SHIFT brings together three world premieres and a dynamic range of choreographic voices, celebrating transformation, movement and the ever-evolving nature of contemporary dance.
Ballet Edmonton welcomes Mexican choreographer Sofia Camacho for her first collaboration with the company. An internationally recognized creator whose works have been presented across Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States, Camacho brings her bold and interdisciplinary approach to a new work created in collaboration with costume designer Andrés Zepol and composer Fernanda Medina.
The program also features a world premiere by Justin Rapaport. A former artist with Ballet BC and graduate of The Juilliard School, Rapaport has developed an exciting choreographic voice shaped by his experiences performing works by some of today’s most influential dance-makers. His acclaimed work Passing By was a finalist at the Copenhagen International Choreography Competition and received the Danish Dance Theater Award, establishing him as an emerging creator to watch.
Completing the evening is a new creation by Artistic Director Diego Ramalho. Drawing from his classical ballet foundation, the dynamism of breakdance and the richness of his Brazilian roots, Ramalho’s work reflects the unique artistic language that has defined his choreographic journey. Deeply personal yet universally resonant, the piece continues his exploration of identity, musicality and human connection while offering a compelling new chapter in his creative voice.
SHIFT celebrates artistic exchange and the power of new creation, bringing together diverse perspectives and three original works that invite audiences into worlds of movement, imagination and shared experience.
Choreographers: Sofia Camacho, Justin Rapaport and Diego Ramalho.
Composer: Fernanda Medina
Costume Designer: Andrés Zepol
Sofia Camacho is a choreographer, performer, educator and artistic director born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She trained in classical and contemporary dance at the Ballet de Cámara de Jalisco and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. Professionally, she has performed as a dancer with the Ballet de Jalisco, under the direction of Dariusz Blajer, and the Coastal City Ballet in Canada, under the direction of Li Yaming. She is the founder and artistic director of Faze, a youth company and high-performance training and creation program developed on her own initiative.
As a choreographer, she has created original works for prominent national and international companies and professional schools. Umbra for the Compañía Nacional de Danza de México, which premiered at the Palacio de Bellas Artes; Antes de que el tecolote llanero comience a chiflar, inspired by the work of artist Abraham Cruzvillegas for Arte Abierto Baja California Sur; and Habitum Fatum as well as a restaging of Abilis for the Ballet de Jalisco, premiering at the Teatro Degollado and touring various festivals. For Ballets de San Juan in Puerto Rico, she created Siccus and Motus Traba for their choreographic laboratory gala at Bellas Artes; Abilis and Vaivén for Escuela Ballet Prover in Córdoba, Veracruz; Dimitta for Prover Pro; Filamento for the men’s program at the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey; Circular for UNAM’s youth dance company (DAJU); The Tapestry We Chose to Ignore for the Boston Dance Theater trainees; and Kshama and Corpus Map for her own company, Faze.
She has conducted creative residencies and masterclasses for numerous classical and contemporary dance institutions internationally. Her works have been featured in major festivals and galas, including the Festival Internacional de Danza Contemporánea Lila López, the Córdoba International Dance Festival, YGP Mexico, Festival Internacional de Danza and the Circuito Cervantino. She currently works as an independent choreographer.
Justin Rapaport is a dynamic freelance performer and choreographer who has worked with various international dance companies. He was a company member with Ballet BC for six years under Emily Molnar and Medhi Walerski, and has gone on to be a freelance guest artist with Nederlands Dans Theater, Kidd Pivot, Belle Spirale Dance Projects and Anne Plamondon Productions. Justin received his formal training at New World School of the Arts in Miami, FL, followed by The Juilliard School, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts. During his training, Justin had the opportunity to perform works by JiříKylián, Twyla Tharp, Kyle Abraham and Camille A. Brown. He also had the opportunity to perform as a guest artist with Brain Brooks/Moving Company and Kate Weare Company during his time at Juilliard.
He started his professional choreographic career with Peter London Global Dance Company in 2014 and has gone on to create numerous collaborations for the company. He has gone on to create with Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, HD Theatre, LINK Festival with SALT Contemporary, Boykin Dance Projects and Ballet BC. Justin’s work has been selected as a finalist for the Copenhagen International Choreography Competition, where he was awarded the Danish Dance Theater Award by Pontus Lidburg. Justin was also a 2025 Choreographic Fellow for the Carmel Dance Festival under the directorship of Lillian Barbieto and Alex Ketley.
Justin has also stepped into other various roles in the studio, such as rehearsal director and stager. He stages the works of Medhi Walerski and Anne Plamondon, at companies such as Staatestheater Hanover and Ballet BC, and was rehearsal director for Ballet BC in the spring of 2025 and recently with Anne Plamondon on her creation with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens.
While growing in Miami, FL, Justin was a trained violinist for 10 years, in addition to his rigorous dance training, but had to put it to the side as dance became his full-time focus after high school. He stills fiddles around with it from time to time.
Diego Ramalho is a Brazilian born choreographer, performer, and Artistic Director of Ballet Edmonton. Since joining the company in 2018, he has played a key role in its artistic evolution, contributing both as a dancer and as a choreographic voice.
His original works include Valei-Me (2021), which toured nationally and was presented at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, as well as Misericordiae (2019), ’Til Leaves Fall (2022), and Indelible Stain (2026). His choreography is recognized for its physicality, musicality, and contemporary sensibility.
Originally trained in Brazil with roots in breakdance and Capoeira, Diego brings a dynamic and collaborative approach to creation. His artistic voice has been shaped through collaborations with a wide range of established and emerging choreographers, helping to define a practice that is both grounded and exploratory.
As Artistic Director, Diego is committed to fostering a creative environment where artists are supported and challenged, while continuing to expand Ballet Edmonton’s presence locally and nationally. His leadership reflects a belief in the power of contemporary ballet to connect with audiences and build community through shared experience.
