Charb Arts Studios

A renaissance man or woman is said to have wide areas of interest and expertise. But have you ever heard of a renaissance kid?

To find a whole bunch of them — dancing, painting, singing and making music with anything that isn’t bolted down — look no further than Charb Arts in Toronto’s Roncesvalles Village.

The academy’s founder and director, Lori Charbonneau, attended the National Ballet School from ages 9 to 16. After graduating in 1984, she spent the next eight years finishing her academic studies and pursuing a career as a professional dancer before returning to the NBS to earn a degree as a ballet teacher.

Lori says her studies also included theatre, music and the visual arts. “When you’re a creative soul,” she explains, “it’s rarely a one-note song. You can use the other arts to enhance the form you love the most.”

Indeed, this “holistic, renaissance style” of education is still serving Lori well, if the success of Charb Arts is anything to go by.