About the Choreographers

Ben Green / Vancouver, BC

Ben Green (USA) is a choreographer and performance maker. He danced with Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv for 7 years, while developing his own independent performance projects. He premiered his first evening-length "dance-opera" DEBBIE at the Center for Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv in April 2022. After returning to the United States he has participated in residencies at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, NY & TanzFarm Art Residency, Michigan. In 2023, he was selected to participate in a workshop for theatre makers as part of the 2023 Venice Biennale Teatro College in Venice, Italy. He founded his own performance group, HIND LEGS, in 2023 and continues to create performances for stage and film. Additionally, Ben is a guest teacher for institutions such as University of Utah, Gibney NYC, Mark Morris Dance Center and NOD Torino, Italy. He is a certified Gaga teacher.

Kirsten Wicklund / Vancouver, BC

Kirsten Wicklund (she/her) was born in British Columbia, Canada and trained at Pacific Dance Arts, Danzmode Productions, 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. 

As a Dance Artist, Kirsten has danced with The Washington Ballet Company, Ballet BC and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. Between 2014 - 2021 Kirsten worked exclusively for creation-based company Ballet BC (Canada) under the direction of Emily Molnar, CM and more recently under Medhi Walerski. 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 many more. 

Kirsten recently danced at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Antwerp, Belgium (since 2021) where she performed existing works by Pina Bausch, Sharon Eyal, Crystal Pite, William Forsythe, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Akram Khan and orignial new creations with Jan Martens, Richard Siegal & Ella Rothschild.

As an independent maker, Kirsten has choreographed works for Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, The Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company & New Moves Program, The New York Choreographic Institute at New York City Ballet, Ballet BC’s “Take Form”, Ballet Kelowna, Joshua Beamish’s MOVE: the company, The UBC Choir, Dancing on the Edge Festival, Dances for a Small Stage, The Dance Deck Series, Arts Umbrella, Goh Ballet & Lamon Dance. Her work “Overcast” was selected as a finalist for the International Choreographic Competition Hannover in 2021.
 
In February 2024 Kirsten’s work “Tu me manques” for the Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company premiered and has embarked on a 20 show tour of Holland. Kirsten’s new work for Ballet Edmonton (Canada) also made its world premiere

Davi Rodrigues / Brazil - Canada

Seen as a visionary leader in the Canadian dance community, Davi Rodrigues arrived in Canada in 2008 to pursue his passion for dance. Since then, he has played a pivotal role in the Lamondance Arts Society, first as a dancer and guest choreographer and later as the Artistic Director, shaping the company's artistic identity for over 15 years. His commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment has established a vital scholarship program benefiting emerging artists nationally and internationally, ensuring that arts are accessible to all. Under his guidance, countless emerging artists have been supported by training as professional dancers, choreographers, and rehearsal directors, making a global impact. His unwavering dedication to ensuring that no aspiring artist is held back due to financial constraints has changed lives and set a standard for excellence in the industry.

Vanka Salim / Vancouver, BC

A muslim Indonesian-Canadian interdisciplinary artist grateful to be living and creating on the stolen lands of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories. Vanka is an artistic member of Chimerik 似不像, Aenigma Theatre and ADC 659. She loves exploring different ways of storytelling through lighting, projection and set design in theater, dance, opera, new media installations and lately, 3D environment art and game engines. Vanka is passionate in using her skills to make more accessible spaces and uplift marginalized voices. She is excited and grateful to be part of this wonderful team!