We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cassie Watson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Cassie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I grew up on a farm. Like “driving a tractor, and working on hundreds of acres of crops” kind of farm. Some people find that weird since I’m a singer, actress, and own a film/vocal school now. But working on a farm not only taught me the value of hard work and HOW to work hard, but it also taught me creativity and gave me confidence. I was the oldest of 4 children so I spent the first 5 years while my parents were having kids, playing and creating on my own. Then, when we were older, I was expected to drive a tractor at a young age as well as having to problem solve independently and watch out for my younger siblings. I enjoyed responsibility. I hated not having summers to just hang out with friends, sure, but my mom was good about making sure we had fun despite the work we were expected to do. When I got older and found that I enjoyed theatre, my dad wasn’t sold at first. My mom saw my talent and pushed for me to do what I enjoyed. Once what I enjoyed became a passion, my dad saw how hard I worked and the intensity I put into my work. He understood that work ethic and I really think that’s when he let me do acting without a fight. My parents have always supported me in every choice I’ve made in my vocal and acting career. They gave me the tools I needed at a young age to be thick skinned, hard working and confident. Mixed with a little talent, that made me into a really strong performer and business owner.

Cassie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started acting when I was in 3rd grade. I was incredibly shy up until that point. But I had some great teachers that saw something in me and really believed in me. I attended college and majored in theatre, where I also took voice lessons and began singing in musicals, as well as professionally. After college, I began acting professionally. I have also written, produced, and directed multiple films and plays. I’ve had training in styles from opera to jazz. I even trained in England for a bit while I was there doing a reality show in 2006. My acting and singing have opened so many doors for me to do everything I love. I act in film and television, I am the music leader at Northwest Bible church in Dallas, and I own an online/in-person acting and singing school in Dallas. My life has been very fulfilling, to say the least.
One of my most fulfilling accomplishments is my acting/singing studio. I started Performer’s Edge Dallas ten years ago with 3 voice students, a business consultant and web designer, and one goal. That goal was to provide inexpensive, private voice lessons that focus not only on sounding pretty but strengthening the student’s voice and really telling the story behind the songs they sing.
During the first year of offering voice lessons, PED grew to seven students, and I decided it was time for us to focus on performing. So we started doing recitals. I also began writing short plays to challenge my students to not only sing but to be the characters and tell the stories they were singing about. THAT is when PED started to take off, and I realized that I needed to offer more than voice. Fast forward to present day. Performer’s Edge Dallas now provides private voice and acting lessons, a group on-camera class, and has an average roster of 30-40 active students.
We have a staff of three people including photographer and actress, Christa Watson. Guest instructors, including talent agents, working actors, Grammy award winning artists, and other industry professionals, are regularly invited to come work with our students. PED has film screenings, competitions, and showcases every year. We have a glamorous red carpet event with each showcase so students can really feel what it’s like to perform, pose, and talk to the media. We never want anyone to miss an opportunity to be inspired by the showcases we produce at PED, so all shows have historically been donation only. No cover charge.
Through performing, I broke out of my shell and developed a confidence that, to this day, enriches my life. Confidence gives one the freedom to aspire to be anything and to push oneself to achieve goals no matter how big, but it also allows one to fail without feeling like a failure. People, no matter what age, need that.
That is why I started teaching ten years ago. I speak for all of the Performer’s Edge Dallas team when I say we continue to teach and devote so much of ourselves to PED today because we see that we are making a difference in the lives of the children, teens, and adults within our program. You can’t teach confidence, but you can provide a safe, encouraging space for one to discover confidence within him or herself. And, I have to say, it is always cool when you get to watch students become really great actors and singers. That’s icing on the cake.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2019 through 2021, of course as everyone knows, Covid really made things difficult… especially teaching in person. It made any kind of performing arts difficult to do. So we had to change our method of teaching at Performer’s Edge Dallas . We started teaching our lessons online. Private and group classes were all online. Then we started focusing more on film than theater. Our students would come, one by one, and film their projects in an open space 6 feet apart from us. In this process, although it was a lot more work for us as a studio, we started challenging our students to become more production savvy. Throughout this process our students have started writing more, producing more, and learning how to edit and film their own projects. Singing and acting projects. As hard as Covid was, it was a time of growth for all of us. And the outcome of this growth has been tremendous. My students are amazing. It also made me reevaluate myself as an actress, singer, and performer. I was able to hone my skills and my talents during the time that we had no projects to work on as actors. And I am so grateful for that time despite how hard it was.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part about being an artist or creative, to me, is the fulfillment of seeing the world through the eyes of others. For instance, I feel so much joy through my students’ achievements. It’s rewarding to push them to work hard and then see them achieve their goals, watch their talent and confidence bloom. To walk along a student’s journey and know exactly how to help them become better and achieve their goals is such an amazing experience. The other part of the reward I get is from being an actress and writer. Seeing the world through the eyes of people unlike myself can be a humbling and eye opening experience. Stepping into the life of a character or characters is surreal. I love that!

Contact Info:

• Website: PerformersEdgeDallas.com
• Instagram: @performers_edgedallas
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PerformersEdgeDallas/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCdyH5ECpV180rw_A_J_GPhw
• Other: All personal acting links: imdb.me/cassiesheawatson https://www.facebook.com/CassieSheaWatson https://youtube.com/user/cassiesheawatson @Cassiesheawatson Www.Cassiesheawatson.com

Image Credits
Christa Watson Bryan Chatlien