserves the chance to find their spark and shine. Word spread — one family told another — and four students became forty, then hundreds.
Today, The CBY Academy of Performing Arts calls a beautiful historic building in the heart of Waterdown home, with a team of professional teachers and a reputation as the town’s leading — and highest-rated — performing arts academy. But the belief hasn’t changed one bit.
We’re still the place where a shy kid finds their voice, where a first chord becomes a finished song, and where the nervous walk to centre stage turns into a moment they’ll never forget.
What we believe
The CBY difference
Real skills
We’re warm, but we’re serious about progress. Genuine craft, taught well, that shows up on stage.
Every child, their own path
No two performers are the same. We meet each one exactly where they are and take them further.
The stage as teacher
Nothing builds confidence like performing. We create real chances to step up and shine.
Our team
The people behind the magic
Professional performers and educators who genuinely love what they do — and who your kids will love right back.
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Voice & Musical Theatre
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Piano & Songwriting
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Guitar & Drums
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Acting & Voiceover
Come be part of the story.
The best way to understand CBY is to see it for yourself. Book a drop-in lesson and meet us.
Book a drop-in lesson