Anyetta MacDonald Christensen can’t sit still.

In the time it takes to say her name, she could be halfway across the room. I only speak to her and her mother for ten minutes, and during that time, Anya has cartwheeled, done the splits, back flipped and done multiple handstands.

This freckled, spunky eleven year old from Transcona has been taking classes at MTYP now for the past two years, having started with a Showtime! Class to hone her acting skills and moved on to Movie Makers, where “I wrote a script that got filmed!” she says proudly.

“One on one, she is quite shy,” says her mother Tracy. “But put her in front of an audience and she just shines.” Tracy says her daughter was the perfect baby until she was 22 months old, and then “this happened”. Anyetta responds by leaping into a perfect hand stand.

“She’s a very well-rounded girl,” says her mom. In addition to acting and dancing, Anyetta is a Girl Guide, takes tae kwon do and joins every club she can at school. Her daughter should be triple threat, but she can’t sit still long enough to stand and sing. Anyetta mimics trying to sing in a choir in the background.

Watching her leap around the room, it’s difficult not to think of Pippi Longstocking. I restrain myself and don’t ask her mother if Anyetta walks on the furniture at home.

When I catch up with the duo, they are fresh from a volunteering at the Fringe Festival as ushers. Anyetta says she loves volunteering because “I get to see some of my friends and all of the plays for free.”

The spritely girl says she has no long term goal to be a performer. She just wants to keep learning and moving. And she wants to take every class she can at MTYP.

“She just has to be her,” shrugs her mother, as Anyetta cartwheels off.