Christine Bissonette!

Christine is a performance poet and Speech Arts teacher. Originally from Nova Scotia, Christine holds a BA in English and Theatre, with a concentration in creative writing from the University of New Brunswick, and a Theatre Conservatory Diploma from Vancouver Acting School. She has trained extensively in voice, breath and movement with highly respected coaches from across North America, and is a certified Breath experience instructor.

As a poet, Christine has performed on stages all over Vancouver (including opening for Danielle LaPorte as part of the Rise Women’s Conference in 2019). She also wrote, co-produced and featured in a short film, Left Opened, that explored the experience of anxiety using poetry, improvised piano and dance. The film toured international festivals in 2020.

As a teacher, Christine has worked with Viva Voce Speech Arts Studio (teaching private and group Speech Arts classes), Kudoz (facilitating poetry writing workshops for adults with cognitive disabilities), Vancouver Biennale (developing and conducting multi-week poetry and theatre workshops in schools) and ArtStarts in Schools (teaching poetry writing to teens). She also had the great pleasure of adjudicating the Speech Arts segment of the Pacific Northwest Music Festival in 2019.

Christine has prepared students for the Royal Conservatory of Music and Trinity Speech Arts exams, as well as theatre school auditions and speech competitions. In her classroom, students wishing to develop confidence and poise on stage, in front of the camera, and in conversation with others, will find a supportive atmosphere with instruction that values and builds upon their unique interests and curiosities.

Find out more about Christine’s Private Lessons

Explore the delights of speaking poetry and stories out loud, practice conversational skills and even dive into the nonverbal world of mime! Individualized instruction will build on you or your child’s unique interests and curiosities. Move at your own pace with learning materials that are appropriately challenging and engaging. Up for a challenge? We could even prepare for an RCM Speech Arts Exam!

Speech Arts Exams and festivals provide students with a concrete performance goal to work towards and can offer a valuable learning experience to practice engaging an audience and standing with poise and presence while on stage. These exams are very specialized; private classes can be specifically designed to satisfy all the exam requirements and ensure you feel prepared and excited to shine!