What Her Students Say

“Cindy Tanas is, in every sense of the word, a teacher. This goes beyond the realm of acting. I don’t only recommend her as an acting teacher, but as a life teacher. Whatever blocks you have as an actor, you inevitably have as a person. Whether in an online acting class or in person, Cindy releases these actor blocks and creates within you the power to go deeper and be more truthful and freer in your acting than you knew was possible. She does not simply refine you as an actor, she propels you into new levels. Cindy works with all levels, and I have witnessed already brilliant actors have breakthroughs of such dramatic proportions that I could not believe it. Every acting class is so rich, that there is never a time you aren’t feeling yourself grow. “Intense” is the word that comes to mind. There is an energy in her acting studio that nurtures and protects while simultaneously exposing you in a state of such raw truth that it is nothing short of beautiful. I cannot imagine anyone in any creative field not benefitting from her online acting classes or her in person acting classes. They are an investment in your life, one that pays out long term, both personally and professionally. Having studied with many other acting teachers and acting coaches I can honestly say that I had never experienced anything like her acting classes, her acting approach is unique, her passion contagious. If you want to be a great actor, this is for you, if you want to be a great writer, this is for you, if you want to be a great dancer, this is for you, if you want to be great, period, this is for you! I wish everyone I knew could take just one of her classes. They are not just acting classes, they are personal awakenings. Anyone who has benefited from taking Cindy Tanas’ acting class will have an edge to their work that will separate them from the rest, that is certain.”

“As far as I know Cindy Tanas is the only Canadian artist in Toronto who teaches Archetype work as an acting technique effectively. I have always been fascinated by this technique and Cindy not only taught me how to use this technique as part of an acting preparation, she taught us how to discover the nature of our own emotions and embrace all sub-personalities within us, whilst enhancing our empathetic understanding of others. I am grateful to have been associated with her and her influence on my understanding of the conscious and the unconscious that exist within me. Constant reminders of her principles have enabled me to ground myself and stay connected to the moment, in my professional life and my personal life. Thank you Cindy. Wishing success and happiness to you and yours…”

“If there’s one word to describe Cindy Tanas Actors Studio space, the word is sacred. You walk into an acting class one way and you leave with a better understanding of the world and yourself. Not only did I feel like an acting student but I also felt like a student of life; learning to trust and nurture the instincts instilled in me as well as realizing that what I needed to become a full actor was not outside, but within myself. Breathing life into the acting work while continuously building compassion for others as well my truth and not being ashamed; but using these truths as a tool to fuel my acting. These are valuable lessons that I learned while studying here. I see the work through different eyes after studying here. Thank you for spreading your gifts of teaching acting with humanity.”

“Two quotes I recently read sum up Cindy’s teaching for me. “True leaders create more leaders, not followers”, and “the meaning of life is to give away your gifts”. Cindy Tanas role models these two approaches at her acting studio. As an acting teacher she empowers you to own your talent and your work and become your own teacher eventually, to listen and trust yourself so you can give yourself what you need to do your work. She gives you countless acting tools to use that if you don’t know how (like me when I started here). Cindy gives so much of herself to every acting student, in every acting class, and everyone in her class knows they are privileged to be receiving all that she gives as an acting teacher. So, they step up to bat. They’re able to go to places inside they haven’t been before, because of the safety and holding Cindy creates in class. I became an actor through the process of working in this space with this acting teacher and I am forever grateful for everything Cindy Tanas and her acting studio have given me and her continuing presence in my life as a teacher, guide, and wise one. I am indebted to her for her generosity to me and her support of my desire to fulfill my potential. I’m filled with love and respect for Cindy Tanas and her acting studio. After years of searching in a fog, I finally found the acting teacher who was right for me. Thank you for taking me in to your acting studio Cindy, it changed my life for the better. Thank you thank you thank you.”

“Toronto acting teacher Cindy Tanas changed my life. I don’t know how I can make it any clearer than that. Her unique ability to somehow reach the core of a human being is, in a word, staggering Those who know me, remarked on the visible change. When I first met Cindy, I mentioned to her at my interview in the summer of 2008 that “I’m a writer. I don’t know if I even have any desire to be an actor.” She laughed, in her Cindy laugh way, and assured me that her class was full of people who were not actors: “We have writers, directors, singers, dancers…” It was this that drew me to her Actor’s Instrument classes, Scene Study classes, Workshops, private lessons, Play Scene Studies, on-camera work… All in all, I spent four amazing years with Cindy – years I would never, ever, take back. When I “left the nest” in 2012, I was able to enter the world of acting and filmmaking thanks to the wonderful wisdom she imparted. Since then I’ve had parts in over 30 short films, several feature films, a role on a TV series, acted opposite some of Cindy’s students (who were one-time classmates), dove back into my First Love (Writing), am in post-production on “Taking Possession” – the sixth film for my production company, Spiced Reality Productions – and am continuing forward. At the heart of it all, what I learned at Cindy Tanas Actors Studio helped immensely in all those aspects. It’s, as she often said, “taking what you learn out into the world and applying it”. Thank you Cindy. Truly.”

“Acting teacher Cindy Tanas has a quote, “If you want to work on your art, work on your life” at the end of each of each email she sends me. I have been working with Cindy for several years, and have seen this idea alive in her teaching since the beginning. The acting studio she has created is filled with inspiration and beauty. To be a part of any acting class is to be a part of something magical. The learning that takes place is both very practical and cathartic…she teaches how to reveal truth and so creates a space where real art is in the making regardless of experience. Risks can be taken, trust and confidence is organic and nurtured, and the focus is always on the greater picture of the creative process. Beginner actor or experienced actor, the students get the sense that in her studio we learn from one another. The acting work becomes of primary importance and in my experience, has brought to my consciousness why we as human beings need to act, express and story tell. I have learned almost everything I know about acting from Cindy Tanas. I have never left an acting class without feeling filled with her very unique teaching and healing. Even if the goal is just to work on myself, this acting class provides a space for that but, ultimately, I always find there is another lesson or two snuck in. Thank you Cindy Tanas for the heart and soul you put into teaching each class.”