Position: Former Soloist & Principal Dancer, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and Ballet BC

Affiliation with organization: –

Years active at YAGP: 2022 – Present

Born in Hamilton Ontario, Stephana Arnold attended the National Ballet School of Canada for 7 years, where she received the prestigious Peter Dwyer Award and Honours standing on her Intermediate and Advanced Cecchetti Ballet Examinations. Upon graduation, she danced and worked closely with choreographer Xing Bang Fu and several small companies before being asked to join the National Ballet of Canada in 1992-95. In 1996, Stephana joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal and quickly rose through the ranks to First Soloist. With her dynamism and dramatic stage presence, she danced a wide and eclectic variety of Principal and Soloist roles in Concerto Barocco, Nutcracker, Queen of Spades, Giselle, Pillar of Fire, Without Words and Symphony of Songs to name a few. She has worked with such names as James Kudelka, Eduoard Lock, Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin, Shawn Hounsell, Septime Webber, Gioconda Barbuto and Kevin O’Day and many others. Stephana was invited to dance at many Gala evenings and has toured extensively, performing in places such as Kennedy Center, City Center, Spoleto Festival, throughout Canada, the U.S. & Europe, Brazil, Israel, Mexico and Asia.

2003 brought her to Ballet British Columbia where she danced a diverse array of Principal roles in works from Mark Godden, John Alleyne, Twyla Tharp and Jean Gran Maitre to name a few. 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.

She is an award winning Ballet and Contemporary Choreographer, former Resident Choreographer for CatchingArt Contemporary Ballet Theatre and Senior Teacher at Pro Arte Centre, former Artistic Director of the Dance Conservatory and the Dance Conservatory West Vancouver, a Guest Teacher, Adjudicator and Professional dance coach.