Student Spotlight: Meet Andrea Matei

Meet Andrea Matei, 10, from Canadian Dance Unit, Bolton, ON, Canada.

Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.

I fell in love with dance with my very first ballet class at just under 3 years of age at Sommerville Dance Academy and my passion grew stronger ever since. At 5, I joined Vlad's Dance Company competitive team, and experienced the joy of dancing on stage, which only contributed to my determination to train harder and become better to please the audience with my performances. My first solo, at only 7 years of age, at 7 AM, on the first day of the first cop of the season, was nerve-wrecking, but also exhilarating and rewarding. It's that feeling of performing for an audience, the thrill of being on stage, the nerves behind the curtains, the team spirit and camaraderie built in and outside of the studio and the strive to grow and become better than I was before, this is what got me where I am today and keeps me going. I'm so happy to be training with Canadian Dance Unit for the last 3 years and can't wait to get back to the studio.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?

As much as I love dance, I must admit, it is not all glitz and glam. Long hours at the studio, early mornings and late nights during comp season, exhaustion, risk of injuries, and actual injuries are all part of this path.

What personal limitations if any did you go through in your young career?

Just recently, I broke my foot and was off dance for 2 months. Even though this happened during quarantine, I still feel like I missed a lot during this time and training intensively through the summer to catch up and get stronger.

Has anybody ever tried to limit you on what you could do? If so how did you fight it?

I am lucky to have a very supportive and encouraging family both at home and at the studio. I would say, my only limitation is sometimes myself, when I get tired and demotivated at times. A little extra push in such times from my dance teachers and friends goes a long way.

How do you conquer negative talk?

Talking to my mom at home or Frank at the studio helps see things from a different perspective and regain confidence and faith that everything will be all right.

What is your favorite quote?

Keep calm and dance on!

So, what’s next? Any big plans?

This summer I've been selected as an ambassador for a local dance Store @Gabiesboutique, a local dance competition @chemistry.dancecompetition and feature page @canadiandancersrock as well as a North-American product @dncmode and am super excited for each of these journeys, to represent these amazing brands and grow with them.