“For me, dance will always mean home and comfort. It will be the place where I grew – where I learned a lot of my lessons. But most of all dance is where I learned how to express my feelings and let go and clear my mind… because it was a happy place for me, and I am so thankful for that.” – CSD 2020 Graduate, Abriel Da Silva
As Abriel Da Silva graduates from high school this month, she will leave a hole in our School that will be hard to fill. Abriel has always been the “smart one”. To the many, many children she has volunteered with as a Teaching Assistant, and worked with as a Teacher Trainee, she is their Miss Abriel. Everyone loves Abriel. And what’s more, everyone likes Abriel! This may be because even though she’s the one who always knows all the counts to every dance, she is never impatient and always a true friend. Maybe it’s because no one can get enough of her giggle. I think of Abriel Da Silva as everyone’s chosen sister.
Abriel begin taking classes at CSD in 2008. She had just turned 5 years old. When I asked her what she remembers from her first year at Caulfield School of Dance she said: “I remember having Miss Sommer as my teacher for tap and Miss Crystal as my ballet teacher and making a whole bunch of new friends who would soon become my second family. I have so many memories; but I think that one of the best memories I’ll keep with me forever was when we did the clown dance. The rehearsals and the laughs we shared in that dance is one memory I’m going to keep with me forever.”
Abriel (top right) in “the clown dance” with from top left: Mena Spasova, Conrad Cahoon, Holly Reyburn, Nathalie Brown, Shanna Lilley, Kaia Goddard, Rachelle Payandeh and Georgia Bishop
I remember working with “the clown dance” too. ‘Circus Ring 2’, was such a delightful group of children, five of whom we are honouring as graduates this year!
I asked Abriel what her time at Caulfield School of Dance has meant to her, and she said: “Being able to have spent the last fourteen years in the performing arts has helped me in so many ways. It has helped me become much more confident in the person I am. It has helped me escape my shyness. It taught me communication, leadership, organization, discipline and so much more. Dance has helped shape me to be the person I am today…
Oh the cuteness! Abriel at photo day at CSDs former location
“For me, dance will always mean home and comfort. It will be the place where I grew – where I learned a lot of my lessons. But most of all dance is where I learned how to express my feelings and let go and clear my mind… because it was a happy place for me, and I am so thankful for that.
“I think that dance will help me immensely in the future. It has taught me how to think outside the box in more ways than one. It has taught me discipline, maturity, organization, communication, leadership and so much more. It has prepared me in so many ways for whatever life throws at me in the future,” and, “my memories from Caulfield – the happy and sad ones – will never be forgotten; but one that will always stick with me was… performing in Duncan with my team members… we were a team, not just on the stage but after we competed. We all bonded in a way I will never forget.”
This fall, Abriel plans to do continue doing clerical work for her Aunt’s company while attending Douglas College to study psychology. “Although I have cherished every minute I spent in the studios and onstage,” Abriel says, “after a lot of thinking and some crying,” she has decided that she will not continue with performing arts after this month brings an end to her time at Caulfield School of Dance.
Abriel is considering a career in law because she is “very passionate about helping to fix the brokenness in our justice system every way I can.”
We are so sad to see Abriel go from us but are also excited for her to begin the next chapter of her life. We know she will achieve great things in this world, which so needs her intelligence, goodness, and dedication.
We love you Abriel.
Congratulations on your graduation!
Missing you already,
Ms Cori