Dancers 2026/27

Florian Addiscott IRVINE, SCOTLAND
Apprentice

Florian Addiscott is a recent graduate of the Company Life Program at Canada’s National Ballet School, where he spent two years training and performing. Born in Irvine, Scotland, Addiscott moved to Calgary, Alberta at the age of 7. He then trained at Alberta Ballet School from age 9 until he graduated high school. While at Alberta Ballet School, Addiscott was cast in many of Alberta Ballet’s company productions including Our Canada and Frankenstein by Artistic Director Jean Grand-Maître. Addiscott also trained with Murray Kilgour and Aram Manukyan, honing his technique and partnering skills, while exploring and performing contemporary works by choreographer Graham McKelvie. Upon graduation, he spent two summers at the Royal Ballet School in London, England and one summer at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto. During his time at Canada’s National Ballet School, Addiscott worked with well-known choreographers such as James Kudelka, John Alleyne, Silas Farley, Esie Mensah, and Jera Wolfe. Some notable works he performed include Schubert by John Alleyne, a lead in Jera Wolfe’s Arise, and Eshi alongside Esie Mensah and her company at the Fall For Dance North Festival in Toronto. Florian is excited to dance with Ballet Kelowna as an apprentice for the 2026/27 Season

McKeely Borger SASKATCHEWAN MÉTIS NATION, REGINA

McKeely Borger is a member of the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan from Regina, and now of the Métis Nation British Columbia. She has pursued her dance career internationally at Adelphi University in New York under full merit scholarship, Coastal City Ballet in Vancouver, Atlanta Ballet, and in France at Le Ballet de l’Opéra-Théâtre de Metz Metropole as a soloist. She was an original cast member of the mainstage production of Mickey & the Magician at Disneyland Paris in 2016. Before returning to Canada, Borger spent two years with Ballet Palm Beach, where she had the opportunity to dance George Balanchine’s Who Cares? as the ‘One and Only.’ Embarking on her eighth season with Ballet Kelowna, she has premiered new works by Canadian artists such as Kirsten Wicklund, Kunal Ranchod, and Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe. Alysa Pires’ Macbeth premiere in May 2022 was a career highlight, where she found delight portraying one of The Three Witches. Borger also loves sharing the joy of movement with our community as an instructor for IN MOTION. 

Thealla Dach EDMONTON, AB
Trainee

Thealla Dach was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and began her dance training at the Edmonton School of Ballet at the age of six. She later graduated from the Vimy Ridge Academy’s Dance Program, where she immersed herself in ballet, contemporary, and jazz. Most recently, Dach completed the Victoria Academy of Ballet’s three-year Post-Secondary Bridge Program, earning a diploma in professional dance. Throughout her training, she had the opportunity to perform both newly created works and a range of classical repertoire. Dach has performed excerpts from Swan Lake and Giselle, as well as established contemporary works choreographed by Alysa Pires.

Avery Grierson KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON

Avery Grierson was born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario where she began dancing at Classical Dance Conservatory. She later attended Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS) at the age of eleven, where she trained until graduating high school. While in school, Grierson had the chance to perform in many works, most notably, as the lead in Jera Wolfe’s Arise, in James Kudelka’s Five Canticles, and as one of the three shades in La Bayadère. After graduating, Grierson continued her dance training at NBS while starting her career as a supplementary dancer at The National Ballet of Canada, where she had the opportunity to dance in many of their productions such as James Kudelka’s The Nutcracker, Karen Kain’s Swan Lake, and George Balanchine’s Symphony in C. During her first season with Ballet Kelowna, Grierson performed in Alysa Pires’ Macbeth as Fleance, Kirsten Wicklund’s The Forever Part, and Simone Orlando’s Delicate Fire. 

Riku Hirakoba OSAKA, JAPAN

Riku Hirakoba was born in Osaka, Japan, where he started classical ballet training at the age of four. In 2015, he received a scholarship at the Youth America Grand Prix and moved to Canada at the age of twelve to begin his professional training at Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS). He graduated high school in 2021 and continued to train in the Company Life Program at NBS. During his time in the post-secondary program, he had the opportunity to perform in James Kudelka’s The Nutcracker with The National Ballet of Canada. Also during his time in the Company Life Program, he was chosen to perform the lead role in Arise choreographed by Jera Wolfe at the Fall for Dance North Festival, Assemblée International Dance Festival, and 2023 Spring Showcase. 

Naomi Kawamura RICHMOND, BC

Naomi Kawamura was born on the ancestral, unceded territory of the Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, and Musqueam Nations (North Vancouver). She began her ballet training under Mary Burke in Richmond, BC, and continued her studies with Janet Gittens. At age fourteen, she moved to Toronto to study at Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS). While at NBS, Kawamura participated in international exchange programs in London, Hamburg, and Copenhagen. After graduating from NBS in 2019, she expanded her expertise in ballet, modern, and improvisation techniques at the Palucca University of Dance in Dresden. While in Germany, Kawamura performed in the Semperoper Ballet’s productions of Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. Upon returning to Canada, she toured with Ballet Jörgen in their production of The Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition and also performed with Coastal City Ballet in Vancouver. Since joining Ballet Kelowna in 2022, Kawamura has especially enjoyed performing as one of the four “Boons” in Robert Stephen’s Mustard. 

Donaldo Nava MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

Donaldo Nava began his professional training at the age of eleven. He moved to Victoria, BC in 2017 to continue his training and graduated from the Victoria Academy of Ballet’s Post-Secondary Bridge Program in 2019. While in the Bridge Program, he worked with many guest teachers including Alysa Pires, Jorden Morris, and Christopher Anderson, and performed with Ballet Kelowna in John Alleyne’s A Streetcar Named Desire. Nava participated in Dance Victoria’s 2019 Choreographic Lab under Justine Chambers and Susan Elliot. Now in his seventh season with Ballet Kelowna, Nava enjoys working for a creation-based company and has worked with many notable choreographers including Eva Kolarova, Kunal Ranchod, and Seiji Suzuki. 

Lacey Park HUDSON, OH
Apprentice

Lacey Park was born in Hudson, USA where she started her dance education at the age of twelve. During her early training, she attended summer programs on scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet School and Chautauqua School of Dance. In 2021, she moved to Toronto to attend Canada’s National Ballet School’s Company Life Program. While in the Company Life Program, Park was chosen to participate and perform in the 2024 Holland Dance Festival and was awarded the Peter Dwyer Award. Park has performed in many new creations and established works including lead roles in Serenade by George Balanchine, Lay Dances by James Kudelka, and Lavender Echoes by Robert Stephen. 

Emily Webb MARKHAM, ON
Apprentice

Emily Webb was born in Markham, Ontario where she began ballet classes at age three. At age eleven, she began training at Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS) before going on to join their Company Life Program after graduating in 2022. During her time at NBS, she had opportunities to learn from many notable teachers and choreographers including Mavis Staines, James Kudelka, Margaret Tracey, and Jera Wolfe. Webb also had the chance to perform a lead role in George Balanchine’s Serenade and Autumn from James Kudelka’s Four Seasons. 

Kurt Werner SCARBOROUGH, ON

Kurt Werner is a graduate of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School’s Professional Division and has travelled abroad to Austria, England, Italy, New Zealand, and the USA to further his development in classical, contemporary, and modern dance. In 2015, he was awarded the Brian Macdonald Dance Award during his participation in The Banff Centre’s Summer Professional Dance Program. While with Ballet Kelowna, Werner has enjoyed creating and performing such works as Petrushka by Heather Dotto and MAMBO by Alysa Pires, as they have helped let his personality shine on stage. In 2018, Werner founded the Evolve Arts Collective, a platform to share his choreographic works and expand his network with artists across all disciplines. He is grateful for opportunities to present his works at the Kelowna Fringe Festival and the Theatre on the Edge Fest while continuing to workshop new movement with fellow company dancers. 

MacKye White COURTENAY, BC

MacKye White began his dance training on Vancouver Island at Pantuso Dance and Éclat Dance Youth Company. He went on to pursue professional training at Alberta Ballet School on scholarship where he worked with Ashley McNeil, Murray Kilgour, Janet Tate, Aram Manukyan, Edmund Stripe, Graham McKelvie, and Sasha Ivanochko. After graduating in 2020, White was accepted into the Lamondance training program on a full scholarship. During his two years at Lamondance he performed works by Davi Rodrigues, Racheal Prince, Brandon Alley, Kirsten Wicklund, and Heather Dotto, among others. Entering his fourth season with the company, White has had the pleasure of working with choreographers such as Alysa Pires, John Alleyne, and Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe.