About Elite Academy
Created with the goal of teaching young students to express themselves, we are devoted to their success. We feel very strongly that self-expression and confidence are skills that are unfortunately not the focus of many academic institutions. While we take our role as educators in the performing arts seriously our first priority, is always our student’s belief in themselves. While obviously, we would love for every one of our students to become famous actors, our goals are much more realistic. We believe that every student that walks through our doors can walk back out more confident in themselves and feel empowered to tell their own stories. We have seen firsthand how an education in the performing arts can do wonders for a student’s self-esteem and we are wholeheartedly devoted to that mission. Through learning the practical skills of performance we are lifting up our students high and telling them “you matter” and “you are heard”. Because when we are confident in our abilities and trained in the arts, there is nothing we can’t do.
Nahal Bahrman
MFA, Founder & Director
IRENA HULJAK
Drama / Acting on camera Instructor
MILTON TORRWA LARA
Acting Instructor
David Hudon
Acting Instructor
Nahal Bahrman, MFA
Nahal Bahrman is the founder and director of the Canadian Children’s Art Foundation and the Canadian Contemporary School of Art, where she manages the school’s operations and oversees its team. For over 20 years, she has dedicated herself to the fields of art education and art entrepreneurship. Nahal founded CCSA in 2017 with the goal of developing an innovative, accessible art education program for children, teens, and adults in Toronto. In 2018, she initiated and hosted Canada’s first children’s art competition. An artist herself, Nahal’s work has been showcased in exhibitions in Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. She holds a Master’s degree in Illustration.
IRENA HULJAK
Irena Huljak has taught Drama and Public Speaking since 2015. She is a professional actress in the ACTRA union. She earned a place on the Dean's list with her B.F.A. from York University. She went on to do a Master's, graduating at the top of her class. Not only has she received a certificate in Foundational Studies in TESOL but also has studied Voice and Speech for over six years with acclaimed coaches from Oxford and The American Shakespeare Company. She has a passion for FILm , T.V. , and theatre. She is capable of igniting students to do their best while surprising themselves and having fun. Seeing any student who didn't believe in themselves suddenly rise to the challenge is very fulfilling.
Irena teaches: Drama / Acting on camera Instructor
MILTON TORRWA LARA
Milton is an actor and performer from Ottawa, Ontario. Before moving to Toronto, Milton trained at the Screen Acting Academy, where he built a foundation for on-camera performance. He then began to appear in films, television shows, nationwide commercials, and became a full member of ACTRA in 2019. Most recently, Milton graduated from Randolph College for the Performing Arts, where he furthered his education in musical theatre disciplines. Milton’s main goal at CCSA is to build an environment that’s not only informative about drama, but also fun and inclusive for everyone!
DAVID HUDON
David is a Montréal born, multi disciplinary artist with much teaching experience. After completing his degree in Professional Theatre at John Abbott College, David continued to perform in plays, movies, television as well as writing and producing his own short films and releasing music. He has always had a passion for teaching as well. Through his career he's worked in many day camps and arts institutes specializing in improv and creation of individualized works. David shares his love of performing with young minds at CCSA.
David teaches: Improvisation and Acting For Camera