Alex del Angel is an independent dance artist and choreographer trained at the Victoria Academy of Ballet and Modus Operandi in Vancouver. His practice spans Ballet, Contemporary, and W*acking, and he has worked with notable choreographers including Alyssa Pires, Vanessa Goodman, Ella Rothschild, and David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen. As a choreographer, Alex has created for the Victoria Academy of Ballet’s Youth Company and performed original solo work across Mexico and Canada. He also teaches Beginner Ballet, Contemporary, and Wacking, centering accessibility and welcoming adults exploring dance outside of traditional training models.

Anika Whetstone (she/her) is a dance artist from the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a BA from California State University, Fullerton and trained at the Alonzo King LINES Training Program, working with artists such as Alonzo King, Gregory Dawson, and Maurya Kerr. In 2024, she danced for Dawsondancesf and served as a teaching assistant for the California State Summer School for the Arts. Anika later trained with Modus Operandi in Vancouver and joined Nuova X in Italy, working with Jermaine Spivey and Ethan Colangelo. She has also trained with Ballet BC, Gibney, Orsolina28, and Ballets Jazz Montréal.

Denise Chan is a Vancouver-born dance artist who began training at age two across ballet, contemporary, jazz, musical theatre, and street styles. She trained at Tri-City Dance Center and competed internationally with Team Canada Hip Hop. Denise studied at Peridance in NYC, working with Yoshito Sakuraba, Bo Park, Tushrik Frederiks, and others. After graduating, she performed with companies including Akompany, Project TAG, Sun Kim Dance Theatre, The Pocket Fuel Groovers, and The Dynasties. Her credits include Battery Dance Festival, New Victory Dance, and LayeRhythm at the New York Public Library. She is thrilled to join Dance//Novella’s 2026 EAP.

Emily Lee is a 21-year-old Chinese/Taiwanese emerging dance artist currently completing her BFA in Dance Honours at Simon Fraser University. After immigrating to Vancouver in 2013, she trained in multiple styles before focusing on contemporary dance. At SFU, she studied with artists including NiNi Dongnier, Justine Chambers, and Lisa Gelley, and performed in repertory works by Company 605 and Anya Saugstad. She has also worked as an apprentice with NiNi Dongnier and Company 605. Emily is passionate about developing as both a performer and creator and is excited to continue her artistic journey with Dance//Novella’s EAP.

Estelle McGuinness (she/her) is a dance artist born in Sydney, Australia. She trained at San Francisco Ballet School and earned her GED at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, while also studying with ODC SF and Dance Training Center SF. She later danced with New York Dance Project and Open Dance Ensemble. Estelle recently completed the Arts Umbrella Post-Secondary Program in Vancouver, where she performed works by Crystal Pite, William Forsythe, Sharon Eyal, Mats Ek, Azure Barton, and others. She brings a broad international perspective and is excited to join Dance//Novella’s Emerging Artist Program in 2026.

Iféoma Okoli is an emerging dance artist from Montréal with a focus on waacking, hip hop, popping, and house. She also incorporates fusion and contemporary into her movement practice. Her early training took place at Extravandanse Studio, followed by advanced training in commercial and street dance. In 2023, she studied with Andy Michel in The Program 9 and participated in Sarah Steben’s Moving Beyond Dance. She has deepened her skills through intensives and workshops and was invited to the 2024 Cirque du Soleil Street Dance Auditions led by pioneer Natasha “Tash” Jean-Bart.

Josephine Jakubowski is a Vancouver-based dance artist and movement educator. She trained at The Richmond Academy of Dance and is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance. She holds a BFA in Performance Dance from Toronto Metropolitan University. Her passion for contemporary dance has led her to train across Canada, the U.S., and Europe, and to perform in festivals throughout Toronto, Greece, and Italy. Josephine is also a certified Pilates instructor, dedicated teacher, and repetiteur. She is excited to share her voice and expand her artistic practice as part of Dance//Novella’s 2026 Emerging Artist Program.

Linnea Goldstrom is a dance artist based in North Vancouver, BC. She has performed with Dance//Novella in “When The Walls Come Down,” a collaboration with Deaf artist Caroline Hebert. Linnea trained in New York through the Gibney Independent Choreographic Program and GibneyPRO, where she created solo and collaborative works. Her experiences in NYC deepened her exposure to diverse choreographic styles and creative opportunities. Recent performances include “An Endless Weave” at Vines Arts Festival. Linnea is passionate about storytelling through dance and committed to multidisciplinary creation that fosters dialogue and connection.

Nadia Dardano (she/her) is a multidisciplinary dance artist based in Ontario. Trained in styles ranging from ballet and contemporary to street and West African dance, she has performed in works by choreographers including Adam Barruch, Esie Mensah, and Alysa Pires. A 2025 graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University, she received the Lipton Family Endowment for excellence in choreography. Her training includes Springboard Danse (Pittsburgh), B12 (Berlin), and Henny Jurgens (Amsterdam). Nadia also works in acting, directing, and fine arts, with credits including Fall for Dance North and Canadian Walk of Fame. She joins Dance//Novella’s 2026 EAP with excitement.

Shea Hancock is a dance artist from Stockton, CA and a 2025 BFA graduate of USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, where she also minored in Mind-Body Studies. While at USC, she performed works by Hope Boykin, Roderick George, Peter Chu, and Micaela Taylor, and deepened her training through intensives with artists like Crystal Pite, Sharon Eyal, and Johan Inger. Known for her emotional range and choreographic curiosity, Shea aims to dissolve the barrier between performer and audience. She brings passion, depth, and creative vision to Dance//Novella’s 2026 Emerging Artist Program.

SiQi He is an Asian American dance artist based in San Francisco. She began her training in classical ballet in Spokane Valley, Washington, and later earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in dance from the University of Washington. While in school, she performed works by Camille A. Brown and David Rousseve. She continued her training at the LINES Ballet Training Program, dancing in works by Sidra Bell, Gregory Dawson, and Natasha Adorlee. SiQi has trained with artists like Rena Butler and Jermaine Spivey, and recently performed with Pearl Street Dance Collective and Robert Moses’ Kin.

Yuha was born in Kanazawa, in Japan and studied and danced in the United States from the age of 15. She came to Vancouver in 2018 to join the Arts Umbrella’s Post-secondary graduate program. After graduating she joined Lamondance Company located in North Vancouver for a year. In 2022, she decided to continue learning with Modus Operandi where she graduated in June, 2024. Yuha is currently a freelance artist in Vancouver, and has participated in projects with various artists such as Dance//Novella, Co. ERASGA, Cristina Bucci, Maiko Miyauchi, and Kaili Che and also she has started to explore her own choreographic practice.