Cheryl L’Hirondelle (Cree/Halfbreed; German/Polish) is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist, singer/songwriter and critical thinker with family roots from Papaschase First Nation / amiskwaciy wāskahikan and Kikino Metis Settlement.
Andria Hickey is a curator, writer, and strategic advisor. She is currently Head of Programs at Shorefast and Fogo Island Arts. Andria’s curatorial research and practice is focused on cross-disciplinary experimentation, socially engaged art, and contemporary approaches to abstraction in the digital age. She is inspired by the intersections of art and ecology, civic engagement and art in the public realm.
Prior to joining Shorefast, Andria oversaw the visual art program at The Shed, NY, and was previously global Senior Director and Curator at Pace Gallery from 2018 to 2022, where she established a new curatorial team and initiated the live arts program Pace Live. Before joining Pace, she was Senior Curator at MOCA Cleveland. Hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, Andria earned her BA from Memorial University and an MA in Canadian Art History from Concordia University in Montreal. She moved to the United States in 2007 for a role in the Visual Arts Department at the Walker Art Center, where she was a curatorial fellow until 2010. Moving on to New York, she was Curator of Art in General in New York and later appointed Curator at the Public Art Fund where from 2011-2016, she organized public art exhibitions and new commissions throughout New York City.
In addition to her curatorial work, Andria is a strategic advisor to artists, cultural foundations, philanthropists, and arts institutions. She has lectured broadly, and her written work has been published in a wide variety of journals and exhibition catalogues.
Andria lives in upstate New York and spends time on Fogo Island whenever she can.
Brandee Caoba is an artist, curator, and cultural activist based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work explores the intersection of art and social change, using storytelling to spark dialogue, raise political awareness, and challenge conventional ways of seeing and thinking.
Since 2016, Caoba has curated over forty exhibitions and projects at SITE SANTA FE, a contemporary art space known for its experimental programming. She has collaborated with internationally recognized artists and curators, as well as emerging voices, focusing on work that boldly addresses urgent environmental, social, and cultural issues.
Her curatorial approach is both critical and responsive, shaping exhibitions that confront global challenges such as climate change, migration, displacement, border policies, gun violence, trans* rights, mass incarceration, and feminist movements. Prioritizing the voices and visions of the artists she works with, Caoba creates dynamic, thought-provoking spaces where diverse ideas converge. Her exhibitions function as sites of transformation—where art acts as a catalyst for dialogue, healing, reflection, and change.
Over the past decade at SITE SANTA FE, Caoba has developed expertise in commissioning ambitious new artworks, public installations, performances, and programs, shaping projects that engage with the complexities of contemporary experience. Recent curatorial projects include Dakota Mace: DAHODIYINII—SACRED PLACES (2025), Harmony Hammond: FRINGE (2025), Cassils: Movements (2024), Carmen Herrera: I’m Nobody, Who Are You? (2024), Nicholas Galanin: Interference Patterns (2023), and Jeffrey Gibson: The Body Electric (2022). She is also the organizing curator for the 12th SITE Santa Fe International, Once Within a Time, opening in June 2025 and curated by Cecilia Alemani.
Matthew Wyllie is a dancer and musician originally from Vancouver, BC. He graduated from Modus Operandi Contemporary Dance Program and continued to train and freelance in the Vancouver dance scene. Matthew began playing in bands, where he wrote music, recorded music, and toured nationally. As his dance career began to flourish he had to pause full time music to further pursue dance. Matthew has had the opportunity to dance professionally with Mascall Dance, Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY, Kinesis Dance, Mahaila Patterson-O’Brien, Vision Impure, Emmalena Fredriksson, Vancouver Opera, ADARTE Compagnia, Wen Wei Dance, and Ballet Edmonton. Through these opportunities, Matthew has performed across the country and internationally. In 2021, Matthew moved his home base to Edmonton, AB to join Ballet Edmonton. Matthew loves the creative process and is exploring his Choreographic voice. He finds it exciting and nerve-wracking as it requires risk and trust and can be full of surprises.
Ben was born in Burnaby, BC. He began tap dancing at age two, which led to him training and competing around BC in many styles of dance. At 16, Ben joined Arts Umbrella’s dance program under the direction of Artemis Gordon. He was an inaugural member of the Ballet BC Performance Project (2021/22) and then joined Ballet BC as an Emerging Artist for the following season under the direction of Medhi Walerski. Ben moved to Edmonton to join Ballet Edmonton as a company artist in 2023. He is also a musician, composer, and resident composer for Arts Umbrella. Ben has composed for Ballet BC, Ethan Colangelo, The National Ballet of Canada, and many more.
Born in Mococa-SP, Brazil, Diego Ramalho’s beginning in dance was in Breakdance and Brazilian capoeira. In his teens, he was persuaded to enroll in formal ballet training at Kleine Szene in Santo André-SP, Brazil. In 2013, Diego was invited to be a member of Coastal City Ballet Company in Vancouver, BC, where he performed leading roles in full-length ballets such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Cinderella and Coppelia. Diego has been a guest artist in productions across Canada, USA and Brazil and has worked with creators such as Andrea Peña, Joshua Beamish, Shay Kuebler, Dorotea Saykaly, Ethan Colangelo, Kirsten Wicklund, to name a few. He joined Ballet Edmonton in 2018 and has been exploring his choreographic voice under the mentorship of Wen Wei Wang. His recent work “Valei-me” has been presented for audiences across Canada, including the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, as part of the company’s 2023 e-motion tour.
Raised in Vancouver, BC, Devon (she/her) received her training at Arts Umbrella and graduated from the post-secondary dance program under the direction of Artemis Gordon. Devon expanded on her foundational training in summer programs at The Royal Ballet School, Canada’s National Ballet School, and l’École supérieure de ballet du Québec. In 2022, she participated in the Ballet BC Annex Program, performing and teaching outreach workshops throughout BC. She is a proud recipient of the BC Arts Council Scholarship and the McCall MacBain Cultural Leadership Award. Devon has had the opportunity to research and perform works by esteemed artists including Crystal Pite, Medhi Walerski, Marco Goecke, Sidi Larbi Cerkaoui, Shay Kuebler, Ihsan Rustem, Dorotea Saykaly, Ethan Colangelo, James Gregg, and Wen Wei Wang. Devon joined Ballet Edmonton in 2022 and is thrilled to continue exploring human connection through movement development.
Originally from Tuscaloosa, AL, Fiona (she/her) began her dance training exploring a variety of dance styles. Fiona graduated Summa Cum Laude with her BFA in dance from Florida State University in 2021. Upon graduation, Fiona became a trainee with Grand Rapids Ballet where she had the pleasure of performing works by George Balanchine and Christopher Stowell, among others. Fiona further developed her artistic voice at summer programs, including Orsolina28, Chuthis, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Gaga Movement Language, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Alonzo King Lines Ballet. Most recently, Fiona was a company artist with Vitacca Ballet in Houston, TX from 2022-2024 where she collaborated in choreographic processes and performed works by Sean Aaron Carmon, Ethan Colangelo, Hélène Simoneau, Garrett Smith, and Robyn Mineko Williams. Fiona is thrilled to join Ballet Edmonton this season.
Born in Newcastle NSW, Australia, Adrian began his training at Newcastle Ballet Theatre before moving to the Victoria Academy of Ballet in BC, Canada. Adrian completed his formal training through the Alonzo King LINES Ballet program before moving to Vancouver to pursue a career as a freelance artist. Adrian has worked with Vanessa Goodman’s Action at a Distance, Wen Wei Dance, Plastic Orchid Factory, Francesca Lettieri, Kinesis Dance, and Gioconda Barbuto. With support from the Canada Council for the Arts and Edmonton Arts Council, Adrian has researched and created dance-for-film works, including; ‘i know you know’, with Mika Manning and Madeleine Gilbert for VIDF in 2022 and ‘STALEMATE’, a dance-for-film work. Adrian joined Ballet Edmonton in 2021 and continues to pursue personal creations of photography, choreography and dance-for-film in his free time.
Nevan Boyden (He/Him) was born in Vancouver, BC, where he trained in the Arts Umbrella Dance Program from the age of five. From 2016-2021, Nevan attended the Arts Umbrella Pre-Professional Training Program. During this time, he worked with artists such as Wen Wei Wang, Josh Martin and Eric Beauchesne. In 2021, Nevan was accepted into the Arts Umbrella Post Secondary Program, where he was invited to join the Ballet BC Annex program under the direction of Artemis Gordon and Medhi Walerski. Nevan has had the opportunity to perform works by choreographers such as Johan Inger, William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, Marco Goecke, Medhi Walerski, Dance Novella, and Rebecca Margolick among others. Nevan also loves to use creation as a tool for expression, which led to creating three works on fellow Arts Umbrella dancers as an emerging choreographer. Nevan is excited to be joining Ballet Edmonton for the 2024/2025 season.