This week we put the spotlight on Melissa Coleman who has taught Performing Arts at Jigsaw Ilford and Singing at Jigsaw Balham. What you might not know is that Melissa is also an actress, having trained at the Performance Preparation Academy Guildford. This Christmas she will be taking to the stage in the Broadway Theatre’s annual pantomime! We caught up with Melissa to find out more…

Tell us about your show?

The show is Beauty and the Beast and I will be playing Belle. It’s at the Broadway Theatre, Barking from 1st-31st Dec. It promises to be a fun filled and magical show with plenty of laughter.

What inspired you to become an actor?

I’ve always been really passionate about music and theatre since a young age. My family are all theatre lovers too and I remember going to see shows when I was young and just being awestruck by how amazing they were. So, I started taking dance, acting and singing classes and my love for it only continued to grow.

As a Performing Arts teacher what do you hope to inspire in your young students?

I hope to inspire confidence in my pupils. I want to help the children be able to stand up in front of their peers and be able to perform without fear and be proud of their work. I always tell my pupils, it doesn’t matter how good you are at singing or dancing, if you’re giving it your everything then everyone’s eyes will be on you. It’s so important that we instill positivity and build up the children. Negativity never got anybody anywhere.

What is the thing you most enjoy about teaching this age group?

I love teaching my 3-4s because they have such incredible imaginations. They are so creative and come up with brilliant ideas. They also absorb things so quickly and are so individual. Being able to see their progression over a term is really rewarding.

Jigsaw Performing Arts is dedicated to developing performance skills, promoting self-expression and building confidence. We offer performing arts classes for children aged between 3 – 18. Find your nearest school by entering your postcode into the search on our home page.

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