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. 

Alexa Elser is a Calgary-based actor, dancer, singer, choreographer, clown, residency artist, theatre instructor, dance teacher, logistics coordinator, and admin magician, as well as an avid fan of lists, the Oxford comma, and run-on sentences. She is absolutely ecstatic to be working as a choreographer for Alberta Dance Theatre this season, and cannot wait to see what this talented young group of performers will create!

Kaja is a Winnipeg born dancer, choreographer, and dance educator. After deciding to pursue a career in dance after completing her B.A. in Political Science, Kaja studied in the Professional Training Program offered at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks developing her love of both jazz and the Calgary dance community. Kaja is excited and dedicated to continue growing in the jazz art form and is honoured to be back for her eleventh season performing with DJD. Kaja loves to explore movement and collaborations across art forms. This includes working with Calgary jazz drummer Nate Chiang developing improvised pieces for the stage, most recently in the Arts Commons TD Incubator Program Amplify Pt 4 presented by Wakefield Brewster in 2024, as well as creating solo jazz/mask/puppetry work in both short film and stage formats premiering her first show, Fearsssome in March 2025 in the Festival of Animated Objects, as well as collaborating with jewelry artist Corey Moranis in a short art film and developing her love of costuming and styling. She has choreographed for Alberta Dance Theatre for several seasons throughout the years and is very excited to be back with the ADT artistic team in 2025. Kaja continues to love teaching within youth and adult programming, feeling very inspired and grateful to be a part of this Calgary arts community.

Working in the city primarily as a lighting technician and programmer, Kim is used to creating in real time in-front of a live audience for all genres of events occurring in popular venues such as Arts Commons and The Taylor Center for the Performing Arts.

It is a joy and privilege to collaborate and design in an intentional way - using light, colour and texture to support a story. Kim’s lighting designs have been featured in shows for Revv 52, Luminous Voices, Rueben and the Dark and DJD’s Professional Training Program. She is so excited to work with Alberta Dance Theatre once again to bring a new story to life!

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.

Alicia Molinski (née Ward) is an enthusiastic human being who loves teaching and promoting a passion for performance art. Throughout the year Alicia finds herself instructing drama and dance to all ages at various studios throughout the city.

She also loves large amounts of organizational tasks! Alicia works administratively for a number of education and arts focused companies including Dancing Parkinson's YYC, co-founding the Young Adventurer Society, and holding the position of Co-Artistic Director and General Manager of Alberta Dance Theatre. Alicia is passionate about growing the artist community in Calgary and fostering opportunities for dancers of all ages to develop a love for movement.

Alicia can be found performing throughout Alberta with her storytelling series for young audiences, Colour Me Sad, which won YYC Music Awards Children' Recording Of The Year in 2022. 

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. 

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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 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.

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.

Lane Sayer (he/they) is an emerging contemporary dance artist from Mohkinstsis. He holds a BA in English from the University of Calgary with an embedded certificate in creative writing and a minor in dance. In collaboration with Jo Dickau-Duguay, Lane has choreographed and performed in multiple shows: cor et mentem... with One Voice Chorus, an original dance work titled in the windowlight as Theatre Encounter's 2025 Stranger Presentation, and in Calgary Men’s Chorus’ 30 Voices concert. Additionally, he has danced in Corps Bara Dance Theatre’s Vital I and II, Ballet Bodies’ In Motion III, and DSW’s Quick + Dirty Festival.

Tonisha Kroeger is a Stage Manager and Costume Designer with a diploma in Theatre & Entertainment Production from Red Deer Polytechnic. Her summers are spent calling cues under fireworks at The Grandstand Show. The rest of the year she proudly works with many youth performing arts companies in the Calgary community, where she strives to inspire the next generation of leaders and artists! Stage Manager: The Grandstand Show (Calgary Stampede), Gloom Town (ADT), The Secret Starling (ADT), Sneaks (ADT), The Smoking Gun (Calgary Young Peoples Theatre), Go for Gold Audrey Pham (Lunchbox Theatre). Costume Designer: Mary Stuart (Sage Theatre), A Monster Calls (Calgary Young Peoples Theatre).