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Nala's first encounter with the stage was at the tender age of 7 dancing in front of a huge crowd, right then and there she knew she was in it for the long haul. Originally from a small town in Poland, upon arriving in Toronto at the age of 11, her mother continued to administer Nala's education in the performing arts world by sending her to dance and music schools, encouraging and supporting her during many North American dance competitions and music festivals. Living in a big city wasn't always easy though, growing up as an 'art kid' had its challenges and torments. Yet never really being able to stray away from her artistic roots, as a young adult leaning more towards singing and acting Nala decided to put forth her creative energy in a school where everyone would accept her just for who she really was. Now a graduate of the George Brown College intro-theatre program and the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts musical theatre program which caters to triple threat performers, Nala is pursuing her passion as a career.
Since graduating, exploring the industry has only been an exciting learning experience for Nala. Over the last couple years she has had the pleasure and opportunity to work on screen and perform on Toronto's many stages with quite a few established individuals varying from theatre directors; Jim Warren, to musical directors; Steve Hunter, Floydd Ricketts, to choreographers, actors, and musicians alike. With the guidance of her classically trained vocal coach Michael Donovan, Nala has been able to attain vocal control, widen her range and personalize her style. Some of her influences include: Whitney Houston, Heather Hedley, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Deborah Cox, Imogen Heap, Zero 7, Tori Amos, The Late Great Michael Jackson, Toto, Alanis Morissette, Dallas Green, Matthew Good Band, The Neverending White Lights, Ella Fitzgerald, and last but certainly not least Vivian Green.
Her most recent accomplishments were playing the lead in a silent artistic short, The Muse produced by Waterbear Productions, to be entered into many North American film festivals. A leading role in a musical titled A Glimpse of The Light earning her a credible review in Inside Toronto, Front Row Centre article by Mark Andrew Lawrence, "Nala Burdyna shows off a lovely voice as Ruchel, the woman hoping to reunite with her beloved..." Waltzing and acting in the James Cooper Mansion re-enactment for Palmleaf Productions, appearing on Look-A-Like while belting out the popular tune True Colors. To add to the list, Nala just recently had the opportunity to share the stage with Juno Award winners and nominees at The Concert to End Breast Cancer, as well as periodically doing in-studio session work for Accrue Productions.
Nala's main goals are to continue to grow musically and on the Canadian entertainment industry scene. Recording a full length album and going on tour is not out of the question either! In a nut shell, this young woman is very serious about her future endeavors and is driven to fulfill them while keeping her mind open always to new innovative concepts!
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Picture Generously Donated By: Suzanne Williams - www.flickriver.com/photos/suzanne__williams/
