Cindy Schwartz started her life in dance when she was barely out of first grade, when her parents arranged for her to perform for patients at the Donald Berman Maimonides long-term care hospital in Montreal. At the time, they felt her passion for dancing should stay just a hobby—but Schwartz believes her late parents would be proud that she's transformed her passion into a decades-long project that culminated in her being named to the Order of Canada on Dec. 31, 2025. Schwartz founded Les Muses, Canada’s first full-time performing arts training program for neurodivergent adults, over three decades ago in Montreal. Since then, she has landed her students roles in movies, television and onstage; one even won best Actress at the Canadian Screen Awards in 2014. The Order of Canada recognition came, coincidentally, just days before Schwartz officially retired on Jan. 5, 2026, at the age of 65. She joins North Star host Ellin Bessner to reflect on her achievements and explain how the Canadian entertainment business still has a long way to go to create space for actors, dancers and singers who are persons with disabilities—which includes increased government funding.

Related links

Learn more about the latest 2025 Order of Canada winners of Jewish faith, in The CJN.
Read more about Les Muses, t he training school founded in Montreal by Cindy Schwartz.
When autistic artist Adam Wolfond’s poetry, and his mother’s creations, were on display at the Koffler Centre for the Arts in 2025, in The CJN .

Credits

Host and writer: Ellin Bessner info@thecjn.ca
Production team: Zachary Kauffman (senior producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
Music:

Bret Higgins

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Cindy Schwartz joins Order of Canada: her performing arts school trains dancers, actors, singers living with disabilities