Ballet Edmonton is a contemporary dance ensemble under the artistic direction of Canadian choreographer Kirsten Wicklund. We commission new work from a range of Canadian and international choreographic voices each season to present to the community in Edmonton and across Canada, and each seasonal production is a mixed program format.
We work to inspire all Albertans through the evolution of ballet told through a contemporary lens and encourage the whole community can join us.
Kirsten Wicklund (she/her) was born in British Columbia, Canada and trained at Pacific Dance Arts, Goh Ballet Academy, Modus Operandi Contemporary Training Program, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, The Banff Centre for the Performing Arts, and received scholarships to train at American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet & Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Kirsten has danced with The Washington Ballet Company, Ballet BC and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. Between 2014 – 2021, Kirsten worked exclusively for the creation-based company Ballet BC (Canada) under the direction of Emily Molnar, CM. During this time, she danced and created original works by Lesley Telford, Medhi Walerski, William Forsythe, Emmanuel Gat, Wen Wei Wang, Cayetano Soto, Adi Salant, Aszure Barton, Company 605, Johan Inger, Serge Bennathan, Jorma Elo, Jacopo Godani, Walter Mateini, Emily Molnar, Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal and others.
Ballet Edmonton’s dancers are a team of collaborative, creatively driven and curious artists with a devotion to dance and its possibilities. We celebrate individuality in tandem with the profound energy of an ensemble and use this as a vehicle to make an impact on our audiences. These artists come from diverse backgrounds and skill sets, coming together every day to interpret and honour the voice of each maker who we welcome into our space.
Les Sereda is a Canadian arts leader and creative producer with over two decades of experience at the intersection of dance, film, and immersive media. He is the CEO of Ballet Edmonton, where he is guiding the company into an ambitious new era of creation, national touring, and audience growth.
Les previously served as the Artistic Director of the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers, one of Canada’s most celebrated cultural institutions. During his tenure, he oversaw major productions, expanded the company’s creative profile, and championed projects that strengthened Shumka’s national and international presence.
Over the course of his career, Les has developed a reputation for building major creative projects from the ground up, from full-length ballet commissions and international touring productions to multi-year video campaigns. He has collaborated with leading organizations such as the National Ballet of Ukraine, Alberta Ballet, and Princeton Entertainment Group as well as partners across Europe and North America.
Les Sereda
Kirsten Wicklund
Peter Smida
Trent Crosby
Rainier Pearl-Styles
Natasha Bennett
Trudy Callaghan
Marnie Kiel
Christine Myatt
Jennifer King
Alifeyah Gulamhusein
Allison Rudzitis
