Arts Umbrella Dance Alumni

International Dance Community

For years, the Arts Umbrella Dance program has developed intelligent and motivated dance students into strong and in-demand dance artists. Arts Umbrella graduates have been hired by critically lauded Canadian companies and cutting-edge contemporary companies around the world, as far away as the Netherlands, Italy, and Israel.

Ballet BC (Canada)
Batsheva Dance Company (Israel)
Nederlands Dans Theatre (Netherlands)
Sidra Bell Dance New York (USA)
Dresden Semperoper Ballet (Germany)
Imperfect Dancers (Italy)
Ballet National Theater Mannheim (Germany)
Bjm Danse (Montreal)
Hofesh Shechter Company (UK)
Kidd Pivot (Canada)
Noord Nederlands Dans (Netherlands)
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet (NYC-USA)
Proarte Danza (Toronto)
Toronto Dance Theater (Canada)
Swedish National Ballet (Sweden)

Are you an Arts Umbrella Dance graduate?

We’d love to keep in touch. Contact us at dance@artsumbrella.com.

In the dance company, I was challenged and encouraged to see dance in a different light. The limits of physicality and creativity were pushed and expectations of focus and creative ownership were raised. The artistic staff and other dancers offered the support for me to be able to be vulnerable with dance in order to break out of my own boundaries. I discovered so much more during the 2 year graduate dance program at Arts Umbrella than I have in the entirety of my life thus far.

—Shannon Ellis, Arts Umbrella Post-Secondary Program (2009)

Where Are They Now?

  • Daniel Alwell – Ballet National de Marseille, France
  • Brandi Baker – Ballet Staatstheatre Augsburg, Germany
  • Ariana Barr – Ballet Edmonton, Edmonton
  • Anna Bekirova – Ballet BC
  • Georgia Boddez – Dansatelers Crew, Netherlands
  • Zachary Cardwell – Toronto Dance Theatre, Toronto
  • Emily Chessa – Ballet BC 
  • Isla Clarke – Netherlands Dans Theatre I, Holland
  • Zander Constant – Gothenburg Ballet, Sweden
  • Stephanie Cyr – Inverso Productions, Vancouver
  • Nick Daniels – Netherlands Dans Theatre II, Den Haag
  • Clementine Dumas – Metamorphosis Dance, Madrid, Spain
  • Livona Ellis – Ballet BC
  • Scott Fowler – Netherlands Dans Theatre I, Den Haag
  • Albert Galindo – National Theatre Mannheim, Germany
  • Kiera Hill – Ballet BC
  • Chisato Ide – Nuremberg Ballet, Germany
  • Amy Josh – Tanz Mainz Theater, Germany 
  • Kiana Jung – Ballet BC
  • Meilyn Kennedy – Hessisches Staatstheater, Germany
  • Kennedy Kraeling – Saarbrucken Ballet, Germany
  • Antonia Kruschel – Freelance Dancer, Berlin; Maqamat Dance Theatre, Lebanon
  • Beatrice Larrivee – Batsheva The Young Ensemble, Israel 
  • Misa Lucyshyn – Sidra Bell Dance, New York
  • Rachel McNamee – Gothenburg Ballet, Sweden 
  • Dex van ter Meij – Ballet BC
  • Katherina Nakui – Theatre Osnabruck, Germany
  • Charlie Prince – Gross Dance Company, Amsterdam
  • Paxton Ricketts – Netherlands Dans Theatre I, Den Haag
  • Christoph Von Riedemann – Gothenburg Ballet, Sweden 
  • Amalia Smith – Batsheva Dance Company, Isreal
  • Eden Solomon – Les Ballet Jazz Montreal, Quebec
  • Jayson Syrette – Augsberg Ballet, Germany
  • Maya Tenzer – Mainfranken Theater, Wurzburg
  • Nicole Ward – Netherlands Dans Theatre I, Den Haag
  • Sophie Whittome – Netherlands Dans Theatre II, Den Haag
  • Jacob Williams – Ballet BC
  • Shana Wolfe – OURO Collective, Vancouver
  • Zenon Zubyk – Ballet BC

We are given incredible opportunities beyond ourselves – opportunities other programs and even professionals may not get – and are expected to rise to the challenge. We are taught not just choreography and technique, but respect, community, and perseverance. We are taught to value every experience, to take ownership of our own experience.

—Rachel McNamee, VCC/Arts Umbrella Dance Diploma (2014)