The Story

Originally from Portland, OR Aaron moved to Fredericksburg, VA at a young age where he began his ballet training. He continued on to complete his schooling at Indiana University and later went on to work with Philadelphia Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. He has had the opportunity to perform many roles throughout his career including Basilio in Angel Corella’s Don Quixote, and Tybalt in Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo & Juliet.

Alexandra is originally from Glens Falls, NY, USA. She trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts as well as the School of American Ballet and worked with Philadelphia Ballet as a soloist prior to joining Alberta Ballet. She has performed many notable roles throughout her career including the Principal in George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, William Forsythe’s Artifact Suite, and Jerome Robbins’ Fancy-Free.

Luna is originally from Kanagawa, Japan, and is starting her 11th season with Alberta Ballet. Luna began her ballet training at local ballet schools in Japan. At the age of 16, she trained at Houston Ballet Academy, then completed her time at Boston Ballet School as a trainee before joining Alberta Ballet in 2013. Some of Luna’s favourite roles include the title role of Giselle, Juliet in Romeo & Juliet and Suzuki in Madame Butterfly.

Kelley McKinlay is a celebrated Métis Canadian dancer and former Principal Dancer with Alberta Ballet. Over his 20-year career with the company, Kelley performed leading roles in classical and contemporary repertoire, including works by Jean Grand-Maître, Christopher Wheeldon, George Balanchine, Kirk Peterson, Jiří Kylián, and Twyla Tharp. He toured internationally to renowned stages such as the Bolshoi Theatre, the Kennedy Center, and the National Arts Centre.

Known for his artistry, musicality, and dramatic sensitivity, Kelley is also a respected mentor and rehearsal leader. In addition to his performance career, he continues to guest perform, stage choreography, collaborate on dance films, and support the next generation of dancers through teaching and coaching. Most recently Kelley was awarded the Lifetime Membership award from the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.

Caleb received his ballet training from the National College of Dance in his home city Newcastle, Australia. In 2014, he moved to Texas to join Houston Ballet II. In 2015, he joined Houston Ballet where he danced for seven years performing in many of the great classical ballets, his favourites being La Bayadère, Don Quixote and Romeo and Juliet. Caleb has also completed his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Canberra.

Hotaru is originally from Japan. She began her training in Tokyo and Okinawa before studying at Staatlich Ballettschule Berlin. After graduation, Hotaru joined Alberta Ballet School’s Post-Graduate program where she danced for two years before graduating in Spring 2023. Her most memorable role so far was dancing a Kitri Variation from Don Quixote performed at Alberta Ballet School’s Year End Performance.

Hailing from Leesburg, Virginia, USA, Allison trained at both The Loudoun School of Ballet and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, before beginning her professional career as a member of BalletMet’s second company. Now in her sixth season with Alberta Ballet, her performances in Cathy Marston’s Moving, Still and Christopher Anderson’s Giselle stand out as particularly memorable.

Kurt hails from London, ON, and received his ballet training at Ballet Academy East in New York City before accepting a contract to join Alberta Ballet as an apprentice dancer in 2019. Since joining the company, he has enjoyed performing Waltz of the Flowers and Russian in Edmund Stripe’s The Nutcracker, as well as dancing in Jean Grand-Maître’s Frankenstein.

Andrea Arbasino is originally from Voghera, Italy, where he began studying classical dance at a young age. In 2016 he was admitted to the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where he trained with teachers such as Frédéric Olivieri, Tatiana Nikonova, Loreta Alexandrescu and Elisa Scala, taking part in important productions including Woolf Works by Wayne McGregor, Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, The Nutcracker by George Balanchine and Don Quixote by Rudolf Nureyev.

For the 2025/26 season, Andrea received his first contract as a professional dancer, joining the Corps de Ballet of Alberta Ballet in Canada, where he officially begins his artistic career.

Patrice was born in Lomé, Togo and was raised in Montréal, Canada.

He started dancing at the age of 7 and at 16 years old he began his professional ballet training. In 2020 he joined the Boston Ballet School’s pre-professional division at Walnut Hill where he studied for two years. He then joined the San Francisco Ballet School in 2022 where went on to be a Trainee for the 23/24 season after graduation. He returned to Canada and studied at the National Ballet School for one season before joining Alberta Ballet as an apprentice at the end of the 24/25 season.

Paloma is originally from Asunción, Paraguay, where she began her ballet training at a young age with Patricia Manavella. She also trained with Miguel Bonnin, and in 2021 at the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma in Madrid, Spain.

Before joining Alberta Ballet, Paloma had the opportunity to dance in France with Opera National du Capitole in Toulouse, as well as Balletto di Milano in Italy.

She has performed as a guest artist with Ballet Clásico y Moderno Municipal de Asunción, with featured roles such as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, Kitri in Don Quixote, and Odette and Odile in Swan Lake. She has also performed in productions of Le Corsaire, La Fille mal Gardee, La Bayadere, The Nutcracker, Na Floresta by Nacho Duato and many others.

Victoria was born in Calgary, AB, where she began her ballet training. To further her training, she joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Victoria then completed her training at Alberta Ballet School’s Post-Graduate Program. Victoria’s most memorable roles so far have been John Darling in Jorden Morris' production of Peter Pan with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company and a Wili in Christopher Anderson’s Giselle in Alberta Ballet’s 2022/23 Season.

Zachary Boresow began his training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, under the renowned Marcia Dale Weary. Following CPYB, he completed his training at the San Francisco Ballet School. Zachary joined Joffrey Ballet as a Studio Company member in 2017 before joining the Kansas City Ballet in 2019. Some accredited roles Zachary has been featured in include the pas de trois in George Balanchine’s Emeralds and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Tulips and Lobster.

Grace was born in Melbourne, Australia and started her dance training at the age three. In 2018, she was accepted into the vocational training program at The Australian Ballet School.

Grace joined Alberta Ballet for the summer contract and is now looking forward to perform a wide range of challenging  and exciting repertoire in the 2025/26 season.

Born in Sydney, Australia, Zoe began her ballet training at The McDonald College performing arts school. In 2021, she moved to Melbourne to join the Australian Ballet School in Level Five. During her time at the Australian Ballet School, Zoe received the Graeme Murphy AO Contemporary Dance Award, the Areti Boyaci Spanish Dance Award, the Sandra Ball Award for Excellence in Anatomy Studies and was elected 2024 School Captain. Zoe has performed in various productions with The Australian Ballet, including Graeme Murphy’s The Nutcracker: Story of Clara, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The National Tour, and The Storytime Ballet Season of The Sleeping Beauty, where she performed the roles of Aurora, Lilac Fairy and Carabosse. Zoe is excited to join Alberta Ballet as a Corps de Ballet artist in 2025.

Joining us from Melbourne, Australia, Bel joined Alberta Ballet in the summer of 2025, and was invited to stay on for the 2025/26 season.  

Bel began her training at 6 years old, with a local ballet school in Melbourne, before progressing to more intensive training with the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet, at age 13. After one year, she was accepted into the vocational dance training program with the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School.  

After spending one, subsequent, postgraduate year in the English National Ballet School’s Professional Trainee Programme, she joined Hong Kong Ballet for three productions, over the 2024/2025 season, before being accepted by Alberta Ballet. 

Chizuru first began training in her hometown Aichi, Japan. She then continued her training at the European School of Ballet and Joffrey Ballet School. Before joining Alberta Ballet as an Apprentice, Chizuru trained at Alberta Ballet School for two years in the Post-Graduate Program. One of her more memorable performances was the Cupid Variation in Don Quixote at Alberta Ballet School’s Year End Performance.

Originally from Ukraine, Yaroslav moved to Calgary at age 11. He received all of his ballet training at the Alberta Ballet School, and after working alongside the company in multiple productions as a student, officially joined Alberta Ballet in 2020. Having the opportunity to dance Gopakvariation as well as perform as ‘Colas’ in La Fille Mal Gardée in his final years at the School were particularly memorable roles.

Rikuto is originally from Japan, where he first began his training at Ballet Studios DUO. He then continued his training with The Australian Ballet School and The European School of Ballet before joining Alberta Ballet as an apprentice. One of Rikuto’s most memorable productions was Napoli, which he performed in Japan.

Jolie Rose Lombardo was born in Tyler, Texas, the Rose Capital of America. She began her passion for dance at the age of four in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of her most memorable roles include Concerto pas de deux by Kenneth MacMillan and a specially created soloist role in IFIMA by Louis Stiens & Shaked Heller as well as Corps roles in remarkable ballets such as Mayerling, Onegin, and The Taming of the Shrew. She is thrilled to continue her ballet career on the North America continent in the beautiful country of Canada with Alberta Ballet.

Originally from Naples, Italy, Alfonso began his ballet training at home in 2016, at Teatro San Carlo di Napoli just a few steps from Torre Annunziata, his city.

In 2020 Alfonso relocated to Milan, when he trained for several years at La Scala Ballet Academy. He has had the opportunity to perform many beautiful roles including New Sleep duet by William Forsythe and Largo, a neoclassic solo by Matteo Levaggi, performed in Tokyo at New National theatre Tokyo in 2023 and in Dubai at Dubai Opera House in 2024. Also in 2024, he graduated from La Scala Ballet Academy, with a graduate diploma in classical and contemporary ballet and joined Alberta Ballet that year.

Originally from Perth, Australia, Matthew began his ballet training with Samantha Leeman and Annette Roselli Dance Academy. In 2020 he graduated from the Australian Ballet School, then went on to join Queensland Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program. Matthew first joined Alberta Ballet in the Spring of 2023 as a Supplementary Artist. During his career, he has had several standout roles including Bluebird in Greg Horsman's Sleeping Beauty Act III and White Bird in BOTERO.

Originally from Naples, Italy, Mirko graduated from Harmony Dance School of Arnaldo Angelini in 2019 and from Choreutic High School "Palizzi" in 2020. In 2023 he joined Teatro dell'Opera in Rome, Teatro Massimo in Palermo (Sicily) and Teatro San Carlo in Naples as Corps de Ballet. In 2024 he has had the opportunity to dance as guest Soloist at Tirana Opera House (Albany) for Peasant pas de deux in Agron Aliaj’s Giselle.

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Michael began his training at Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. He went on to train overseas in Switzerland and the Netherlands. Michael joined the Alberta Ballet in 2022, as a supplemental dancer for Cinderella. His most memorable performance so far was Away We Go.

Originally from Fukuoka, Japan, Hinata began her dance training at home at the Chikako Tanaka Ballet Academy, later moving on to study at the Alberta Ballet School. During her schooling, she enjoyed performing the Prelude in Les Sylphides, and she had the opportunity to dance with Alberta Ballet Company dancers during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 productions of Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Hansel & Gretel.

Born and raised in Calgary, AB, Isabel received her initial ballet training from the Edge School. She then furthered her training at Elmhurst Ballet School in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet. Her most memorable productions include Sir Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering, George Balanchine’s Who Cares? and Studio Wayne McGregor’s Atomos.

Originally from Taoyuan City, Taiwan, Yi-Min received his professional training at Canada’s National Ballet School. From 2022 to 2025, he was a member of the RBC Apprentice Program with The National Ballet of Canada.

He has had the privilege of working with choreographers such as Robert Binet and Alyssa Martin. In 2020, Yi-Min was the recipient of the Peter Dwyer Scholarship, and in 2018 he placed fifth in the Senior A category at the Taiwan Grand Prix.

Yi-Min joins Alberta Ballet for his first season and looks forward to the exciting journey ahead.

Kairi Watanabe is from Tokyo, Japan. This season marks her first year as a dancer with Alberta Ballet, following a season with the company as a Trainee. She trained in the Alberta Ballet School’s Trainee Program, where she refined her artistry and technique. One of her notable roles includes Etoile in Paquita. She joins Alberta Ballet as a supplemental dancer for the 2025/26 season.

Originally from Italy, Kevin Alsina began dancing at the age of eight and went on to train at the Accademia Antonella Bartolacci before graduating from the English National Ballet School under Viviana Durante. He started his professional career with Opera National of Bucharest, English National Ballet and Northern Ballet. His early training culminated in a performance of Frederick Ashton’s Les Rendezvous, including Derek Deane’s Swan Lake in the Round. Alsina has performed across the classical canon, embodying characters from lyrical princes to virtuosic ensemble roles, and contributing to modern creations shaped by leading contemporary choreographers.

Ian, who is from Los Cabos, Mexico,  joined Alberta Ballet for the 2025/26 season as an Apprentice after training with Ballet Power and Alberta Ballet School. Ian is excited to work with different choreographers, dancing different styles and expanding his technical skills.

Rémy Gray was born in Melbourne, Australia. He began his ballet training at six years old, and after three years of training in regional Victoria, he joined the Melbourne School of Classical Dance. Rémy was the fortunate recipient of a scholarship to the International Ballet Academy in North Carolina where he again attended ADC IBC and YAGP finals and was offered a contract with Ballet West in Utah until he joined Alberta Ballet in January 2025.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Lulu Manzur began her dance training at Ballet Conservatory West and at the Colburn School, where she performed works by renowned choreographers including George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Merce Cunningham.

Lulu is excited to join Alberta Ballet for the 2025–2026 season and looks forward to continuing her artistic development.

Kate McDonald started her dance journey at 8 years old in Nova Scotia Canada at a small competition studio, Stars of Tomorrow Dance Academy. At the age of 15 Kate was accepted into the Joffrey Ballet trainee program in New York City, where she trained in a variety of styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, and modern. Wanting to further her ballet education, Kate returned to Canada to finish her training with Alberta Ballet School’s graduate program. Since then she worked with Madison Ballet Company, before joining Alberta Ballet.

Kali, who is from Chicago, began her formal dance training at the Joffrey Academy of Dance before accepting a scholarship to join The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia. In 2023, she continued her studies for two years at the European School of Ballet in Amsterdam where she had the opportunity to learn and perform works by choreographers such as William Forsythe, David Dawson, Maurice Béjart, Frederick Ashton, Marius Petipa, and August Bournonville. Kali is excited to be joining Alberta Ballet as an Apprentice for the 2025/2026 season.

Born in Calgary, Camryn began her ballet training at a local ballet school before moving to Toronto, Ontario to further her training at Canada’s National Ballet School. Throughout her time in Toronto, Camryn performed in various productions including, Marius Petipa’s Paquita, James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons restaged by Peter Ottmann and James Kudelka’s Nutcracker, where she performed the role of Marie alongside The National Ballet of Canada.

Following her graduation in 2023, Camryn attended Alberta Ballet School's postgraduate program, where she had the opportunity to perform in a variety of productions with Alberta Ballet such as La Sylphide, Wizard of Oz and Don Quixote.

Camryn looks forward to beginning her first season with Alberta Ballet as an Apprentice artist in 2025/26.

Dylan is originally from Houston, Texas where he began his training with Luis Fuente, Mary Beth Arrington, and Bethany White. He then attended The University of North Carolina School of the Arts for his final two years of high school studying under Misha Tchoupakov. After graduating, he joined the Alberta Ballet School to learn from Murray Kilgour and Aram Manukyan. Particularly memorable performances from his time at Alberta Ballet School were Seasons and Hansel and Gretel with the company. Dylan can’t wait to get on stage at the Jubilee.