Ashley Sweett is a Vancouver-based dance artist with over two decades of experience spanning performance, choreography, artistic direction, and production. She grew up attending the Langley Fine Arts School as a dance major and went on to complete her post-secondary training with Source Dance Company and Modus Operandi. Launching her professional career as a teenager, she quickly embraced performance and travel opportunities, further expanding her craft in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto. She also pursued acting and improv at The Second City Conservatory, adding another layer of versatility to her artistry.
Her career highlights include work in film, television, and stage with networks such as NBC, Netflix, Disney, and Nickelodeon, as well as collaborations with celebrated choreographers like Mandy Moore, Jillian Myers, and Heather Laura Gray. Ashley’s choreography has been showcased internationally and through local platforms such as Small Stage, Dancing on the Edge, The Lovers Cabaret, and her own collective, SweettMoves. Known for her collaborative spirit, she has contributed to music videos, popular television shows, and innovative interdisciplinary projects.
The bulk of Ashley’s career has been dedicated to her work as a dance educator and adjudicator, where she has taught across North America, Europe, and Australia. Her dedication to teaching has helped shape successful careers of many students, reflecting her commitment to nurturing talent and fostering creativity. This passion for mentorship reflects her lifelong devotion to the performing arts and her desire to leave a lasting impact on both the industry and the communities she serves.
Dance: Ballet/Modern
Stephana Arnold
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Stephana attended the National Ballet School of Canada, where she received the prestigious Peter Dwyer Award. Upon graduation, she worked closely with choreographer Xing Bang Fu and danced with several small companies before being asked to join the National Ballet of Canada, where she danced for three years. She went on to join Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for seven years and then Ballet British Columbia, where, with both companies, she danced a wide and eclectic variety of Principal Classical and Contemporary roles. Dancing on many prestigious stages around the world, Stephana was a favourite muse for many choreographers and worked with such notable names as James Kudelka, Édouard Lock, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Shawn Hounsell, Septime Webber, Jean Grand-Maître, Giocanda Barbuto, and Kevin O’Day, among others.
While still dancing, she became a Ballet B.C. Company Teacher from 2004-09, and in 2010, came out of retirement to dance in the Opening Ceremonies for the Vancouver Winter Olympics. In the past several years, Stephana has won various ballet and contemporary choreography awards, the latest being the 2021 YAGP Best Ensemble in Canada, and has recently created pieces for Coastal City Ballet and Arts Umbrella Dance Company.
She has been Resident Choreographer for CatchingArt Contemporary Ballet Theatre, Senior Coach at North Vancouver’s Pro Arte Centre, on faculty at Arts Umbrella and Founder/Director of the Dance Conservatory in North & West Vancouver.
Stephana is currently a sought-after Guest Teacher, Master ballet coach, on faculty at Coastal City Ballet, plus a popular instructor at Oxygen Yoga and Fitness. She has also been an Adjudicator for many Canadian ballet festivals and the Youth American Grand Prix since 2022.
