Introducing Me:

A little about my journey:

Hello! My name is Alison Roberts. I graduated from the Canadian College of Performing Arts and the University of Victoria, where I received a BFA in Theatre and a minor in Business. I have returned to the university to complete the PDP Program to become a secondary school teacher focusing on dance, theatre, and physical health education.

I grew up on Vancouver Island, dancing competitively and performing throughout high school. From a young age, I decided I wanted be a professional performer, leading me to pursue post-secondary education in dance and theatre. After graduation, I began working across Canada as a professional dancer and musical theatre performer for just under a decade. 

One summer, when I was home in Victoria between contracts, I worked at Oak Bay Recreation, instructing theatre and dance summer camps for youth. I had never considered the idea of teaching as a career path until this moment. The immense gratification I received from working with the campers, teaching them different skills, and seeing them grow and improve each week was something I had never felt when performing. My initial experience that summer changed my life and led to 10 more years of working at Oak Bay in more than dance but also leading out-of-school programs and full-day outdoor camps, instructing nature preschool, and working as a one-on-one support worker and inclusion instructor. It also jumpstarted my eight-year career as a part-time dance and theatre teacher in public schools and dance studios and choreographing in professional and community arts organizations. 

Even though I adored teaching and working with young people, I had never imagined it would ever be more than a part-time job. However, I soon began to realize that perhaps part-time wasn’t enough. It was clear that I was truly happiest when leading a class or seeing the growth in one of my students, a stark contrast to how I felt doing any other job. So, why not do it every day? And so, with support and guidance from some amazing mentors, I realized I could make teaching my full-time career by becoming a secondary school teacher.  

While my main goal is to teach drama and dance full time, I have chosen EPHE as my second teachable, as, mixed with my extensive background in dance and youth recreation, I am extremely passionate about living an active lifestyle. Although I primarily grew up dancing, in my adult life, I have taken up soccer, softball, yoga, hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, paddle boarding, and kayaking, and I have become an avid runner, on both track and road, and coach for the RunSport organization. 

For fun, here is a video that was shared by the Runsport organization about my journey with running!