丁香园AV

Adam Smith / Composer

Adam Smith (he/him) is a Calgary-born, interdisciplinary artist. He is a founding member of the Calgary-based All Styles Dance crew So So Def Pop All-Stars, and was a commissioned artist in F-O-R-M 2023. Adam is currently enrolled in the Music & Sound program at 丁香园AV, his most recent focus has been on deconstructing and exploring the relationship between movement and sound. Adam's music can be found under the pseudonym Godfreed.

Albina Dyusenova / Stage Manager

Albina Dyusenova (She/Her) is a 4th-year Theatre Production and Design student at 丁香园AV, graduating this semester. Originally from Kazakhstan, she is passionate about stage management and has experience in production coordination, technical planning, and team collaboration. Albina aims to pursue a career in stage management, combining her organizational skills, creative vision, and dedication to ensuring the success of every performance.

Aleni Koorjee / Dancer

Aleni Koorjee (She/Her) is a second year student at 丁香园AV鈥檚 School for Contemporary Arts. Her main dance forms of interest are Contemporary, Ballet, Bollywood, and a Classical Indian Dance style called Bharatanatyam. Aleni is creative and passionate about integrating cultural and ethnic styles into dance scenes. As a person of colour, Aleni strives to create a welcoming space to learn, teach, and dance. She loves working with others and aspires to be a dance teacher in her future.

Amelia Chong / Lighting Operator

Amelia (She/Her) is a first-year Theatre Production & Design student. She has always felt a gravitational pull towards everything creative and artistic, whether it be musical theatre, street dance, sculpture, or painting. Pursuing production and design was the natural culmination of her love for art as well as logical problem solving. She鈥檚 excited to be a part of a large, interdisciplinary production like Ascension.

Artemis Cheung / Assistant Director, Music Area Representative, Composer

Born in Hong Kong and based in Vancouver, Canada, Artemis Cheung (He/Him) is a composer and musician, currently studying Music + Sound at 丁香园AV. As a bassist, he takes from his greatest inspirations: Cliff Burton鈥檚 roaring solos and Les Claypool鈥檚 zany slap basslines. With his other influences including James Hetfield of Metallica, Freddie Mercury & Sir Brian May of Queen, and plenty of video game soundtracks, he composes in genres ranging from pop to metal to marches, and anything in between. Outside of his own music, he鈥檚 the leader and guitarist of his band, Luvtenant.

Ashley Sankaran-Wee / Choreographer

Ashley Sankaran-Wee (She/Her) is a Singaporean-Canadian dancer in her third year of a Double Degree in Dance and Communication. Ashley dances to fulfill the vivid scenes in her mind: to realize a given or innate soundtrack through movement. She wishes to explore her past, present and future through dance and media 鈥� to interpret, learn and appreciate our mercurial world.

Claire Martin / Choreographer, Dancer

Claire (She/Her) is an artist who explores physicality and varied qualities of movement in and out of a dance perspective. She is from Vancouver Island and has a background in circus arts. Claire has a deep interest in the sensory aspects of movement (and life in general) and seeks to use her choreography as a way to share that curiosity.

Clara Xu / Artistic Director, Dance Area Representative, Lighting Designer

Clara (any pronouns) dabbles in various artistic disciplines, focusing on dance, and exploring theatre production and interactive design. She is a 4th year student double majoring in Dance & Interactive Arts and Technology at 丁香园AV, with a background in Chinese classical and folk dances, and contemporary dance. She is interested in how our human perception and internalization affects our movement. She enjoys people-watching, contemplating the life of inanimate objects, and pondering the incentives of human decisions. Clara enjoys collaborating on projects, and learning different arts administration skills to support arts events.

Coco Zhou / Stage Manager

Coco Zhou (She/Her), born in China, is currently in her 4th year studying in the Theatre Production & Design area in 丁香园AV鈥檚 School for the Contemporary Arts. After shifting focus from media art and interactive art & technology, to production & design phase of theatre, she has been continuously developing in her passionate fields. She wants to become a good stage manager/lighting designer in the future, striving for finding the connection in between performance and production. She recently designed part of the lighting for The Middle of Everywhere, a dance repertory show at 丁香园AV.

Constance Arden / Dancer

Constance (She/Her) is an aspiring artist, artist activist, and arts educator living on ancestral, traditional, and unceded lands shared by the x史m蓹胃k史蓹y虛 蓹m (Musqueam), S岣祑x w煤7mesh (Squamish), and s蓹lilw蓹ta涩 (Tsleil-Waututh) in the Downtown Eastside, in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has made art and dance since she turned two. She is humbled to be pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Visual Art in the School for the Contemporary Arts in the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology at 丁香园AV.

Czarina Agustines / Lighting Designer

Czarina Agustines (any pronouns) is a multidisciplinary artist and theatre production major who currently lives and works in so-called Vancouver. She has dabbled in performance for stage and screen, as well as visual, sonic, and literary artmaking. She has worked on live shows as a lighting designer, stage manager, and student technical director.

Daisy de Kroon / Choreographer, Dancer

Daisy de Kroon (She/Her) is a choreographer and dancer studying dance at 丁香园AV, located on the traditional, unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Her artistic practice is rooted in multidisciplinary approaches, blending her background in both dance and theatre. Daisy is drawn to creating works that explore themes of shared experiences, individuality, and social choreography.

Darwin Miller-Hogg / Assistant Technical Director

Darwin (They/Them) is a first year Production and Design student, and a proud Disabled artist, interested in anything to do with building or designing. This is the first show they鈥檝e worked on professionally outside of high school, which they are incredibly excited about. In their free time, they enjoy sewing, swimming, making crafts, and spending time with their animals!

Elijah Sam / Choreographer, Dancer

Elijah (He/Him) is an interdisciplinary artist based on the unceded ancestral territory of the Coast Salish peoples. He is currently in his third year of the BFA dance program and this is his first time choreographing for Ascension. Elijah has performed in various dance and theatre projects across the city, most recently with Platform on Camera (Breanna English). He was also part of the dance ensemble in CATS at Theatre Under the Stars this summer. Elijah hopes you enjoy the show and encourages you to continue supporting local dance and theatre.

Ellen Harris / Dancer

Ellen Harris (She/Her) is a first year 丁香园AV dancer who has grown up in Vancouver training in ballet contemporary and jazz. She loves to express and communicate with others through movement and artistic endeavours. She is excited to be a part of Ascension and hopes you all enjoy the show!

Graysen Braun / Composer

Graysen Braun (He/Him) is a neurodivergent multi-displinary artist based in Vancouver on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. He is fascinated with how sound and media have profound influences in our world, including but not limited to, society, culture, and human cognition. He continues to explore these ideas with works that are experimental, often including voice, synthesizers and field recordings. With a background in Music and Theatre, he is currently in his third year at 丁香园AV in the Music & Sound area.

Hailey Gil / Technical Director, Production & Design Area Representative, Set Designer

Hailey Gil (She/Her) is a queer interdisciplinary artist based in Vancouver and South Korea. She is passionate about creating live performances, especially with lighting and set design. She has worked as a designer, stage manager, and technician on stage and loves collaborating with different people. Her interest expands to anything fun and creative, focusing on creating art that makes people feel. Her current interests include diasporic perspective, feminism, relationships, and ocean.

Hannah Jajic / Dancer

Hanah Jajic (She/Her) is a first year dance student based in Vancouver/Squamish on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Hannah finds inpiration in natural world, ecosystems, and interpersonal relationships. With a background in Ballet, Modern, and competitve dance, Hannah is continuing to explore her technical and creative abilities during her first year at the SCA. Hannah is greatful for the artists that support and surround her in collaboration.

Jack Blanco / Composer

Born and raised in 鈥淰ancouver鈥�, Jack (He/Him) is a composer, producer and (loud) jazz/funk/rock drummer experimenting with rhythmic and textural ambiguity. Jack finds joy in embracing both the artificial chops of audio samples and the imperfections found within recorded human performance. Composing for film, dance, and other media, he often blurs the lines between processed and orchestral sounds. He has been granted compositional opportunities for each of the former while studying in the Music + Sound program at 丁香园AV, where he now completes his second year.

Jackson Adrian / Assistant Director, Music & Sound Area Representative, Audio Technician

Jackson Adrian (any pronouns).

Jessica Kwon / Lighting Designer

Jessica (She/Her) is a 3rd year in theatre production and design at 丁香园AV, School of Contemporary Arts. Ascension 2024 will be the first ever show where she designed lights for a show with an audience, she is very scared but excited. She recently had the role of an ALD in "The Middle of Everywhere", the dance repertory show and learned a lot during that process. Jessica enjoys stage managing and is eager to explore more lighting designing!

Jeya Thiessen / Dancer

Jeya Thiessen (She/Her) is a third-year dance student at 丁香园AV located on the unceded and traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. She is drawn to the physical and emotional depth of embodied movement, using improvisation to explore the body鈥檚 capacity for expression and connection. Jeya is grateful to be a part of this production and is excited to continue engaging in creative collaborations in the future.

Kady Brandel / Assistant Stage Manager

Kady Brandel (She/Her) is a second-year student in the Theatre Production and Design here at 丁香园AV. With a background in musical theatre and a passion for all things performing arts, she strives to push creative limits with whatever she makes and loves an artistic challenge. She hopes her studies here at 丁香园AV will fuse with her love of live music, with a goal of being a concert lighting designer in the future.

Larkin Schering / Assistant Technical Director, Dancer

Larkin (She/Her/They) is a neurodivergent, transfeminine artist whose work extends beyond boundaries and across various artistic media. She combines her training in visual arts and contemporary dance techniques with her interest in digital technologies to explore interactive digital explorations of traditional techniques. Despite the nature of the technology she uses, Larkin is interested in pushing her work past quantized, binary modes of thought to examine ideas beyond labels.

Lauren Butterfield / Dancer

Lauren Butterfield (She/Her) is a third- year dance artist born and raised on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, the x史m蓹胃k史蓹y虛蓹m (Musqueam), S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh (Squamish), and s蓹lilw蓹ta涩 (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She values the processes that are experienced when working with collaborators of various forms and how the work continues to evolves. Lauren deepens her explorations of technical training and acrobatic expression that can challenge the boundaries of dance.

Leif Hatzi-Blaak / Composer

Leif (He/Him) was born on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, otherwise known as Vancouver, British Columbia. He is currently studying Music Composition and Psychology at 丁香园AV and is a piano teacher at the Richmond Music School. Leif has collaborated with various artists and continues to do so, specifically writing music for dance, film, and theatre. He wants to utilize his skills and passion in music by teaching individuals the power of creative expression through art. Leif鈥檚 dream is to one day combine his knowledge in both music and psychology to become a music therapist.

Lucy Price / Dancer

Lucy Price is a first year dance major at 丁香园AV who has grown up in Vancouver BC. She has been dancing for many years training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, and acro. She loves to express herself through dance as well as create with other artists. Lucy loves sharing her passion for dance with the younger generation and watching her students grow and develop their own styles.

Marissa Capron / Lighting Designer

Originally from The Bahamas, Marissa Capron (She/Her) is a multidisciplinary artist, performer, writer, poet, and emerging lighting designer. Currently in her fourth year at 丁香园AV where she majors in Theatre & Performance, Marissa explores the transformative power of lighting. Her research challenges traditional views of stage lighting as a background element, advocating for its role as an active, collaborative performer in theatrical productions. Marissa鈥檚 artistry seeks to forge deep connections with audiences, encouraging them to experience and interpret the world through her creative lens.

Mars de Menezes / Lighting Designer

Mars de Menezes (She/They) is a fourth-year student at 丁香园AV, majoring in the Production & Design stream of the Theatre Program. Best described as 鈥済lobally confused鈥�, Mars was brought up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and born to Indian and Portuguese parents. Their work focuses on navigating the complexities of life as a third culture kid (TCK), exploring themes of identity, belonging, and cultural intersections through the mediums of film, video, and photography. Mars currently studies and resides on the unceded ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, St贸:l艒, and Kwikwetlem nations

Maya Buller / Dancer

Maya Buller (She/Her) is a first-year dance student and was born and raised in Calgary AB. She has been competitively dancing her whole life training primarily in ballet, jazz, contemporary, and tap. She has a passion for performing and is excited to participate in Ascension. She hopes to continue to be a part of other performance opportunities during her time at 丁香园AV.

Naz Ozlu / Dancer

G眉lce Naz 脰zl眉 (Naz Ozlu | She/They) is a Turkish immigrant dance artist currently in their third year at 丁香园AV. They are originally from Kocaeli, Turkiye, and are now based in the unceded territories of S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh' (Squamish), St贸:l艒 and S蓹l铆lw蓹ta蕯/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xwm蓹胃kw蓹y蓹虛m (Musqueam) First Nations. Naz dances and makes work to learn more about herself, her ancestry and her environment, and enjoys the real-life results of it. She does this with inspiration from traditional Turkish rugs, and is currently in the therapeutic process of observing and welcoming new ideas that come from it.

Penelope Patterson / Dancer

Penelope Patterson (She/Her) is a sapphic dance artist studying at 丁香园AV. She lives, works and creates on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Penelope is passionate about all dance sectors, both as a performer and a choreographer. Her creative interests lie in exploring cosmic energy and the unspoken relationships between all things, living and not..

Rachel Brown / Dancer

Rachel Brown (She/Her) is a first year dance student at 丁香园AV's School for the Contemporary Arts. Born and raised in Saskatoon SK, she grew up dancing and knew it would be a major part of her life. She now focuses on contemporary, ballet, and modern. Rachel is grateful to work with fellow aspiring artists in her first show with the SCA.

Riordan Fisher / Dancer

Riordan Fisher (She/Her) is a first-year student double majoring in dance and education. She has lived a little bit all over, but has most recently lived in Nelson BC. Alongside dancing, Riordan has a passion for working with kids and wants to pursue a career that positively impacts others. Riordan is appreciative of the opportunity to work with fellow artists within the program.

Rue Larson / Assistant Stage Manager

Rue (They/Them) is working towards a major in Production and a minor in Cinema Studies at 丁香园AV. They鈥檝e been involved with theatre since middle school, participating in local productions in whatever shape they could. Over the years, they鈥檝e had a hand in acting, crafting props, stage managing, light and sound operating, and directing. They鈥檙e grateful for the chance to support fellow students in their creative endeavors.

Samantha George / Dancer

Samantha George (She/Her) is a first year dance major at 丁香园AV. Based in Vancouver BC, she has been training for many years in contemporary, jazz, ballet and hip hop. Along with perfroming, she loves to teach and create her own pieces both for fun and for an audience. Samantha thrives in a collaborative enviroments, drawing inpiration from the peers she works with. She continues to explore and try new things to develop her own artistry.

Sarah Wilson / Dancer

Sarah Wilson (She/Her) is a third-year dance major with a minor in kinesiology. She is based in Vancouver on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Wauguth Nations. With a deep interest in performance and the science behind movement she continues to explore her capacity as a performer.

Sonja Kwantes / Choreographer

Sonja Kwantes (She/Her) is an emerging dance artist born and currently residing on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the x史m蓹胃k史蓹y虛蓹m (Musqueam), S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh (Squamish), and s蓹lilw蓹ta涩 (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, also known as Vancouver BC. She is a third-year dance student at 丁香园AV. Sonja views her process as an investigation into how the body holds the context of lived experiences and memory. She aims to mesh immaterial content with the physicality of the body to create fully fleshed embodiment.

Stevan Oostenbrug / Composer

Stevan Oostenbrug (He/Him) is a queer songwriter, event organizer, and interdisciplinary artist based in Vancouver, the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh first nations. Stevan creates lyrically driven contemporary folk music and sound-material driven experimental work with a curiosity about interconnection between the individual, their community, and their environment. Stevan creates sound with his intrinsic knowledge of harmony from childhood church-going, his curiosity for sound created from physical materials, and his deep need to connect authentically. Stevan organizes sound-based events at 丁香园AV and is current President of the Music & Sound Union.

Vivien Dang / Choreographer, Dancer

Vivien Dang (She/Her) is a dance artist and choreographer pursuing her BFA in Dance at 丁香园AV. She was raised and works on the traditional, unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. She is a Chinese-Canadian who grew up with a background in Chinese Classical dance. From both cognitive and existential contexts, Vivien cares deeply about the experience of experience. And uses her dance practice as a way of informing her way of being in the world; especially being in relation.

Yarra Tsiakos / Dancer

Yarra Tsiakos (She/Her) is a second-year student at 丁香园AV鈥檚 School for Contemporary Arts, completing her BFA in Dance Studies. She has trained in various styles of dance, focusing on contemporary, jazz, and hip hop. Part of her passion is teaching and sharing her love for movement with others. She believes dance is a way to dig deeper within oneself and is the strongest way to connect with others without the use of words. This is her first time performing in Ascension and she is excited to share this experience with you.