Each June sees graduation at NBS for students in Grade 12 and the Teacher Training Program. Some Grade 12 grads will join dance companies, while others prepare for another year of intense training. Most Teacher Training grads will begin careers as dance teachers at studios across the country and around the world. We couldn't be prouder of our NBS grads and would like to extend warm congratulations! Remember to stay in touch.

Andrew's Valedictorian Speech 2011

Every year, three and a half million students graduate from high school in North America. Three and a half million kids, all with hopes and dreams of changing the world and moving on to bigger and better things. Three and a half million people waiting to seize the day and show the world what they have to offer. Three and a half million, and here we are, 18, a drop of water in the ocean, a grain of sand on the beach labeled "grads of 2011." But who cares? We are 18 of the best-dressed people you've ever seen! I mean doesn't everyone look spectacular? And by best dressed I don't just mean the fabulous outfits that took months to pick out, I also mean to say that there is more style, panache, and overall class sitting on this stage than I've certainly seen in a long time. These people who sit before you are the class who never took "just because" as an answer; never let anybody tell them "you're too young" or "you wouldn't understand" We've been pushing boundaries ever since we all set foot in this school: Haven't you all heard of the infamous grade 9 rebellion of 2007? We stood up as a class and wore our uniforms with pride on a "dress down day" just to rebel against the grade 12s who wouldn't let us stay until the end of the Halloween Dance. Yep, that's us! We've all left our mark on this school in one way or another, and we've all had our fair share of ups and downs and yet here we are, the graduates of 2011 from Canada's National Ballet School! No one else in the world, not even those other 3,499,982 graduates, can say that!

We stand at the frontier of the rest of our lives, together, and united. But we never could have gotten to where we are, were it not for the plethora of teachers and counselors, and mentors, and friends who make up this magnificent school. I know I can speak on behalf of my whole class when I say thank you, truly and genuinely from the bottom of our hearts. We couldn't have done it without you. You all inspire us every day and your passion and commitment to us and to the art form is unprecedented. For that, thank you!

To Mr. Walsh, and all the academic staff: Thank you for putting up with our attitude when we refused to get our work done, and for never giving up on us until we understood exactly what we needed to know. To all the res staff, thank you so much for making our home away from home as cozy and welcoming as possible. To the kitchen staff, we probably take for granted how awesome your food is and how much hard work goes into making the fabulous meals every day, so thank you! And to Ms. Staines and the artistic staff, you are an inspiration to us every day and you have helped us all realize our dreams. We can't thank you all enough and we hope that some day, you can look at us and be proud of what we have all accomplished. And to all the staff behind the scenes that keep the school running on a daily basis, you may or may not know all of us but you make our lives that much easier and we are so grateful for everything you do for us every day.

To all these people, you have our undying gratitude. Without all of you, we wouldn't be able to call ourselves the luckiest 18 graduates out of the 3½ million.

But most all, the biggest thank you goes out to all of you, the parents, friends, and family. Without your unwavering support through all the laughter and the tears, not one of us would be sitting here before you today. If you hadn't nagged us, telling us to "do your homework" over the phone, we never would have made it through those first few exams in the early years. If you hadn't told us to "go to bed!" all those times, we never would have made it through ballet class the next day. But more importantly, if you never had answered the phone or given us a hug when we needed it, we would have cried all the way home and never looked back. So from all of us, know that our unwavering love for every single one of you is unparalleled by anyone. We love you, trust us, we do. Even though we may give the sore lip and ignore your calls and texts, we really don't mean it, we swear!

And so, to my class: WE DID IT! It's been a long, long journey, and here we are, sitting on the stage at our graduation. Has it hit you yet? Think about all the stress, gone! All the worries about next year, gone! What are we going to do with our lives? Well, at least for this one day, we laugh, we cry, we remember all the good times, and the bad times, and then what? Tomorrow morning, we will all wake up and will we be different? Maybe. But unless we seize not just today, but tomorrow as well, and the rest of our lives for that matter, the world will pass us by without even noticing.

And so my first piece of advice is to be a leader; every single one of you are a born leader, and it is our job to lead the world into the next generation. We can't sit idle and wait for the world to sweep us off our feet, we have a responsibility to be innovators: to realize that if there are no jobs, make them; if there's no one around that you know, meet them; and if it seems like your group has no direction, lead them. And remember, the measure of a great leader is not how many loyal followers you have, but rather the number of new leaders you can create. As a leader you can't just get people to do things because you want them to do it, you need to get people to do things because they want to do it.

My next piece of advice comes from one of the great leaders in the world: Wayne Gretzky. For all of you who don't know, Wayne Gretzky was the greatest hockey players of all time and one of Gretzky's famous lines was that 100% of shots not taken don't go in. Unless you really go for it, you'll never have a chance to succeed. You can't be afraid of failure or else you'll never be able to move forward to bigger and better things. You can't know where the boundaries are unless you push them. Just go for it. I mean who cares if you fall down; just as long as you get back up and figure out how you fell in the first place. Embrace your mistakes and learn from them. Don't avoid them; they are the best teaching tools you can ever find.

And lastly, don't dwell on the past, but stay true to your roots, and always stay in touch! I've always been told that the only prerequisite to freedom is stability, and the stability we have established at this school has facilitated the freedom we are about to experience. It's important to always look forward, but the friendships we've all built at this school will be invaluable to us for the rest of our lives. We've built our foundation in these halls and we owe it to the school, and to ourselves to always remember the good times we've had and to visit lots!

This is our time and I can't think of a better group of friends to celebrate it with. Of the three and a half million graduates this year, I wouldn't trade you guys for the world. I know you all will have amazing successful lives. However you won't reach your potential unless you take your life into your own hands. I can't give you the formula for success but I can give you the formula for failure and that is trying to please everyone. Your life will be full of times when people aren't going to be happy with the decisions you make. The true measure of your success and leadership will be how you deal with those times and how you show people that the choices you make are the right ones.

I can't wait to see where you all go & what sort of awesome adventures you get up to.
This is it! Today day is your day,
You're off to great places; you're off and away.
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You're on your own. But you'll know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go.

Thank you so much.

Maya's Valedictorian Speech 2011

It is beyond an honour to speak of you, fellow graduates, and of our experiences at NBS. I greet you, and the wonderful faculty of NBS; and I greet you – our cherished guests – with Bonjour, Konichiwa, Bom Dieu, Brivyet, Guten Tag – for we are an infusion of cultures and we are shaped by our diversity.

I will start by saying thank you, for all of you here today have prepared us to cross the threshold, now as we step into our futures.

Instead of saying thank you to the "staff and fellow students" who are behind the scenes right now, I'd say thank you to the "encouraging faces and friendships of everyday." Instead of thanking "teachers, directors and mentors," it is a heartfelt thank you to "people of inspiration and a level of integrity" that is yet veiled to us. And to the 17, radiant individuals beside me, it will take a lifetime to even begin to thank you.

There is one thing that I know we are all grateful for – that, is time itself. For time turned the most wonderful moments into days, weeks, months, and now years that we have spent together. Time insisted that we become efficient, capable individuals, and as for every human being, time is an incomparable educator. For us, we never heard the ticking of the clock quite so clearly as when the everyday rush commenced: we were finally released from academics each school-day and had a complex plan that used every minute we had before the word was given for pliés to start. "And..."

Each graduating class has a unique character, a unique sculpture to carve as we cross the threshold into the professional world. It is not fitting to attempt to classify our graduating class, for we are as diverse a bunch as one could come across.  However, from our perspective, I think it is very safe to say we are unmistakably creative and rather daring as a group, which has allowed us, among many other things, to put the "fun" in dysFUNctional.

Much of what we have learned here cannot be quantified or measured, for no diploma or statement can ever define the changes we have undergone as human beings, the experiences that have shaped us into individuals, or the strength, courage, and inner confidence that form the core of who we are, today.  Through dance, we learn so much about what it is like to be human, to have to create yourself again, each and every day. That is an extremely tough thing to do, and many times it is the individuals who are closest to us who help us find the clarity, strength of purpose and the light of day. These are the people we must hold dear in our hearts.  It is their focus, their integrity, and utter generosity that carve the footholds for us along the way.

Our strongest connection is to our families, our school, and most of all, each other.  Now, in acknowledgment of 17 of these wonderful people, I would invite all my fellow classmates to "let out all the old air, take a deep breath, and hiss for 8 counts." Throughout our years here, that marked the beginning of many a music class. That one was the last of those you'll ever have to do – promise.

We have gained a fairly unique perspective through our time spent at NBS. To most people, creativity means painting a colourful picture. To us it means illustrating that picture in the entirely new dimension of communication, dance.

As students here, we are surrounded by distinguished, incredibly inspiring people. Your creativity has had an indelible impact on us. Yes, I am speaking of the green havens of plants found in the far corners of the school, the treatments for sore muscles involving everything from cabbage to honey, the jam sessions in the studio accompanied by the Glee cast, and pointed discussions about "soyouthinkyoucanthinkyoucansomethingaboutdance."

This is NBS as we know it.

Canada's National Ballet School is a place where the diversity of education is coupled with the outright diversity of the people that we have had the wonderful opportunity and good fortune to learn from and collaborate with.

Each person we have encountered in the whirlwind of our experiences has affected us in some way. Everyone in this class has had an impact on one another. All of this deserves a profound moment of appreciation.

We came here with a goal. But we have learned early that goals aren't scored in dance, in art, or in life. Instead, it is purpose and commitment and appreciation that have surfaced, and we will strive for the rest of our lives to embody this truth – it is what we are.

As artists of life we cannot fall back on the comfort of conformity; yes, we will be molded by our memories and relationships, but a vibrant and creative perspective is absolutely necessary as we find our new rhythms. We must not forget that, for it is what will allow us to prevail during the challenges ahead, will give us the spring to recoil and rebound with a new strength.

Dare to fly high and swoop low; dare to acknowledge challenges and pursue vitality. Once in a while, dare to take a good slurp from that bowl of Blue Soup! Dare to question others and yet appreciate them; and dare to find your moments and live them.

Remember, no matter what your experiences are, to touch those around you through thoughtful consideration of what has touched you. And understand that an active physical, mental, and emotional well-being is key to not only living in the moment, but remembering it forever.

The time we have spent here is unparalleled in its influence upon us. The facility we have trained in, the mentorship and international exposure we have received, and the palette of skills we now have at our fingertips have shaped us into the individuals who stand before you today.

It has given us the strength to hone our futures.

For us, coming to NBS was a dream. Leaving it is the start of the next.