What's On
Inspiring & Imaginative Family Entertainment
The Wanderer
Like Folds On A Paper, Our Adventures Leave A Mark.
A fragile paper boat sets sail.
Adventure awaits in coral reefs and deep sea dives. Friends and foes are tossed amongst ocean waves. Journey with the paper boat through loneliness and connection, cruelty and beauty, and discover what is waiting at the journey's end!
This fall Youth Artists in grades 1-12 from across Calgary will use the wordless graphic novel "The Wanderer" by Peter Van den Ende as inspiration for this year's production. The Youth Artists will co-create alongside professional choreographers, playwrights, composers and designers to explore the impact humans have on the environment, greed, resilience, and create a whole cast of quirky characters from under the sea!
This story reminds us that when we are alone, adrift in a world that feels too big to handle, we can make it! We can overcome. We can find connection.
Show Times & Events
November 26, 2026
10:30am - School Matinee & Post Show Talk Back
School group bookings are now open.
November 27, 2026
7:00pm - Show & Red Carpet Gala
November 28, 2027
2:00pm - Touch & See & Try
3:00pm - Show
7:00pm - Show
DJD Dance Centre
111 12 Avenue SE
If you are a Children in Dance or ADT Alumni be sure to stop by Box Office for your free Alumni sticker. Mingle with other Alumni and stick around for a special shout out at our Red Carpet Gala!
Tickets Available August 30, 2026.
It was wonderful to see the young performers telling the story of Interstellar Cinderella. The youth that led the Touch & See were really thorough and impressively brave. Thank you!
Audience Testimonials
Interstellar Cinderella was a great show! We enjoyed the quality of the production and talent demonstrated. It was funny and interesting, with something to appeal to most everyone at any age and art appreciation level.
This outstanding performance for children and youth was delivered with remarkable professionalism, capturing the audience’s attention from start to finish.
The Wanderer Is Supported By
Meet The Creative Team For Our 2026-2027 Season
Jessalyn Reimer
Co-Artistic Director, Choreographer
Jessalyn has had a lifelong passion for dance. She holds a B.A. in Contemporary Dance with distinction from the University of Calgary and danced with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks Professional Training Program for three seasons. Upon graduation, Jessalyn danced professionally with dance theatre company kloetzel&co. for several seasons where she performed in Professional Series, Toronto’s Dusk Dances, and in the full length work "The Alice Odyssey.” Jessalyn was also a Corps Bara company member as well as company manager. Independently, she has had the opportunity to perform and choreograph in dance events throughout Alberta and B.C, has self-produced three full length shows CrossCurrents, and co-created the dance company ESIRA. Jessalyn is currently co-Artistic Director and General manager of Alberta Dance Theatre and teaches in YYC studios and schools.
Mira Gitelman
Choreographer
As a dancer, emerging choreographer, and dance educator, Mira has a strong foundation in contemporary, ballet, improvisation, and the creative process. She finished one year of study in TMU’s BFA dance program and has taken classes through DJD, Harbour Dance Centre, National Ballet, and completed the RUBBERBAND Summer Intensive in 2023. In 2024 she performed in Ballet Bodies’ In Motion III, The Sea choreographed by Alexandra Contreras. Currently, Mira is a member of Ballet Bodies YYC and En Corps Dance Collective, and a ballet instructor at Counterpoint Dance Marda Loop.
Storytelling through dance is at the heart of her creative practice. Mira believes movement has the power to convey complex emotions, ideas and narratives, and performances have the power to connect a community under shared experiences. With a long-standing commitment to mentorship, she emphasizes the importance of building inclusive and inspiring environments for creative risk-taking in her dance practice.
Kimberly Creller
Lighting Designer
Working in the city primarily as a lighting technician and programmer, Kim is used to creating in front of a live audience in many YYC venues. Perhaps you have seen her “busking” lights for one of the many acts coming through the Taylor Centre of the Performing Arts! Her work is also featured in shows such as; Revv 52’s concert season (2023 - present), DJD’s Footprints (2025) or a previous ADT production (Secret Starling, Gloom town, Interstellar Cinderella).
Beyond work, Kim fosters puppies, rock climbs, cares for an extensive collection of houseplants and raises a small human being.
It is a joy and privilege to collaborate with ADT and the youth artists once again. Sharing the excitement and magic of supporting a story with colour, texture and light.
Alicia Molinski
Co-Artistic Director, Choreographer,
Theatre Artist
Alicia Molinski (née Ward) is an enthusiastic human being who loves teaching, creating, promoting opportunities to engage with art experiences, and being part of community.
Alicia has been the Co-Artstic Director and General Manager of Alberta Dance Theatre since 2019. The many people that help shape and make every season possible have become incredibly dear to her and have helped shape her into the person she is both professionally and personally.
Throughout the year Alicia works as a Marketing Coordinator at Maillot Homes, instructs tap dance and drama at Kor Danceworks, and works as Program Administrator of Dancing Parkinson's YYC. Alicia is dedicated to providing children with intensely creative, safe, and positive arts experiences that ultimately encourage a life long love of curiosity and connection.
Her coolest experience as a performer was a collaboration with local performer Mandy Morris called Colour Me Sad, which won YYC Music Awards Children's Recording Of The Year in 2022.
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Megan Gole
Choreographer
Megan has been teaching, choreographing and performing for many years in Calgary. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance at the University of Calgary in 2005 and has taught at the University of Calgary, Freehouse dance plus, DJD, Alberta Ballet and in the PVA program at Central Memorial High School. She has had the opportunity to travel and perform in Poland, Finland, Toronto and Montreal. Megan is looking forward to sharing her love for creation and choreography with ADT. To find out more please see her website at www.whatmovesu.ca.
Dean Lauderdale
Composer
Dean Lauderdale is a Calgary-born musician with a deep passion for music. With over 15 years of experience, he excels in teaching, performing, and composing. Dean offers private voice, guitar, and piano lessons both at his home studio and Long & McQuade. He also serves as the Director of ONCUE, a professional a cappella ensemble, and as Assistant Director for the JUNIOR HI division at the Youth Singers of Calgary.
Dean holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Humber College and a Music Diploma in Classical Vocal Performance from Mount Royal University. His diverse educational background provides him with a comprehensive understanding of music composition, production, and performance.
Over the past six seasons, Dean has composed for Alberta Dance Theatre, witnessing firsthand the profound impact of his music on young performers. His compositions span a wide range of musical styles, evoking powerful and emotive performances. Dean's ability to harness the power of imagination through music showcases his exceptional talent as a composer.
Conrad Belau
Playwright
Conrad is a non-binary, hard-of-hearing award winning queer theatre director, actor and educator. In Calgary they’ve worked with Theatre Calgary, Ghost River Theatre, the High Performance Rodeo, Alberta Theatre Projects, Lunchbox Theatre, Stage West, Inside Out Theatre, Vertigo Theatre and many other predominant organizations. They are the creator and performer of the Instagram Livestream phenomenon MONO MAN MIA!, for which they won Broadway World’s “Vocalist of the Decade”. They are the Theatre Arts Director at Youth Singers of Calgary and also work with the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium as an Arts Education Facilitator. Much love and admiration to Alix & Clarence. PROTECT TRANS KIDS.
Katherine Mandolidis
Choreographer
With 17 years of experience in dance instruction and an MA in Dance Movement Therapy from the University of Auckland, Katherine Mandolidis is a dedicated educator, choreographer, and adjudicator. Specializing in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) curriculum, she also teaches contemporary, modern (Horton and Graham), hip hop, and capoeira—integrating cross-disciplinary movement practices with a holistic, somatic approach.
Katherine’s choreographic work is rooted in collaboration and guided by process-based research that values shared authorship, embodied exploration, and emotional truth. Her creative practice invites dancers into a dynamic exchange where improvisation, cultural context, and lived experience inform authentic movement expression.
Her teaching journey has taken her across Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon, and New Zealand, earning recognition for her choreography on stages across Canada and the United States. As a dance movement therapist, she supports artists, high-performance athletes, and individuals with diverse physical and neurological needs—focusing on anxiety, disordered eating, neurodivergence, burnout, grief, and nervous system regulation.
Most recently, Katherine represented Canada as an international passista in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during a cultural dance exchange for Carnival—further deepening her commitment to global movement traditions. Passionate about cultural responsibility, artistic growth, and embodied healing, she is committed to fostering confidence, creativity, and integrity in every dancer she teaches.
Leanne Kidd
Backstage Coordinator
Born and raised in Calgary, Leanne trained at the International School of Ballet and performed with Jeunesse Classique Ballet Company before earning distinction at London’s Royal Ballet School, where she also served as Head Girl. Her training includes intensive programs across North America, Europe, and West Africa, along with multiple teaching certifications. Since returning to Canada, Leanne has danced, taught, and choreographed throughout B.C. and Alberta, working with organizations such as Calgary Arts Academy, Pacific Dance Arts, and Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (DJD). Her journey with DJD began in 2002 as a Scholarship Student; she now directs the Youth Training Program, helping shape its post-pandemic evolution through initiatives like YTP Company Touchpoints. Since 2022, Leanne has also enjoyed contributing to Alberta Dance Theatre as Backstage Manager, continually inspired by the creativity, passion, and dedication of its vibrant community.